It was a throwaway line. One that the speaker didn't really believe would happen and one that the listener considered a little bit of bullshtein.
It was brought about by the listener's question of "What are you up to?"
"I'm gonna go watch the TItans score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and then beat the Giants," I said to Lawyer friend Steve as the fourth quarter of the Giants-Titans game was about to start.
I didn't really think it would happen, but if any team was capable of allowing it to happen, it's the Giants. They are the Collapse Champions, the Cardiac Arresters, the We Can Lose Any Game We Want G-Men, the Big Blew It.
Up 21-0 early in the fourth quarter and then down 24-21 at the end of the fourth quarter is a script even the Jets wouldn't greenlight. But these are the Giants, with a defense that can blow any sized lead in any amount of time if they set their minds to it.
And if there's a quarterback in the NFL right now who you think could pull off the comeback, well, after the 2006 Rose Bowl, you have to at least consider putting Vince Young on that list.
"I take it all the way back to University of Texas," Young said in his postgame interview on the field with Fox.
We all do, Vince. Especially after that shot you took from Frank Walker that drew an unnecessary roughness call and gave your Titans a first down when you came up short on the fourth-down scramble.
"That was stupid," Coughlin said of Walker's hit.
Yes, but these are the Giants. And they don't seem to want to play very well for Coughlin anymore. This type of loss could cost Coughlin his job.
Young popped back up and suddenly, with 10:51 left, a 21-point comeback didn't seem so far off. Again, remember the Rose Bowl when Young put the entire state of Texas on his back and beat USC for the national championship.
Young threw a touchdown three plays later.
On the Titans' next possession, Young took the snap from the Giants' 1 and ran around the right end for a score to get within 21-14. Somewhere on Sunday night, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll will see the highlights and say, "Yeah, I've seen that before."
Everywhere in the New York area on Sunday evening, Sunday night, Monday morning, Monday afternoon and the rest of the season, all Giants fans will say, "Yeah, I've $&%^@* seen that before."
Then on the next possession, we witnessed one of the most head-scratching plays in the history of the NFL. It was fourth-and-10 from the Titans' 24 with 2:48 left. GIants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka wrapped up Young at the waist area and seemed to have the sack. Then he let go. He unsacked the quarterback, upping his NFL-leading unsacks to one.
Young still had the ball and ran 19 yards for the unbelievable first down. There was speculation that Kiwanuka thought Young had released the ball and wanted to avoid a roughing the passer penalty. Watching it on television, it looked like Kiwanuka confused Young for a tackling sled and fourth down for a drill in training camp. He retired on the play thinking he was Tiki Barber and the play was his career.
"I don't know what he was thinking," Coughlin said. No one does. But it made for great television. I haven't seen anything that funny since Alec Baldwin's "Always Be Cobbling" skit on "Saturday Night Live" last year.
Young threw another touchdown to tie it at 21 with 44 seconds left. The Giants were officially done. There was no way they'd come back and win this game.
Lawyer friend Steve received a phone call: "Didn't believe me, huh?"
All those years sharing their stadium with the Jets is starting to rub off on the G-Men.
There were 40 seconds left when the Giants got the ball back, their season basically over. Eli Manning decided to throw an interception at his 49. Three plays later, a field goal and a 24-21 win for the Titans.
"There's no way you can throw an interception at that stage of the game," Coughlin said in his postgame press conference. "There's no way."
Ah, but there is a way. It's called collapsing in the clutch and the Giants are very, very good at it. Just ask Trey Junkin.
"Tom Coughlin," Lawyer friend Steve said when he called me back at game's end. Well, the rest of his quote is unprintable.
They say things change so much from week to week in the NFL. How about from the third quarter to the fourth quarter? A throwaway line can lead to a thrown-away season.
Comments (21)
Is Eli incompident? Should the Offensive Coach be arrested for neglegence?
Injuries to key guys! I'm discusted all the way from Ft. Lauderdale Florida! Next week should be a laugher!
I need a drink!
Good night!
Giants should only wish that the on the rise Jets could rub off on them. #1 team in NY is the Jets now.
When Giants came back against Eagles, and the nonsense talk about Super Bowls restarted,
I pointed out that a game like that usually points to medocrity on both sides; that the Giants were likely to be on the receiving end before the season was done; today, when they simply refused to better than the mediocre Titans in the middle ywenty minutes of the game, I told my buddies, a little more seriously than you did, to look out for a tired-defense collapse in the 4th qtr. Wow!!!
At no point after the 21-0
gift parade did the "once-in-a-decade-player"
look like even a once-in-a
while player...Coughlin was the safe choice a few years ago; predicted he would restore mediocrity, gain a playoff spot or two, never seriously challenge for the championship. They got better a year sooner than I thought they would; he's now lost them a year sooner. Look forward to more Mara mediocrity....
Leave it to a Jets-Raiders fan (what's that?) to revel in the misery of a Giants fan. But seriously, Mark, you're right: if there's one team that will never run out of ways to lose, its Big Blew. And although Eli Manning is to blame for the two interceptions, Coughlin's play-calling (up 21-0 early in the 4th quarter, just ran for 6 yards on first down -- okay, let's throw a bone deep for that dog named Plax!) was what started the beginning of the end. The disheartening part about Eli is not what he says -- canned words he reads out of a quote book -- but what he doesn't say. He just stands there on the sideline in the midst of an opposing team's comeback and has that same blank stare on his face. Be a leader, little bro! Say something to your teammates like, "It's okay. We're going to go out there and get a couple of first downs and take back control of this game." It's obvious that Coughlin has lost control of this team -- e.g. the unnecessary roughness penalties, and the one that Kiwanuka was afraid to get called for -- but now Eli has lost control of the offense, too.
It's already old news, but this team officially is a shambles. The veterans have checked out on Coughlin, Eli does not belong in NY and knows it, the secondary is beyond adjectives and Ernie Accorsi is still trying to figure out why William Joseph hasn't made the Pro Bowl.
A miracle turnaround against Dallas is possible, I suppose, but I think the season is basically over -- even as a wild card, they probably wouldn't win more than one game in the playoffs, which is exactly where they were last year.
The Giants do not have a history of letting the players dictate who runs the show, so I'm betting Coughlin gets one more year if he wants it. And the first thing he'll do is find another quarterback for '07.
The Giants are just pitiful. What is up with Eli Manning. Show some emotion. If that was his brother, he would have been in Burress's face for dogging it. Speaking of Burress, I don't know what that guy's deal is. That lack of hustle on the first pick was just PATHETIC. Sure, I would like to see the Giants win, but I would like to see Coughlin show some cahones and bench the bum for his lack of hustle and effort. That's 2 weeks in a row for him. At least Shockey shows emotion and acutally cares about winning. I can't say the same for Burress or even Manning for that matter. And Kiwunaka or however you spell his name...POOR. I have to say I've never seen that before. Maybe he didn't want to hurt Vince Young. I will remember that play for a long, long time.
And finally, Tom Coughlin, you must go sir. Your conservative, unimaginative approach is getting old quickly. I'm tired of seeing you on the sideline chewing your gum with the headset on. Let's hope NY gets a real coach who shows some creativity. I know the defense is in shambles, but what has happened to the offense. Maybe Coughlin doesn't believe in Manning. Manning is becoming like the Jets used to be...come NOV/DEC, time to collapse.
regarding Eli..."White Christmas" was a major hit for what singer?...now tell me his brother's name...he was a professional singer too.
Giants suck! 3 weeks ago I said the Jets were the best team in NY and that they worried me more than the Giants...and I was right. Thanks...
I told somebody at halftime, 'Titans 24-21...just watch'.
It was beautiful.
I'll take Rex Grossman over Eli Manning 7 days a week...and that's saying alot.
Ok: Bottom Line:
If Bill Parcells were the coach of the Giants
Mr Manning would have been on the bench since the 3rd Quarter of the Jacksonville Game! If you can't produce you sit...regardless of the pedigree ! Lorensen might give the team some Moxie !
Eli shows all the skills of a 3rd string QB...What will the Giants do? Bench him? Bench a 58M player? Naah...to much embarrassment...Giant fans will be forced to suffer through this..The problem with this tean is MANNING. The Giants need a Joe Kapp type of QB, ELI is NOT. No one will have the guts to do whats right..release him.. Big mistake in signing him.
The Jets are BY FAR the best team in NY. Just check out how they played vs Bears/Texans compared to E-LIE's team! Good drafting Accorsi!
Please! Please! Help!! I'm trapped in the "Coughlin Zone" Free me from my suicidal state and FIRE that coach! He did good, but he can't take us to the next level !! DAVE BROWN or DANNY KANELL played better than this WANNABEE QB !!
The last interception that Manning threw, did you notice his feet were square with his shoulders? From there it's a whimpy arm only throw. It happens to him all the time. If there was a tape of all his bad throws, it was because he either threw off the wrong foot or his feet were square with the shoulders. I agree with 9/11man, with mechanics like that, Eli is a third stringer at best. If these
past five games were pre season, he'd be cut.
Why Does everyone in the media care about Giants and always be perfect team? They are not a good and considered a superbowl contender this year. Giants defense gave away 24 points in 4th quarter ? because The giants had backups and scrubs on the field .All rest of giants defense are out. In the beginning of the season Every experts picks cowboys to win nl east division and win the superbowl. Giants was supposed to be in 3rd place.
I feel for Mathias Kiwanuka. The "unsack" play is the direct result of the NFL's quarterback protection policy which has become utterly ridiculous this season. You cant hit a quarterback too high, too low, too early or too late. If you tap him on the helmet its a flag. It's too damn much.
Tom Coughlin's saying "I don't know what he was thinking," proves that the guy knows little to nothing (and little just left town) about the modern NFL. I, on the other hand, know what he was thinking: he was thinking about the BS-roughing-the-passer penalty he was called for three weeks ago in the fourth quarter against the Texans. When his hit on David Carr, while Carr was throwing the ball, cost his team 15 yards.
Don't blame Kiwanuka for that play. Not even a little bit. If he would've brought Vince Young to the ground we may have seen a R-T-P flag even if Young didn't throw the ball.
I could just hear it now. "Personal Foul, number 97 on the defense. TOUCHING the quarterback. 15 yard penalty, automatic first down."
Every fibre of news media report that Coughlin has lost this Giants team. He was nothing special in Jax and he's at best a fair college coach.
Pro football is way over his head. He came in with his goofy boot camp rules and lost the respect of the players from day one.
I've seen enough: Coughlin is not in control of this team and Eli Manning I am sorry to say just does not have the requisite skills to excel in the NFL. Look at his poor mechanics - throwing off his rear leg or throwing with his legs squared with his shoulders. Where di that come from? Why has it not been corrected? His decision-making is atrocious and he lacks any semblance of leadership. I believe his personality is totally wrong for an NFL QB. If I had the power, for next year Coughlin would be gone and the Eli experiment would come to an end. Hasn't enough time passed to know these obvious facts? I'm sorry for the kid but he just does not have it. Time to move on. Take Plaxico with you on the way out.
With all this talk about coaching and Eli's poor play, why isn't antone taking the quarterback coach to task? The poor mechanics of Eli's after 2 plus years should be a direct reflection on the QB coach, unless Eli is too stupid too learn, which I don,t believe is true. If he is such a hard worker in practice, what is he working on???
I am a lifelong Giants fan now living in Nashville, and went to the game yesterday. Knowing that the Giants have always had that tendency to come from ahead to lose (except, for the most part, when Parcells coached them)I just didn't feel comfortable, even with 12:55 left and a 21-0 lead.
I even said to my wife, that Vince Young was looking better than I've seen him all year, and this was before they even scored any points. Then you saw what happened.
Vince reverted back to his Texas days and Eli and Coughlin and Plaxico and a porous defense gave the game away.
I think Eli will improve eventually, but Coughlin has to go.
On the other hand, I have seen every Titans game this year, and even with a lot less talent than the Giants, Jeff Fisher seems to motivate his team every week. He sure didn't concede the game yesterday after being down 21-0 because he knew his team had the confidence to come back, even when everyone in the stands was sure the Titans were going to lose.
Finally, that play with Kiwanuka was hideous, and I blame the referees....they need to bring back the "in the grasp" rule if they want to protect the quarterback...if that was in place, we wouldn't be talking about any of this today.
I love this team but I'm tired of them continually breaking my heart.
please please get rid of ELI, he has no intelligence to be a QB in the NFL.
son they ny so im pullin for dem they can win if eli get his ish together and everyone plays well