Do The New York Giants Need To Spread The Ball Around More?

There’s no question that the New York Giants offense is in a bit of a struggle right now. Whether or not you believe that quarterback Eli Manning has a tired arm or not, he hasn’t played that well in a couple of weeks. Could the solution come about because of a new injury?

Dominik Hixon is battling an injured ankle and didn’t practice on Wednesday. Due to that, Rueben Randle and Ramses Barden are going to be moving up the depth chart. This can help the Giants have a different wide receiver set.

Hixon is 6’2” and 197 lbs. Randle is the same height, but weighs 207 lbs. Barden is 6’6” and 224 lbs. Both Randle and Hixon are bigger bodies on the outside. While Hixon is probably faster than the other two, certainly Barden’s height may draw some additional coverage his way. That could help Victor Cruz become more able to get less coverage in the slot, a place where he clearly thrives at playing.

In Barden’s only start, he had 10 catches for 136 yards in week three. Since then, only four catches for 58 yards. In Randle’s only start in week five, he had six catches for 82 yards. Since then, four catches for 72 yards.

The Giants passing game is more effective when Manning can spread the ball around. This week he should look to other guys to help get Cruz and Hakeem Nicks more opportunities. It’s just a thought, but maybe having different players out there will help the offense spread the ball around more.