The Giants offense needs to find a way to generate big plays. They have always been a grind-it-out offense. Jim Fassel is the type of offensive coach who likes his quarterbacks to take 3-5-step drops, which should lead to big plays. And the Giants like their receivers on the outside; Amani Toomer had more than 1,100 yards receiving last season, while Ike Hilliard fell four yards short of 1,000. A lot of responsibility falls on Kerry Collins, who has had an excellent preseason. He needs to hit his receivers in stride so they can get big run-after-the-catch gains. With rookie Ron Dayne in the backfield, their running game won't have too many long gains. But if he can grind out yards, it may open things up for Collins and company downfield.

The Giants have mostly stumbled through the subsequent seasons. They've had as many head coaches (three) as winning seasons. New York has reached the playoffs just twice, in 1993 and '97, and has not won a postseason game since defeating Minnesota in a wild-card playoff game following the '93 season.

The franchise had high hopes after its surprise NFC East title in '97, Jim Fassel's first year as head coach. But the Giants were 8-8 and 7-9 the last two seasons, including a 2-6 wrap-up to the second half of the '99 campaign. In the offseason, management gave Fassel just a one-year contract extension, which forces him to win this season or face expulsion.

The Giants will sport a different look this season, in more ways than one. They have redesigned their uniforms, going with a retro look that includes the return of the old "ny" logo on their helmets.

More important, they have restructured their roster in a radical departure from previous team policy. Throughout the free-agency era, the Giants have concentrated on signing their own players. This year they opened the doors and let many of them leave.

"We tried to sign our players the last two years, and we went 15-17," general manager Ernie Accorsi said. "We had to turn over this team, because it wasn't good enough."

When the purge ended, 16 players who had at least a moderately significant role with the team last year were gone, including QB Kent Graham, OLs Roman Oben and Brian Williams and DBs Phillippi Sparks and Percy Ellsworth.

The Giants signed six veteran free agents, five of whom will start: OLs Lomas Brown, Dusty Zeigler and Glenn Parker, LB Micheal Barrow and CB Dave Thomas. Heisman Trophy-winning RB Ron Dayne leads a draft class that is expected to make an immediate impact.

That's not all. New offensive coordinator Sean Payton plans to use unexpected formations and personnel groupings to enliven what had become a stale offense.

"We've changed this team," Fassel said. "I said there would be some changes, and we've made them. We've changed the personnel, as well as the way we're doing some things."

Starting Sept. 3, the Giants will find out if it's enough to escape the treadmill of mediocrity they've been stuck on for a decade.

"We believe it's going to be different (this year)," RB Tiki Barber said. "We can't make people believe we're going to do well. We're going to have to go out and show them. It's got to start with us and our belief."

Offense

	Since arriving in the Big Apple, Kerry Collins has kept his focus on football.

Quarterbacks: Since Fassel arrived in '97, the Giants have had disposable quarterbacks. Kerry Collins will be the fourth quarterback to open a season in as many years. But the Giants believe Collins will succeed where Dave Brown, Danny Kanell and Graham failed. After taking over with six games remaining in '99, Collins put together a pair of 300-yard passing games, the first by a Giants QB since 1993. Collins now eschews alcohol, which he said led to his problems on and off the field in Carolina and New Orleans. He is a happier person and a better player, with the arm, intelligence and leadership ability to be a star quarterback. Newcomer Jason Garrett is content to be a well-respected backup.
Grade: B-

Running backs: In three seasons under Fassel, the Giants' rushing attack has dropped from seventh in the league (124.3 yards a game) to 12th to last year's No. 24 ranking (88 yards). Their leading rusher in '99 was Joe Montgomery, with a lowly total of 348 yards. The Giants addressed the shortcoming by using the 11th pick in the draft on Dayne, the NCAA career rushing leader. Dayne immediately steps in as the starter. Montgomery will likely open the season at fullback. Barber gives the Giants depth and a nice change of pace.
Grade: C+

Receivers: The franchise that hasn't had a Pro Bowl receiver since before the merger (Homer Jones, 1968) finally has some star power at the position. Amani Toomer set a team record with 79 receptions last year and is on the cusp of stardom. Collins-to-Toomer could emerge as one of the better duos in the league this season. Ike Hilliard (72 catches) is a reliable target on the other side. The Giants need third-year pro Joe Jurevicius to step up as a third receiver. TE Pete Mitchell, a key player in the new offensive scheme, will miss the first two games with a sprained knee suffered in the preseason opener.
Grade: B-

Offensive linemen: Perhaps the foremost goal for Accorsi and Fassel when the offseason began was to rebuild an offensive line that underachieved in '99. The result is four new starters and lingering uncertainty about whether the unit is actually better. Brown, 37, replaces Oben at left tackle. Parker is the new left guard. A third free agent, Zeigler, takes over for Williams at center. Luke Petitgout, the 1999 first-round draft choice who flopped at guard, steps in for Scott Gragg at right tackle. ORG Ron Stone is the lone holdover.
Grade: C

Defense
Defensive linemen: This unit must get a better season out of its three-time Pro Bowler, Michael Strahan. After recording an NFL-high 29 sacks in 1997 and '98, Strahan had just 51¼2 last year. That was a big reason the Giants plummeted from a league-best 54 sacks two years ago to just 31 in '99. DRE Cedric Jones emerged as a solid player last year. DRT Keith Hamilton is a force against the run. Second-round pick Cornelius Griffin had an excellent training camp and is pushing Christian Peter at the other DT spot. There is an alarming lack of depth, particularly at the ends.
Grade: B

Linebackers: Barrow arrived from Carolina and stepped into the MLB job next to his former University of Miami (Fla.) teammate, Jessie Armstead, who has joined Strahan at the last three Pro Bowls. With Barrow and Armstead, the Giants have above-average speed and skill behind the defensive line. Unspectacular Ryan Phillips mans the strong side. Pete Monty is a capable backup.
Grade: B

Defensive backs: CB Jason Sehorn is healthy after two injury-plagued seasons and seems poised to play as well as he did in '97, when he was one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. SS Sam Garnes is a solid, underrated player. But Dave Thomas is lightly regarded at the other corner, and new FS Shaun Williams missed most of the preseason with a sprained toe. The depth in the secondary is dangerously thin.
Grade: C

Special teams
Brad Daluiso has recovered from last season's knee surgery and reclaimed his job. He has made 28 of his last 36 field-goal attempts and is one of the NFL's best kickoff men. P Brad Maynard is among the league's finest. Barber invigorated the punt-return team last season, but kickoff returns remain a problem, and the coverage teams are below average.
Grade: C

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit their website at http://www.profootballweekly.com