The Giants have Super Bowl aspirations this season just like last year. They thought last year was the year to win it all, but they fell short of their goal by losing to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC wild-card playoff game, which featured Giants diva Odell Beckham Jr. having three drops in that game.
One would think the Giants would say nothing in the preseason after a horrible postseason appearance, but they have ratchet up the rhetoric once more about it’s time for them to win the Super Bowl. Give them credit for having such hubris.
Truth be told, the Giants are right. They are good enough to win a championship. They have the playmakers on offense and defense to get it done. This is the best roster the Giants had since they last won the Super Bowl in the 2011 season. There are no weaknesses on that roster.
Anything short of a championship is a disappointment. It would give the Giants something to think about when it comes to what to do with Eli Manning as quarterback. They can end the Manning era by releasing him and they can start the Davis Webb era at quarterback after drafting him this year.
This season becomes interesting. There’s going to be pressure to get it done. It’s the way the Giants like it. They have embraced that mentality heading to this season.
Of all the Giants that have pressure, it’s Beckham. He symbolizes the Giants. What he does determines how far they go this season. That was evident last year when he played horribly that led the Giants to go one and out in the playoffs. He has to show what he does in the regular season translates to the postseason. That’s how elite players in their respective sport are judged. Four catches on 11 targets for 28 yards in a postseason game against the Packers by him won’t cut it.
It does not help the Giants star is a lightning rod. Everything he does is always scrutinized. For instance, he was savaged for going to Florida after the Giants’ game against the Redskins late Sunday night. This comes when the Giants were preparing for a wild-card playoff game. He was blamed for not being prepared for that game because of his decision. He symbolized the Giants’ arrogance that doomed them against their wild-card opponent.
Beckham loves the attention that comes with his play, so it’s hard to feel sorry for him. He asked for it, so he should be judged. He is going to find out New York is not tolerant on stars not stepping up in the playoffs. He can ask Henrik Lundqvist, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez for details.
Then, there’s Manning. He has to perform much better. He can’t be throwing interceptions or start having so many one and out drives. In the last two years, he has thrown 30 interceptions. He can only blame the offensive line for so long. He has to figure out how to make plays. He has showed he can get it done in the playoffs, but regular season has been a dicey proposition to him. This could be a make or break season for him. At some point, the Giants are not going to be tolerant of his inconsistent performances.
We don’t know what to make of Ben McAdoo. He did a fine job as a Giants coach by leading them to an 11-5 record with a playoff appearance to show for it, but he was not hired just to make the playoffs. He was hired to win as many championships as he can. The Giants are hoping to get their next Bill Parcells in McAdoo. That means they want him coaching for the next 15 years being that he is 40 years old.
There were no expectations for the rookie Giants head coach last year, which is always the case in his first year. They were hoping he would learn on the job and get better. He has earned the respect from his players for how prepared he was as coach, not to mention knowing not to push his players to the limit.
Now, the challenge begins for McAdoo. Can he coach the Giants to the next level when it comes to excellence? Can he lead to a seamless regular season? Can he lead them to a championship? The second season is always harder than the first one, as fans expect the coach to get better by building on his first year’s success.
So many questions. So many answers. So much intrigue.
This is the most anticipated season the Giants have had in a long time. There are expectations the Giants need to live up to. That’s what makes this season so fun.
The Giants can be arrogant all they want, but it’s going to mean nothing if they don’t hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy in Minneapolis this February.
It’s going to be an exciting journey that starts Sunday.
