On Sheridan

Tom Coughlin has seen defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan's unit struggle and, ultimately, implode last night. But it sounds like the head coach has no plans to get any more involved with running the defense than he already is.

"Certainly, there are certain aspects that have to be corrected," Coughlin said. "Those are the things we talk about. Or we talk about personnel. It's a continuous thing.

"It's not an attempt after one game to become part of the defensive thinking."

At the same time, though, he made it clear he's certainly not pleased with the first-year coordinator.

"We have to play better," he said. "We have to be more physical. We certainly need to do a better job in that area."

The defense has struggled mightily toward the end of games and certainly throughout this last 1-5 stretch. The shutdown group of 2008 has turned as leaky as a cheap faucet, allowing an average of 35.5 points per game over the six games. Last night marked the fifth time this year the unit allowed more than 300 yards of total offense.

The entire middle of the defense, from the tackles to MLB Chase Blackburn, who missed several tackles last night, to safeties Aaron Rouse and Michael Johnson, has simply ceased to exist as running backs pound it and tight ends and slot receivers make all kinds of yardage through gaping holes.

The Brandon Stokley touchdown proved a case in point. Coughlin said a single mistake by a single player, probably Aaron Rouse, created a situation where Stokley could stroll unmolested into the end zone on a 17-yard completion.

"There isn't anybody, starting with me, that's satisfied with anything," he said. "There's no one individual at fault. It's a full team, and there's no one individual at fault here. We're doing this as a group, as a team, and as a coaching staff, and that's the way it'll always be."

Until Coughlin decides a change is needed. But that doesn't appear to be in the cards right now, at least.

EP