28-year old DE Osi Umenyiora is playing like a man possessed this year.  He wasn’t a starter when the season started but he has been outstanding after getting his old job back due to a season ending injury to Mathias Kiwanuka.  Umenyiora has played in six games for the Giants so far this year and he has 16 tackles, 8 sacks, 1 pass defensed and 7 forced fumbles (all came on sacks).  He has now played in 94 games in his 7 years with the Giants and he has 276 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 56.5 sacks and 25 forced fumbles.  Every single one of his forced fumbles have come on sacks which shows you just how hard he’s hitting the opposing QB when he gets to them.

Eli Manning doesn’t like to play favorites with his WRs as he has three outstanding ones.  Steve Smith is the tough guy with great hands who has no problems going over the middle.  He has caught 22 passes for 211 yards (9.6 avg) in the Giants first four games this year.  Hakeem Nicks is Manning’s preferred option down the field.  He has caught 21 passes for 279 yards (13.3 avg) with 4 TD grabs already this season.  Mario Manningham is a combination of Smith and Nicks.  He has caught 14 passes for 238 yards (17.0 avg) with 1 TD grab so far this year.  Eli Manning can help but to have good passing stats with three studs like these to throw the ball to.

It appears as if Ahmad Bradshaw has graduated to being the new featured back for the Giants this year.  He has carried the ball 37 times for 165 yards (4.5 ypc) with 1 TD run and he also has caught 2 passes for 17 yards (8.5 avg).  Bradshaw has been outstanding this year for the Giants as he has forged his way ahead of Brandon Jacobs on the depth chart.  Jacobs has carried the ball 16 times for 52 yards (3.3 ypc) and he also has caught 2 passes for 21 yards (10.5 avg) so far this year.  Jacobs is not too happy being the second fiddle in New York but they’re not going to trade him. 

29-year old Eli Manning might have had his best year of his career in 2009.  He started all 16 games for the Giants this year and he completed 317 of 509 passes (62.3%) for 4,021 yards with 27 TD passes and 14 INTs (93.1 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 17 times for 65 yards (3.8 ypc) this year.  He has now played in 89 games for the Giants completing 1,593 of 2,793 passes (57%) for 18,644 yards with 125 TD passes and 88 INTs (79.2 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 126 times for 280 yards (2.2 ypc) with 3 TD runs in his career.  The Giants need Manning to keep playing at the high level he did this season.

30-year old David Carr is a solid back-up QB for the Giants.  He played in 6 games for the Giants this season and he completed 21 of 33 passes (63.6%) for 225 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs (93.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 9 times for 27 yards (3.0 ypc) with 1 TD run this year.  Carr has now played in 91 games in his NFL career and he has completed 1,346 of 2,251 (59.8%) for 14,366 yards with 65 TD passes and 70 INTs (75.2 QB Rating).  Carr has also carried the ball 302 times for 1,331 yards (4.4 ypc) with 9 TD runs in his career.  I feel that Carr could do a decent job if forced into the starting line-up due to a injury to Manning.

The Giants were without a true #1 WR after Plaxico Burress went to the pokey but Steve Smith has taken over that role with a breakout monster season in 2009.  Smith has played in 14 games for the Giants this season and he has caught 90 passes for 1,093 yards (12.1 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  Before this season, Smith played in 21 games for the Giants in which he caught 65 passes for 637 yards (9.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  The Giants’ passing game has really been great this season and Smith has been a big part of that.

23-year old Ahmad Bradshaw has been excellent this season despite being dinged up all year long.  He has played in 13 games for the Giants this season and he has carried the ball 145 times for 712 yards (4.9 ypc) with 7 TD runs and he has also caught 17 passes for 171 yards (10.1 avg).  Bradshaw has even returned 6 punts for 55 yards (9.2 avg) when the Giants were in need.  Bradshaw and Bradon Jacobs give the Giants a perfect blend of styles giving them a great running game.

The Giants need 23-year old rookie RB Gartrell Johnson to step up due to injuries to Danny Ware (concussion) and Ahmad Bradshaw.  Johnson has played in 6 games for the Giants this season and he has carried the ball 11 times for 39 yards (3.5 ypc).  Johnson was a 4th round pick out of Colorado State last April of the Chargers but they cut him right before the season despite him being their leading rusher in the pre-season.  The Giants quickly snapped him up and now they want for Johnson to pay them back as Brandon Jacobs’ back-up starting this weekend against the Cowboys.

Rookie WR Hakeem Nicks missed part of the early season due to injury but he is making up for lost time.  He has caught 7 passes for 121 yards (17.3 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Nicks has pretty much already passed up Domenik Hixon who was a starter for the Giants last season.  He might even overtake Mario Manningham in the starting lineup but that might take him some time.  After all, Manningham has caught 20 passes for 342 yards (17.1 avg) with 3 TD grabs this season.  Nicks is the big, home run type WR that the Giants have not had since Plaxico Burress was out of jail and playing for them.

The Giants came into this season with no true #1 WR but Steve Smith is trying to change that.  He has caught 23 passes for 277 yards (12.0 avg) with 2 TD grabs this season.  When Eli Manning is in trouble he looks for Smith just like he used to do with the now jailed Plaxico Burress.  Smith doesn’t have Burress’ size but he’s faster and has a better set of hands. 

Coming into this season the Giants were hopeful that Ahmad Bradshaw would be able to replace Derrick Ward who left as a free agent.  He has replaced Ward and been so much more for the Giants as he is the leading rusher on the team right now.  He has carried the ball 35 times for 201 yards (5.7 ypc) and he has also caught 5 passes for 19 yards (3.8 avg).  Bradshaw is also the punt returner for the Giants as he has returned 6 punts for 55 yards (9.2 avg) this year.  Teaming Bradshaw who is a true threat to score every time he touches the football with battering ram Brandon Jacobs makes the Giants’ running game even more deadly than last season.