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The New York Giants are one of the league’s elite teams, but they’ll be competing against the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins for the division title next season.
The Giants were one of just two teams with fewer than 10 wins last year, but the team has been in a slump since quarterback Eli Manning took a step back.
Manning is gone and the team needs to win games to have any shot at the division crown.
With Manning gone, the Giants need to be prepared for the Cowboys to be one of their toughest opponents next season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Here’s how the Giants should look in their division battle against Dallas and the Dolphins.1.
Eli Manning’s departure Eli Manning left the Giants after the 2015 season to sign a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos were on a two-win streak when Manning left for Denver and they’ll likely be without the veteran quarterback for another year.
The loss of Manning will be felt by a team that had a solid starting offensive line last season.
But the Giants defense could be in better shape.
The secondary has the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense and the Giants will be without safety Malcolm Butler, who will be a free agent after this season.
With the Giants having a top-10 pass defense in 2017, the secondary is going to have to improve.
But with three Pro Bowlers on the roster, the defense should be ready to take on the best passing attack in the league.2.
A strong secondary This defense is the best in the NFL.
The Cowboys were the worst defensive team in 2016, but were able to make up for that with the additions of cornerback Morris Claiborne, safety Eric Reid and safety Adrian Amos.
The defense will need to continue to improve in 2017.
The unit ranked No. 2 in scoring defense in 2016 and No. 7 in total defense.
The defensive line had the second-best run defense last year.
But this unit will be tested by a high-powered offense that is expected to be even better in 2017 than it was last year under quarterback Dak Prescott.3.
QBs, receivers, defense The defense has the ability to be a major factor for the Giants in 2017 after finishing with the NFL-best defense in 2015.
That was due in large part to the emergence of rookie Dak Prescott and the additions to the front seven.
The team ranked No, 2 in the NFC in total offense last year and No, 1 in the AFC in total yards.
The offensive line will be in the midst of a rebuilding process after losing guard David Diehl and left tackle Michael Oher in free agency.
The front seven is expected as a top unit in 2017 and is a big reason why the Giants ranked No., 2 in passing efficiency last year in pass attempts per game (22.9).
The offensive side of the ball has a lot of talent, but needs to add some help at the position to compete in the division.4.
The new coaching staff The Giants had a new head coach in Sean Payton, but he was not expected to take the job until after the season.
After he was hired in May, the team had the No. 3 offense in the preseason and had two players named to the Pro Bowl.
But as the season progressed, the offense struggled.
The pass offense fell off drastically and quarterback Eli Newton struggled as a passer in 2016.
New York ranked No for most passing yards and most passing touchdowns last year at 739.
The offense was a mess in 2017 as Newton was benched for the season opener.
It won’t be easy for the offense to pick up where it left off in 2018.
