Franchise quarterback. Elite pass rusher. Anchor middle linebacker. Let's start with how season-ending injuries in critical spots have created numerous obstacles for the New York Giants, who enter their bye week atop the NFC East.
Sure, they haven't always painted a pretty picture in fighting their way to a 4-2-1 record, but NFL teams don't get any extra credit for style points. The reality is that the Giants have already beaten the second-place Dallas Cowboys (3-4) and are one of five NFC teams to have two or fewer losses this season.
Piece by piece, coach John Harbaugh has called upon the depth chart built by general manager Joe Schoen to navigate significant detours along the way.
"It's just a matter of keep growing and keep building our execution and our ability to do things the right way at a high level. It takes that; it's a race," Harbaugh said this week.
"It's a marathon, but a marathon - I've been told - is a series of sprints, one after another. That's really what we're doing, a series of sprints, so we'll get a little bit of a break here, grab some Gatorade and a granola bar at the table, and then we'll be back into the race when we get back."
General managers usually say the season is the easiest part of their jobs because they're in charge of offseason roster building. It's clear Schoen and Harbaugh collaborated to improve the Giants' depth from the moment the new coach was hired, and it didn't come only through the draft with the likes of linebacker Arvel Reese and Francis Maguinoa.
The retention of middle linebacker Micah McFadden in his comeback from a broken foot, the signing of veteran cornerback Greg Newsome and the return of former Giants safety Jason Pinnock are just a few of the significant moves that have paid dividends.
Yet none may be more important than the early-season trade that sent a fifth-round draft choice to the Minnesota Vikings for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who was sensational in his first Giants start while beating the Houston Texans on the road in overtime.
QB Jaxson Dart, LBs Brian Burns and Tremaine Edmunds, DL Chauncey Golston and Roy Robertson-Harris, WR Calvin Austin, and RET Gunner Olszewski. Each was expected to play a key role, but season-ending injuries have forced the Giants to rely on improved depth to maintain their preseason goal of challenging for the playoffs.
Schoen explained how the team expects to move forward in the second half of the season in his annual state-of-the-team address during the bye week. Big Blue Breakdown Live host Paul Dottino discusses the details and how the team is set up to meet the challenge, while taking chats and calls from fans tonight at 8 p.m. ET at this link.
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