Preseason Wrap Up

The NFL season has officially kicked off with the rematch of Super Bowl 50, and before Cam Newton’s head stops ringing, the Giants will kick off their 2016 season in the least likely place, sorry, I mean the most likely place. AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The fact that this is actually a thing, really bothers me.

The Giants didn’t look all that great this August. I know that it’s only preseason, and you get the same amount of facts from those four games as you do from Flat Earth "Truthers", but what I saw from the team made me a bit nervous. Like getting a call from your mom out of nowhere kind of nervous. Mostly because when your mom calls, it could be something as simple as her checking in, or your dog might be dead. It’s that kind of uncertainty that we are faced with as Giants’ fans. 



This preseason had some positives and negatives, much like Adam Sandler’s career. So using him as inspiration...
What was Billy Madison about August:
Defense overall seemed to be vastly improved from last year. This is especially true with  the defensive line. JPP, Olivier Vernon, “Snacks” Harrison, and Johnathan Hankins have shown that they can be a force to be reckoned with this upcoming season.

What was The Longest Yard about August:
The offense hasn’t exactly impressed this preseason. It wasn’t Ann Coulter at the Rob Lowe Roast bad, but maybe the Situation at the Donald Trump Roast bad? A lot of the troubles had to do with the offensive line. Ereck Flowers is still developing at left tackle, and the right side of the line has gotten desperate enough that they had to re-sign Will Beatty. Hopefully the more they play, the more the o-line will gel.

"When I'm President, you'll be the first one deported, grease ball."

The linebackers looked to have improved from last year, but they are still the weak spot of the defense. Early middle linebacker front runner, Jasper Brinkley, got cut, and Kelvin Sheppard is now running the defense. Hopefully, the front four has improved enough to cover up linebackers like a turned over couch cushion.

What was Jack and Jill about August:
Learning about Josh Brown’s domestic violence incidents, and worse, learning that the Giants knew about the incident and still resigned him, has shaken my confidence in the organization a bit. It’s not as bad as Ray Rice’s situation, or Greg Hardy’s, but it’s still something what shouldn’t be tolerated. 



Truth be told, I don’t know what to expect this season from Big Blue. They are a team with issues, but so is every team in their division.
Tony Romo, out with another back injury, is a huge problem for Dallas. They still have a good line, and an impressive young back, but unlike Cowboy's cheerleader disguised as a journalist pundit commentator, Skip Bayless, I’m not convinced that Dak Prescott is another Cam Newton or Russell Wilson. Although I think he’s a better option behind center than the Rolodex of intramural flag football quarterbacks that were used last year. Also, a few of their defensive play makers are serving suspensions at the beginning of the year. 

Congratulations on your move to FOX Sports, Skip. This is nothing like what you did at ESPN.

There hasn’t been back to back winners of the NFC East since 2004 when the Eagles did it. I don’t think Kirk Cousins has it in him to lead the Redskins to do so. Also, if they're expecting Josh Norman to replicate what he did last year, they better have one of the best front sevens in the league, because that's the only reason he was so good last year.
The Eagles are suffering a hangover from the Chip Kelly years, and it’s something that Gatorade and Advil can’t fix. Their starting quarterback is a rookie who missed most of the preseason because of fractured ribs, they don’t really have play makers on offense.

The Giants had a chance to win this division last season, but they lost too many close games and let the division slip through their fingertips. There were an unprecedented amount of screw ups which I don’t expect to see this time around. They can have the same opportunity to win the NFC east this year, and I hope they don’t blow it.