Giants final report card -- 2012: Some positives, more negatives

It's difficult to point to a single factor that led to the Giants' demise in 2012 as all their units played well and poorly at various times.

By Alex Raskin

Jan 3, 2013 at 4:11 pm ET • 2 min read

Sports09

With Hakeem Nicks’ injury woes, WR Victor Cruz received extra attention, limiting the Giants’ big-play options. (US Presswire)

Assigning blame for the Giants’ 2012 season is difficult and perhaps impossible. Every unit performed well and poorly at various times. The only real trend was that the team played better at the beginning of the season, which might suggest that there was some wear-and-tear at play. After all, the Giants have played 44 preseason, regular-season and postseason games since August 2011.

Offense: B-

The Giants were No. 14 in yards, which seems like a major step down (they were No. 8 last year), but in reality it was only a difference of 474 total yards. In fact, New York’s scoring average went up 2.2 ppg in 2012. The biggest difference was the absence of the big play, which was largely the product of WR Hakeem Nicks’ injury woes. WR Victor Cruz took on more defenders, and QB Eli Manning didn’t have the same passing lanes. The good news: The Giants rushed for 4.6 yards per carry after gaining a league-low 3.5 yards in 2011.

Defense: D+

The Giants tied for fourth with 31 total takeaways, but that’s about where the positives end. New York allowed too many big plays, and the pass rush didn’t have the same effect it once did (they were No. 26 in the league with 28 sacks). Perhaps the biggest concern was the 19^th-ranked run defense, which yielded 121.3 yards per game. Age and injury caught up with every unit, particularly at linebacker where MLB Chase Blackburn and WLB Michael Boley seemed to be dealing with several issues at the end of the year.

Special teams: B

Until a late-season swoon, K Lawrence Tynes was having a brilliant year. He finished tied for second with 33 field goals. P Steve Weatherford dropped 22 punts inside the 20-yard line, but he had only six touchbacks, which was good. The biggest development was that of rookie KR David Wilson, who was instrumental in several victories.

Coaching: C+

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride takes a lot of heat from fans, but the truth is he had a lot of obstacles. In addition to injuries along the offensive line, Nicks’ knee problem caused a domino effect on offense that robbed New York of its big-play ability. Wilson had his moments, but Gilbride couldn’t rely on him because of an early season fumble and his inexperience in pass protection. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell had a number of shining moments (the Packers game, for instance) but his unit ultimately allowed far too many big plays. Coach Tom Coughlin’s consistent approach makes him the best candidate to guide this team next season, but another year without reaching the playoffs probably won’t be tolerated.

Cumulative GPA: 2.43

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