Season-in-review team reports — NFC
East
As published in print Feb. 6, 2002
2001 record: 7-9 |
| Overview |
| Simply put, the Giants’ 2001 campaign was a disappointment. Last
season, the Giants enjoyed an improbable run all the way to the Super Bowl. This season,
though, the Giants failed to even qualify for the playoffs. After finishing at 12-4 in
2000, the Giants expected to take a step back in the record department. But never did they
believe they would finish below .500. Heck, the Giants fell from division champs —
NFC champs, even — to third in the division. |
| Turning point |
| The Giants rebounded from a Week One loss in Denver to win three in a
row. But after that, the Giants fell to 3-3 thanks to a pair of one-point losses in Weeks
Five and Six. They played the Rams very tough but lost 15-14 and then were beaten 10-9 by
the Eagles the following Monday night. It was their first loss to Philadelphia in 10
games. Those two defeats took a lot out of the Giants emotionally. |
| Offensive MVP |
| Everything in the Giants’ offense revolves around RB Tiki Barber.
Despite missing a couple of games with a hamstring injury, he still posted very impressive
numbers. Skilled at both running and receiving, Barber averaged 5.2 yards per rush and
tied for the team lead in catches with 72. |
| Defensive MVP |
| If ever there was a lock for defensive MVP, it is Michael Strahan. From
his DLE position, he simply dominated. You can complain all you want about his
record-breaking sack of Brett Favre, accusing the Packers’ quarterback of awarding
Strahan a charitable takedown in Week 17. But that doesn’t take away from the other
21½ sacks that he had racked up. |
| Biggest surprises |
| There were very few pleasant surprises during this disappointing season.
But the Giants came away fairly pleased with the play of their two rookie cornerbacks,
Will Allen and Will Peterson. The pair saw extensive action and held up against the
competition for the most part. The coaches believe that both players should have bright
futures. In fact, if they continue to develop, their presence could ultimately lead to CB
Jason Sehorn being switched to safety. |
| Biggest disappointments |
| There are too many to just list one. So we will mention a few of the
bigger disappointments. Firstly, inconsistent play over the course of the season led to a
sub-.500 record. The offensive line, which was very solid last year, definitely showed
signs of deterioration. DE Kenny Holmes, a high-profile free-agent addition, did not make
a noticeable impact. Finally, the secondary proved to be vulnerable at times, giving up
way too many big plays. |
| Rookie recap |
| The Giants used their top two picks on cornerbacks. Allen, who was taken
in the first round, started for much of the year and led the team with four interceptions.
Peterson, a third-round pick, also saw some starting action. While both played well in
spots, they also looked like rookies at times. Still, the Giants are happy to have a pair
of young, up-and-coming corners on the roster. Neither of the Giants’ fourth-round
picks — DE Cedric Scott and QB Jesse Palmer — contributed much. Fifth-round PK
John Markham was a wasted pick, as he was released in the preseason. Fifth-round WR
Jonathan Carter was a nonfactor. Seventh-round DT Ross Kolodziej played sparingly. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| The Giants made a major offseason move when they added Holmes as a free
agent, signing him to a five-year, $20.2 million contract that included a $5 million
signing bonus. He didn’t come close to making the impact the Giants had expected.
Holmes wound up with just 3½ sacks, although he did lead the team with four fumble
recoveries. The Giants were so displeased with his production that they left him exposed
to the Houston Texans in the expansion draft. The only other signing of note was that of
PK Morten Andersen, who did a solid job after joining the team late in the preseason. |
| Team leaders |
Rushing — Tiki Barber, 865 yards on 166 carries, 5.2 avg., 4 TDs.
Passing — Kerry Collins, 327-568 attempts for 3,764 yards, 19 TDs, 16 interceptions,
77.1 rating.
Receiving — Amani Toomer, 72 receptions for 1,054 yards, 14.6 avg., 5 TDs.
Scoring — Morten Andersen, 98 points on 29 PATs and 23 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Ron Dixon, 34 for 645 yards, 19.0 avg., 0 TDs.
Punt returns — Tiki Barber, 38 for 338 yards, 8.9 avg., 0 TDs.
Punting — Rodney Williams, 91 for 42.9 avg., 35.4 net, 8 TB, 25 inside 20, 0 blk.,
90L.
Interceptions — Will Allen, 4 for 27 yards, 6.8 avg., 0 TDs.
Sacks — Michael Strahan, 22½. |
| Results |
Pointspread Shown Refers to New York.
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 10 |
At Denver |
(+7) |
20-31 |
| Sept. 23 |
At Kansas City |
(-2) |
13-3 |
| Sept. 30 |
New Orleans |
(-3) |
21-13 |
| Oct. 7 |
Washington |
(-13.5) |
23-9 |
| Oct. 14 |
At St. Louis |
(+12.5) |
14-15 |
| Oct. 22 |
Philadelphia |
(-3) |
9-10 |
| Oct. 28 |
At Washington |
(-7.5) |
21-35 |
| Nov. 4 |
Dallas |
(-10) |
27-24* |
| Nov. 11 |
At Arizona |
(-6) |
17-10 |
| Nov. 19 |
At Minnesota |
(+2) |
16-28 |
| Nov. 25 |
Oakland |
(+2.5) |
10-28 |
| Dec. 2 |
BYE |
|
|
| Dec. 9 |
At Dallas |
(-3.5) |
13-20 |
| Dec. 15 |
Arizona |
(-6) |
17-13 |
| Dec. 23 |
Seattle |
(-3) |
27-24 |
| Dec. 30 |
At Philadelphia |
(+5) |
21-24 |
| Jan. 6 |
Green Bay |
(+3) |
25-34 |
* Overtime |
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