Can the Giants Make the 2021 Playoffs?

Author: Billy Taylor

Editor: Brian Symons

With the Summer coming to an end, I often get upset at the thought of having to go back to school and losing the freedom and joy that Summer brings me. I’m always able to cheer myself up from this when I remember the fact that although the Summer may be ending, this means the dawn of a new football season is around the corner. There’s almost nothing better than waking up on a Sunday morning with a full slate of games ahead of you, especially when your favorite team is a contender. The New York Giants have certainly acted like contenders this offseason, but are they really?

The big headline of the offseason for the Giants has been their offense. Specifically, the acquisitions of free agent Kenny Golladay and first-round draft pick Kadarius Toney. The imaginations of Giants fans have been running wild with the thought of their young quarterback throwing to guys who can really impact the dynamic of an offense, which Golladay and Toney could do. Of course, Kadarius Toney has yet to play a snap in the NFL (outside of preseason), so who really knows what he can do for the Giants. Either way, his video game-like abilities that he showed at Florida will make any pessimistic fan excited to see what he can do at the professional level.

NFL fans have been seeing prowess of Kenny Golladay for some time with his years in Detroit. Golladay is a big guy who can jump and take the ball away from any defender at will but has been often stuck on mediocre teams and has had injury concerns throughout his career. If Kenny Golladay can stay relatively healthy and not miss significant time, pairing him with Toney’s speed can result in an offense that could really turn a secondary’s gameplan on its head. Even if Golladay and Toney are covered, that leaves potential looks open for Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram.

The potential impact of the Giants wide receiver core is even more intoxicating when you remember that Saquon Barkley will be returning to the backfield this year. Barkley has just been medically cleared to play and is on the roster for week 1’s game against Denver at home. Having Barkley return to the offense can go a long way for Daniel Jones and the Giants this year, considering the moderate success the team had last year without him.

Even though Saquon has been cleared to play week 1, I think it’s worth looking into the depth the Giants backfield has. Devontae Booker almost definitely doesn’t figure into the long-term plans for this team, but he brings some experience to the table. Which could greatly help 6th round draft pick (191 overall) Gary Brightwell out of Arizona. Brightwell had the chance to really impress some people with his potential playing time from Barkley’s injury. Now that we know Saquon has been cleared, it looks as though Brightwell won’t get much playing time. But he has shown that he can be a viable backup for Devontae Booker if Saquon was going to miss time. Brightwell had only 10 rushing yards on 4 attempts but had 20 receiving yards on 3 receptions in Week 3 of the preseason against New England.

While I really like the names that the Giants have on the offensive side of the ball, I wish I could say the same about the offensive line. Prior to Sunday’s game against the Bronco’s, the Giants O-line reads as such: LT: Andrew Thomas, LG: Shane Lemieux, C: Nick Gates, RG: Will Hernandez and RT: Nate Solder. This Giants offensive line is suspicious enough as it is, but with Solder in the mix it makes me so much more worried. Maybe Solder will surprise us all and live up to the expectations he made playing in New England, but the reality is that probably will not happen. When you look at this offensive line it is obvious that Gettleman didn’t do enough to protect his franchise quarterback. It’s not the worst in the league, but it’s just bad enough that it could break the Giants season this year. The one credit I will give to Gettleman is his acquisitions of C Billy Price and G Ben Bredeson. Price and Bredeson may provide absolutely zero impact on the Giants this year, but they provide much needed depth for an offensive line who is average at best.

There is lots to look forward to on the offensive side of the ball, but I would be remiss not to mention the talent and work done on the defensive side of the ball as well. The biggest story defensively was the Leonard Williams contract extension, which totaled $63 million over the next 3 years. Williams is coming off a great season where he recorded 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Pairing Williams and Dexter Lawrence on the edges of the defensive line for the long-term gives you a formidable defensive front that offenses will have to strategize around.

This year I’ve also been excited to see what 2nd round draft pick (50th overall) Azeez Ojulari can do for the linebacking core as well. The Giants haven’t had a solid linebacker out of their drafts in what feels like forever. So many have come and gone over the years only to fizzle out of the NFL. Hopefully the Giants and Dave Gettleman can buck that trend with a defensive stud out of an SEC school in Azeez Ojulari. With Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence coming off the edge, Ojulari could have the opportunity to make some big time plays and turn this Giants pass-rush from good to elite.

After the excitement of signing Kenny Golladay, the Giants went even further with the signing of cornerback Adoree Jackson. Jackson adds much needed quality depth to the secondary for the Giants. James Bradberry had an outstanding season last year, but the secondary fell apart in the one game that he missed. Isaac Yiadom and Darnay Holmes have talent for sure, but not enough (at least right now) to be guys you want near the top of your depth chart. If Bradberry were to miss more time, Adoree Jackson may give the cornerbacks the strength they need to keep them in games.

The Giants also went with cornerback Aaron Robinson out of UCF with their 3rd round (71st overall) pick in this year's past draft. Aaron Robinson has shown promise during his college career, getting significant playing time his freshman year at Alabama. He’s proven during his time at UCF that he can get to the ball carrier, racking up 54 tackles, but he leaves something to be desired in the coverage department. Hopefully the Giants coaching and veteran leadership in the secondary can develop Robinson and blossom him into a reliable corner in the league.

If you’re a Giants fan, there is lots to be excited about in the upcoming season. Their offensive line leaves me worried, but part of me also thinks they can surprise us and not be horrible. Maybe I’m just hopelessly optimistic, but weirder things have happened. Dave Gettleman could’ve done better in some areas, but he has made a valiant effort to improve the quality of life around his franchise quarterback. The Giants have shown that they expect to win now, and in Daniel Jones’ third year under center, the room for error is small. For Daniel Jones, and for General Manager Dave Gettleman.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Knicks Will Beat the Hawks

Author: Patrick Sullivan

Editor: Mark Awadallah

For the first time in 8 years, the New York Knicks will be participating in a playoff series. With a record of 41-31 the Knicks took the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference and are set to play the Atlanta Hawks who are the 5th seed also at a record of 41-31. Considering the play of both teams this year this should be a very interesting series that should be very competitive. In the three games they played each other in the regular season, the Knicks won all three games in part due to Trae Young’s injury in a couple of those games. The Knicks have home court advantage which should give them an edge in the series conserind fans are now allowed back at Madison Square Garden. The series is set to kick off at 7 pm est on Sunday May 23rd.

Looking at the impact players have on both teams, each team is talented in their own rights. The Knicks are led by Julius Randle who has had an incredible season thus far and have a lot of help around him whether that's in the starting lineup or the bench. In terms of the Knicks starters, RJ Barret has been constantly improving throughout the season and has been a great asset to the team. Nerlens Noel has stepped in as of late in the starting lineup due to the injury of Michell Robinson and has helped out a lot on the defensive side of the ball. In addition to Noel, Reggie Bullock has been providing the Knicks with great play on both sides of the ball. However, Elrid Payton at starting PG is a spot Tom Thibadeau should look into since he has been struggling most of the season and Derrick Rose off the bench has been in great form. Another bench player is Alec Burks has dominated some games and has been performing at a high level all year along with being very clutch in key moments. Other players off the bench who have stepped up this year include Immaunel Quickley, Frank Ntilikina, and Obi Toppin. The strong bench play all year has really given the Knicks an edge over certain teams and has led to their success.

Moreover, the Hawks are built much differently than the Knicks as they have a star point guard in Trae Young and a dominant center in Clint Capela. These are two things the Knicks don’t have but if they did they could have made that jump as a legitimate contender for the championship. Along with star Trey Young and Capela, the Hawks have consistent strong play from Lou Williams who is a great playmaker, John Collins, Danillo Gallinari, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. All of these players have averaged double digit points throughout the regular season and helped propel this team to the 5th seed.

The key to winning this series for the New York Knicks is to focus on containing Trey Young, and have great play from their starting lineup. If the Knicks can stop Trey Young from scoring and causing so many fouls, they should be able to constrain the Hawks offensively. Furthermore, the main reason the starting lineup needs to play well is because the bench has been consistently helping this team put up points, meaning if the starting lineup can play well, there's no reason the Knicks don’t win this series. The two most important players that need to perform in the starting lineup are Julius Ranlde and RJ Barret, if these two can score like they have at times this season, the Knicks are in great shape to win in a 7 game series.

Moreover, the Hawks main goals to win need to contain Julius Randle and feed Trae Young. If the Hawks can contain Julius Randle, it will force the Knicks to need other players to step up throughout the game which can make it easier for the Hawks to win. The second goal is to feed Trey Young because at times he can be unstoppable., His driving ability and three point shooting have been fantastic all year and can cripple the Knicks if they are unable to contain him. Overall, this is going to be a thrilling series and should be very close, could very well go 7 games.

Series Prediction: Knicks win 4-2

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

What Will 2021 be for The Mets?

Author: Billy Taylor

Editor: Fran Attié

Pitchers and catchers have reported to Spring Training and the hopes of a new season grow for all thirty organizations in the MLB, particularly for the New York Mets (although many would disagree).

Yes, there have been many disappointments this offseason. The Mets didn’t get Springer and haven’t exactly upgraded at center field or third base, Trevor Bauer essentially trolled the entire fanbase, Ken Rosenthal jumped the gun on Brad Hand coming over (who instead ended up in a division rival), and, of course, the Jared Porter bombshell. So while there definitely are reasons to be upset with the first offseason under Steve Cohen’s ownership, there are also ample reasons to be very excited.

The Mets started their offseason by signing reliever Trevor May to a two-year deal. Trevor isn’t a guy who will blow you away, but he is much needed for a bullpen that has quite a few question marks. They then signed catcher James McCann to a four-year deal. And while he is no Piazza, he has a solid bat and is an A+ defender behind the plate. He should help out this pitching staff with his ability to throw out runners, which the Mets have struggled with for a while. And though the pitching staff still needs to do their job holding runners on, having a catcher with a rocket arm sure could help those woes.

The Mets then started the New Year with a blockbuster trade by acquiring shortstop Francisco Lindor from Cleveland. Lindor should be the best hitter on an already stout lineup, and he is also exceptional in the field. So not only did they acquire a superstar player, but they also got Carlos Carrasco, who will be a very nice anchor to have in the middle of the rotation.

Later, the Mets acquired left-handed starter, Joey Lucchesi, from the Padres in a three-team deal. Lucchesi has been shaky at times, but he has some really nice makeup, specifically with his “churve” pitch, which is a combination of a changeup and a curveball. And though he may be out of the rotation when Noah Syndergaard comes back from rehabbing his elbow, he is a nice placeholder for the time-being and great insurance in the event there is an injury in the rotation. Taijuan Walker also recently signed a two-year deal, which gives the Mets more depth, which is never a bad thing.

Speaking of which, while negotiating with top free agents, the Mets also added solid depth with signings like Jose Martinez, Jonathon Villar, Albert Almora, Kevin Pillar, Mike Montgomery, and Tommy Hunter. These aren’t amazing signings by any stretch of the imagination, but injuries happen across the course of a season, and having these low-risk-high-reward players to pair with the bigger moves they made this offseason is really nice. If we were still under previous ownership, these signings would be the “big moves” and we would have to hold our nose and hope for the best. Some people don’t seem to realize that, but I digress.

This Mets team still has some holes, particularly with pitching, and there are questions as to how big of a detriment J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo’s defense will be to the team as a whole.

Despite some of the issues, however, the 2021 New York Mets are a much-improved team from the previous year. Winning the National League East with the Braves ultimately having the same team will be tough, but it’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility. And while the Phillies and Nationals have their problems, I wouldn’t count them out completely. Still, the Mets lineup is in the conversation for best in the MLB, even if the bench still leaves something to be desired, especially being in the National League. But barring something catastrophic; Villar, Pillar/Almora, Martinez, Guillorme and Nido can fill in nicely.

Overall, I think the biggest concern for the Mets is their bullpen. Dellin Betances, Jeurys Familia, and Edwin Diaz pose a lot of questions, and Seth Lugo will miss the first two months, at minimum, to a bone spur, though considering he has a partially torn UCL, it could have been so much worse. When he comes back though, the bullpen will get a nice boost and there’s always the possibility of moves being made during the season.

There are also valuable free agents still available like Roberto Osuna, Jeremy Jeffress, and Shane Greene. Personally, I think it is a necessity to add another arm to the pen through free agency before opening day, but Andy Martino of SNY reported that the offseason for the Mets is essentially done.

With an entire schedule of Spring Training games to play, there’s potential for eye-opening play as well as bigger names going down to injury, so things may change quickly and drastically. For now, let’s hope for the former. LFGM!

METS ARE OUR UNIVERSE