Specifically they need the following five things to work out

Specifically, they need the following five things to work out:. The Giants have all but announced that second year player Jonathan Goff will start at middle linebacker this Sunday. With Antonio Pierce out for the season and Chase Blackburn looking like the career special teams ace he will always be, it's not like the team had a lot of options. But Goff must prove that he is capable of starting for the rest of the year.

Goff is significantly faster than Pierce and stronger than Blackburn, two assets that will come in handy against the dangerous offenses New York faces in the coming weeks. But he is also extremely raw, and it's uncertain whether he'll be able to match wits with opposing quarterbacks. Every football fan goes into a season worried about a handful of things For Giants fans, the pass rush didn't make anybody's list. The front four is the core of this team's defense, and defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan's schemes are founded on its ability to be disruptive throughout the game At this point, they just look overrated. Bill Sheridan is toying with the idea of benching both Fred Robbins and Osi Umenyiora Rocky Bernard is barely involved at all.

Justin Tuck has been hobbling around since Flozell Adams tripped him in Week two. But if they can get back to wreaking havoc, a lot will fall back into place for this team. In a game like football, a player can cross the line from experienced to old in a heartbeat, and this year, the Giants' offensive line looks like it's crossed over. Last year, the Giants were among the league leaders in time of possession. They ate up the clock with long, sustained drives that tired out opposing defenses and made opposing offenses one-dimensional.

This year, they are seventh, a number that's been artificially inflated by dominating performances against Tampa Bay and Oakland. This year, they seem less athletic in their pulling and trapping, and the running game, once the best in the league, is averaging 30 fewer yards per game on just two fewer attempts They are tied for 19th in rushing touchdowns. With the winds beginning to swirl in East Rutherford, it is imperative that Diehl, McKenzie, Seubert, Snee, and O'Hara turn back the clock. Like the Eagles last year, sometimes you need a little help from your friends to make the playoffs. In the Giants' case, having Green Bay, Atlanta, or Philadelphia falter in these final five weeks would make their playoff push a lot easier.