What should we make of the New York Giants?
They'll follow up a big win over the Green Bay Packers with a crucial divisional loss to the Washington Redskins. They'll blow out the New Orleans Saints one week, then get shut out by the Atlanta Falcons the next.
Is this just their customary blip? After all, they managed to lose four games on the bounce at one stage last season while getting swept by a pre-RG III Washington outfit. Or is this something more? After becoming experts at getting hot at the right time in recent seasons, are the Giants now too cold to mount a challenge with their postseason prospects in jeopardy?
With real issues that need fixing, that may very well be the case. Here are two of the Giants' biggest weaknesses heading into the final stretch of the season.
Ineffective pass rush
It's easy to see where the problems are for the Giants on defense, with their defensive line struggling to match what they were able to do last season. It seems that right now there's simply too much being asked of Jason Pierre-Paul, the only player who seems to be on the rise. He's our third-ranked defensive end this season, though a lot of that is because of his fantastic work in the run game.