By Dan Duggan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The good news for the Giants is that the 2017 season from hell officially ended with Sunday's Super Bowl. The bad news is the Giants' hated rival, the Eagles, captured the title with a thrilling 41-33 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
That means the path back to the Super Bowl for the Giants will go through Philadelphia. It may sound crazy to talk about the Super Bowl for a team coming off a disastrous 3-13 season. But discussions with various people around the league last week revealed a belief that the Giants really aren't that far off from getting back into contention, especially with the huge year-to-year swings in the NFL.
The Giants only need to look to the Eagles for motivation, as Philadelphia went 7-9 in 2016 before going 13-3 this season en route to a title. How can the Giants duplicate that turnaround? Here are six things that need to happen:
NFL: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports
The biggest mystery of the Giants' disastrous season was the collapse of their defense. Sure, there were some injuries, but that alone can't account for a unit that ranked second in the league in points allowed in 2016 dropping to No. 27 a year later.
The core of the defense returns, but there will be big changes with new coordinator James Bettcher arriving with a 3-4 scheme. Bettcher built a strong reputation in Arizona, so he should be able to restore order on defense. The Giants need the defense to return to 2016 form to have a shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
New York Giants lose to San Diego Chargers in NFL Week 5
Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The Giants were besieged by injuries in 2017 after being remarkably healthy the previous season. The spate of injuries gave the Giants no chance to compete.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s absence was the biggest blow, as the offense was completely dysfunctional without its best play-maker. A healthy Beckham instantly upgrades the offense, while the Giants need to avoid the type of nagging injuries that prevented players like defensive end Olivier Vernon and safety Landon Collins from performing at their best.