2010 New York Giants Preview

Never before in the history of my New York Giants fandom have I ever been so anxious for a regular season to begin. Sadly, my anticipation is not due to my desire for regular season football or the fact that the Giants are on the cusp of a Super Bowl season. If you visit my Associated Content profile page, you'll see a long list of Giants-related articles that are, well, just sad to read if you're a Big Blue follower. Injury upon injury and three (as of the writing of this preview) lackluster preseason games have made me yearn for September and (God willing) brighter days for the 2010 New York Giants.

As I sated in my first 2010 New York Giants preview, this current team has way more questions than answers heading into the second Sunday of September.

Never before in the history of my New York Giants fandom have I ever been so anxious for a regular season to begin. Sadly, my anticipation is not due to my desire for regular season football or the fact that the Giants are on the cusp of a Super Bowl season. If you visit my Associated Content profile page, you'll see a long list of Giants-related articles that are, well, just sad to read if you're a Big Blue follower. Injury upon injury and three (as of the writing of this preview) lackluster preseason games have made me yearn for September and (God willing) brighter days for the 2010 New York Giants.

As I sated in my first 2010 New York Giants preview, this current team has way more questions than answers heading into the second Sunday of September. Here are five questions whose answers will determine the fate of this year's Giants team and, possibly, the head coaching career of Tom Coughlin.

2010 New York Giants questions #1: Who is helping out Steve Smith?

Wide receiver Steve Smith "pwned" opposing defenses in 2009 en route to a franchise record 107 receptions. Teams are no longer surprised by the always reliable Smith, and he will be attracting double coverage like Paris Hilton attracts other people's narcotics. Talented yet unproven wide receivers Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss and Victor Cruz may have to combine to equal a true number two target for quarterback Eli Manning. Smith is great, but he can't do it all himself. Nicks is the most promising number two candidate, but he may be a season away from truly filling into such a role.

2010 New York Giants questions #2: The running game

How worrisome is the state of the 2010 New York Giants running game? Fans practically leaped for joy when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released RB Derrick Ward, a guy who ran for a whopping 409 yards and one touchdown in 2009. Ahmad Bradshaw is likely to start ahead of the oft-injured Brandon Jacobs when the Giants take the field on September 12. I'm all for keeping Jacobs fresh, but Bradshaw has yet to prove he can be an elite starting running back in the NFL.

2010 New York Giants questions #3: Linebackers

Want to know the Giants' starting linebackers for week 1 of the 2010 NFL regular season? So does the coaching staff, apparently. The Giants desperately missed defensive leader LB Antonio Pierce after Pierce went down to injury last season, and nobody has yet to take his place. Pierce himself has admitted that the team's defensive/linebacking unit needs a "Bigtime player." The question is this; Can Keith Bulluck, Clint Sintim, Michael Boley, Jonathan Goff, Bryan Kehl or somebody else be that type of player?

2010 New York Giants questions #4: Aaron Ross

Safety Antrel Rolle was a great offseason acquisition, and cornerback Corey Webster has been fantastic thus far in August. Ross, who missed 12 starts in 2009, is less than 100 percent at the end of August due to a similar plantar fascia injury that hobbled QB Eli Manning last season. I'm sure that Bruce Johnson and Courtney Brown are fine gentlemen, but I'd much rather see Ross on the field once the outcome of games begins to matter. The Giants' secondary is, simply stated, not deep enough to have Ross on the sidelines for any considerable amount of time in 2010.

2010 New York Giants questions #5: The team without a returner

Domenik Hixon was lost before the start of the 2010 NFL preseason. Sinorice Moss is also on IR. Aaron Ross is banged up and, let's be honest, nobody wants him returning kickoffs or punts during the regular season. Victor Cruz has bobbled punts during practices and preseason games. Hakeem Nicks is the team's number two WR on the depth chart, hardly the type of player you want routinely getting mugged on kick returns. Whoever the Giants go with in week 1 of the 2010 NFL regular season, that player will likely be new to the kick/punt return game. Expect a lot of anxious moments during kickoffs and punts this season.

More from Associated Content: 2010 New York Giants schedule (here), Breaking down the 2010 New York Giants schedule (here) and Review of New Meadowlands Stadium (here)

More from me: Follow NYGExaminer on Twitter

2010 New York Giants questions #1: Who is helping out Steve Smith?

Wide receiver Steve Smith "pwned" opposing defenses in 2009 en route to a franchise record 107 receptions. Teams are no longer surprised by the always reliable Smith, and he will be attracting double coverage like Paris Hilton attracts other people's narcotics. Talented yet unproven wide receivers Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Sinorice Moss and Victor Cruz may have to combine to equal a true number two target for quarterback Eli Manning. Smith is great, but he can't do it all himself. Nicks is the most promising number two candidate, but he may be a season away from truly filling into such a role.

2010 New York Giants questions #2: The running game

How worrisome is the state of the 2010 New York Giants running game? Fans practically leaped for joy when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released RB Derrick Ward, a guy who ran for a whopping 409 yards and one touchdown in 2009. Ahmad Bradshaw is likely to start ahead of the oft-injured Brandon Jacobs when the Giants take the field on September 12. I'm all for keeping Jacobs fresh, but Bradshaw has yet to prove he can be an elite starting running back in the NFL.

2010 New York Giants questions #3: Linebackers

Want to know the Giants' starting linebackers for week 1 of the 2010 NFL regular season? So does the coaching staff, apparently. The Giants desperately missed defensive leader LB Antonio Pierce after Pierce went down to injury last season, and nobody has yet to take his place. Pierce himself has admitted that the team's defensive/linebacking unit needs a "Bigtime player." The question is this; Can Keith Bulluck, Clint Sintim, Michael Boley, Jonathan Goff, Bryan Kehl or somebody else be that type of player?

2010 New York Giants questions #4: Aaron Ross

Safety Antrel Rolle was a great offseason acquisition, and cornerback Corey Webster has been fantastic thus far in August. Ross, who missed 12 starts in 2009, is less than 100 percent at the end of August due to a similar plantar fascia injury that hobbled QB Eli Manning last season. I'm sure that Bruce Johnson and Courtney Brown are fine gentlemen, but I'd much rather see Ross on the field once the outcome of games begins to matter. The Giants' secondary is, simply stated, not deep enough to have Ross on the sidelines for any considerable amount of time in 2010.

2010 New York Giants questions #5: The team without a returner

Domenik Hixon was lost before the start of the 2010 NFL preseason. Sinorice Moss is also on IR. Aaron Ross is banged up and, let's be honest, nobody wants him returning kickoffs or punts during the regular season. Victor Cruz has bobbled punts during practices and preseason games. Hakeem Nicks is the team's number two WR on the depth chart, hardly the type of player you want routinely getting mugged on kick returns. Whoever the Giants go with in week 1 of the 2010 NFL regular season, that player will likely be new to the kick/punt return game. Expect a lot of anxious moments during kickoffs and punts this season.

More from Associated Content: 2010 New York Giants schedule (here), Breaking down the 2010 New York Giants schedule (here) and Review of New Meadowlands Stadium (here)

Zac's note: This is actually my second preview of the 2010 New York football Giants. Head over to my Examiner page to read preview number one.

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