No. 3: Eli Manning Will Throw for 300-Plus Yards

Last season, Eli Manning struggled a bit, to say the least. Manning finished the year throwing for just 3,468 yards (lowest since 2008), 19 touchdowns (lowest since 2013) and 13 interceptions. That’s not a good season at all for a QB that has won two Super Bowls, beating future Hall of Famer Tom Brady and the New England Patriots both times nonetheless.

Manning would like to quickly forget about last year.

Most people may think it’s not a bold prediction, as in today’s NFL, everyone throws for 300 yards easily. It will be a tough task for Eli to throw for 300 yards on this Jaguars defense, though. Last season, the Jaguars allowed just 156 passing yards per game (second in the NFL). That’s made possible by their dangerous duo of defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and A.J Bouye in the secondary.

You also can’t overlook their insane pass rush that generated 55 sacks last year as well (also second in the NFL).

Manning also managed to throw for 300-plus yards just two times last season. Two. He did have his top target in Beckham out, and the Giants were a mess from the beginning of the season to the end.

This season, though, he has OBJ back and healthy, while also adding a lethal weapon like Barkley in the backfield. Barkley isn’t just an option in the running game, as he is a very talented pass-catcher as well. Manning has no excuses this year, as he has one of the most talented teams he’s had in years on the offensive side.

The Giants definitely have the firepower to combat a defense like the Jaguars, they just need to execute. If Manning can eliminate the mental mistakes and turnovers, he should be able to reach 300 or more yards with all of the weapons he has on offense.

If this does come into fruition and Manning can air it out against the Jaguars, New York could be a third of the way to their win total of last season. That would be a huge boost for a new head coach in Shurmur.