The Giants still have their fate in their own hands. Heck, even if they lose in Charlotte on Sunday, they can still say that... But 5 straight losses wouldn't have the Giants' collective psyche in such good shape.
The few players who spoke today were, like the head coach, rather upbeat. Sunday's was the first game in this four-game losing streak in which the Giants played well enough to win, and Eli Manning definitely played well enough to win -- both encouraging signs. That the Giants didn't win and made a few stunningly bad plays in doing so is painful to them, but still. They know they can play well enough to win, so that's a start.
TC had one word for Plaxico Burress' and Bob Whitfield's personal fouls: "Stupid." He's right, and I'm not really sure anyone can say the coach has lost control of his team when a guy runs halfway across the field to deck an opponent, or head-butts an opponent. Discipline can be preached, not beaten into someone.
Apparently, neither can coverage schemes. Will Demps... What can you say? He did have a gift-wrapped INT yesterday, but he was way out of position on the biggest play of the game, Tony Romo's 42-yard throw to Jason Witten. Antonio Pierce was chasing Witten as far as an LB's legs could carry him, but Demps went over to the sideline to check on T.O. as Romo rolled out. Just bad, and costly. Gibril Wilson didn't have a great night either.
There was plenty of debate, both yesterday and even today among some of my colleagues, about Burress calling time out with 1:42 to play. TC didn't want the time out, but it wasn't such an awful call; the Giants changed personnel and were in the end zone two plays later. Some people think you have to leave as little time on the clock as possible when you score.
I say you have to score, period. The Giants had failed twice from inside the 5 in the second half, so when you absolutely have to get in the end zone, you do it, no matter how much time is left. The defense needs to make a few plays to get the thing to OT. You can't play as if you have no faith in one side of the ball.
And I'll say it again: Where's Brandon Jacobs when the ball is inside the 10? Even if you play-action with him, he's a better threat to fight through tacklers on a screen pass than Tiki and he makes the opponent think run. TC said today that Jacobs only comes in with certain personnel, that he's a designated down-and-distance guy. Fair enough. I'd say anything-and-goal is good for him at this point.
This is the last moral victory the Giants can afford. 3-1 gets them to the playoffs, 4-0 might get them a favorable first-round matchup -- back to Big D, or New Orleans, whom the Giants would have to beat anyway in three weeks. All is not lost.
Comments (7)
Man, Eli is horrible...I can't believe we traded for him! End of sarcastic rant.
I don't fault Burress for taking that timeout either. The offense did their job, the defense should have done theirs.
On that 4th and 1, I was so looking for a play action pass similar to the one that scored a TD a few weeks ago.
I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible. Lets go Big Blue...umm...Red!
P.S. I love that red jersey.
There are, of course, a great many people calling WFAN and demanding that Tom Coughlin be fired. Coughlin isn't the problem. It's the players on the field failing to execute makeable plays that is killing the Giants.
Nice job, Arthur. You're on point with pretty much everything, especially the Jacobs situation, although I was cringing when I saw how much time was left after the Burress TD. Then again, Demps blew the coverage on that 42-yard Witten reception right off the bat, so it didn't really matter how much time was left.
Here's a few things to ponder.
1. Why don't the Giants ever consider a QB sneak on fourth-and-inches? I think O'Hara is more than capable of falling forward to get that much of a push. I can understand handing off on fourth-and-1 or fourth-and-2, but with inches to go you've got to be able to get the FD with a sneak.
2. Why did Tim Lewis deploy a three-man rush at the end of the half and regulation? I understand the prevent nature of it, but the Giants had three down lineman when Dallas faced third-and-1 on the play that Marion Barber broke off a big gain to set up the FG before the half. It was no-brainer to run the ball on that play.
You can blame Jacobs for taking the ball wide on that fourth-and-inches carry, and you could have blamed Eli had Aaron Glenn picked him off in the end zone on that goal-line pass play in the fourth quarter. But you can't blame them for calling the wrong plays, which they were.
Perhaps the most telling of Coughlin's postgame comments, in addition to him pigeon-holing Jacobs a "down-and-distance" guy, was when he said of Jacobs' fourth-down carry: "That was the order of the plays, and that was the way it was sent in." You think he could think on the fly a little bit? His rigidity is going to be his demise.
And one more thing. People want to blame Hufnagel for the play-calling, but I say you've got to blame Coughlin. As a head coach whose background is offense, it is his stamp being put on the team.
Once again, please stop calling out the players. The players didn't decide to go to a prevent D and only rush 3. Romo has shown weakness when pressured by the G-men. But what did they do, rush 3 with 1 minute and 3 time outs. I've read in other blogs about possible available coaches. What Eli and this offense needs is a Norm Turner. TC can stay, he just needs to get rid of his coordinators and get some in their that can use this teams talent.
I said it last week and I'll say it again. Fire Coughlin. Now.
This is the least disciplined team that I've seen since the Ray Handley years. And, no, it's not sufficient to say that it's all on the players. It's on the coach too. There are no consequences for making idiotic plays, so we keep getting idiotic plays.
Moreover, the coach himself is the least disciplined coach I've seen - both in his personal manner (please tell me I never have to see another shot of him blowing his gasket, with no effect on the team) and in his idiotic play calling (can we try to run it more than once on the -goal-to-go situations?).
Again, fire Coughlin now.
I like what another reader said a while back: S.O.G. Although they looked a lot better than in the last 3 weeks.
1. Why can't these guys get it together with their stupid penalties? Add those together with the comments being made by Barber, Shockey and Strahan and you start to wonder more about the glue that is supposed to be holding the team together rather than injuries and strength of schedule etc.
2. Wonder if TC will ever get these guys to realize that they are KILLING their chances with every bone-headed mistake they make. At some point the discipline has to be emphasized.
3. When will the coaching staff pull its head up and look at what they have on the field? Near the goal line, 1st and 10, hand-off to Jacobs and he drills the right side for 6. So what is the 2nd down call do? They pass..... aargh. Jacobs is better now, and frankly he will be the guy next year. Besides, after seeing his play on the screen and near the goal, he gives the Giants a very strong chance to run time off the clock.
3. Does Tiki really need to run the tough yards as often? Give the rock to Jacobs and let Tiki mix in more of the receiving work. HIs reception for 15 was a perfect example why this mix can work for the Giants with a two-back set. Truly deadly combination.
I disagree with Ryan, I think one bright spot on Sunday was Eli. I have never seen him so animated in a game - slapping hands with the other players, talking it up on the line. It's the kind of behavior from him that I've waited for and that this team needs.
The Giants lost that game themselves - the penalties were inexcusable and the missed coverages/tackles? What's up with that! Yet even with all those mistakes, it could have gone either way.