Struggling offense has a Bear of a task

Scoring continues to be up, up and away in the NFL, and the Giants continue to try, usually unsuccessfully, to keep up.

The league has never seen anything like it. When the Giants take the field early Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, there will have been a total of 8,502 points, 980 touchdowns and 625 touchdown passes scored in the league this season. All are the most in NFL history through 12 games.

The Giants certainly have contributed to this orgy of points and touchdowns, but not nearly enough, and it remains to be seen if they can add anything of significance to the offensive barrage as they confront the big, bad Bears — possessing a defense that includes former Giants first-round pick cornerback Prince Amukamara on a unit the old Monsters of the Midway would appreciate.

A team with Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. should be able to do some damage each week, but it has been a struggle for Eli Manning to navigate around an offensive line with too many moving parts and not nearly enough highquality play. There was a two-week surge, producing 65 points and two victories, but a promising first half last week in Philadelphia gave way to a second-half meltdown in a 25-22 loss to the Eagles, dropping the Giants to 3-8 and solidifying their hold on last place in the NFC East.

It is not all on Manning, yet quarterbacks are always the focal point of everything that transpires. The 37-year old is not exactly wilting in winter, compiling a passer rating of 115.2 in the past three games, his numbers inflated by completing 72 percent of his passes and throwing for six touchdowns and only one interception.

“I do think of late he’s played much better than he did earlier in the year,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said.

Is it good enough? Manning’s 14 touchdown passes put him on pace for 20, which would be one more than he had last season and two more than his career-low of 18 in 2013. As the new front office evaluates everything in a dismal season, Manning’s ability to operate a high-octane attack and his inability to produce enough points are sure to be highly scrutinized.

“Much like defensive football, offensive football is all coordinated, and it starts up at the front,’’ Shurmur said. “I think we’ve done a better job up front blocking, whether it’s a run or a pass, and I think that contributes to the success of the quarterback when we choose to throw it. He’s had to throw the ball less, but he’s been more efficient doing it, and I think that’s a really good formula. We’re kind of stumbling on the formula here — not stumbling, but we’re getting to the things that are important for a team to help win games.’’

Is this a formula for success in today’s NFL, where points are aplenty? Twelve games into a failed season, the answer is no.