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Ranking the Redskins’ NFC East opponents: How do they stack up?

By Ian Cummings

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball as Rasul Douglas #32 of the Philadelphia Eagles defends on October 23, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball as Rasul Douglas #32 of the Philadelphia Eagles defends on October 23, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants puts on his helmet during the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 23-0. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants puts on his helmet during the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 23-0. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

No. 3 – New York Giants

For much of the offseason, I had the New York Giants ahead of the Dallas Cowboys. Taking a closer look at the teams, however, I feel inclined to bump the Cowboys up. The move does not bring me pleasure. But the Giants clearly have more to figure out.

Of course, all teams have bright spots, and the Giants are no different. Odell Beckham is still one of the best wide receivers in the league. Evan Engram is an exciting, ascending weapon at tight end. Saquon Barkley should be a versatile threat for the offense, even if his paycheck gives him insurmountable expectations, and if his offensive line is still below-average, and if his quarterback…

Whoops. Went on a little tangent. Back to the good stuff. Focus.

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The Giants’ defensive line is fairly good. Damon Harrison is one of the best, if not the best run defender in the league, and he’s joined by players like Dalvin Tomlinson, Olivier Vernon, and rookies B.J. Hill and R.J. McIntosh. Janoris Jenkins is still a solid No. 1 cornerback, and the same can be said for Landon Collins at safety, even if he took a step back in 2017 from his dominant 2016 season.

Unfortunately for the Big Blue, after that, it gets dicey. The team is lacking in depth all around. Even with the acquisitions of Nate Solder (an aging, injury prone tackle) and Will Hernandez on the offensive line, the unit as a whole needs improvement. Ereck Flowers is starting at right tackle. So that’s not ideal.

On defense, the Giants’ linebackers are still mired in uncertainty, even with the acquisition of inconsistent starter Alec Ogletree, and the secondary is seriously lacking in depth as well. The drafting of Sam Beal was expected to help, but now Beal is out for the season. One step forward, one step back. And to top it all off, Eli Manning doesn’t appear to be the same player he was three years ago. He’s still an NFL starter. But it’s hard to say confidently that he can elevate this Giants team, even with offensive help from Pat Shurmur’s scheme.

Pat Shurmur was a very good hire for the Giants. He should be able to offset roster uncertainty, to some degree. But even good coaches can be stuck in situations where success is tough to come by. Shurmur’s Giants won’t be winning anything but plane tickets home in 2018. How they perform beyond this year is largely dependent on Dave Gettleman.

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