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You guys seemed to have some pretty strong opinions about what should happen up top in the Giants' offseason, which began about 4:15 yesterday afternoon. Now, I want you to put your votes where your mouth is. Over on the left is one where you will determine what should happen to Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese.
Cast a ballot, then leave your explanation here. We'll stay open until tomorrow at 10 a.m.
If you want my opinion right now, I believe the Giants will keep both. Coughlin deserves another year to straighten this mess out, especially after winning the Super Bowl in '07 and going to the playoffs in '08. And Reese has done an overall good job at drafting, though last year's free agent period didn't reap the benefits it should have, so he stays too.
But that's just me.
Tell me what you think.
EP
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YO ERN, When do we find out Sheridan is fired? This week?
ReplyDeleteCoughlin and Reese stay. Sheridan goes. Reese would be snatched up by another team faster than you could say his name. Coughlin is a great coach - He won the Superbowl for chrissake! - and gets a pass this year... If the same thing happens next year (though I don't see that happening) then we talk...
ReplyDeleteTime to rebuild that defense thru the draft (LB's, DT's and Safetys) and maybe look at a RB or two.
i voted that they both come back. ern do we know what the locker room is like? for example has coughlin lost the team, if he has then my vote might change. reese should 10000% be safe
ReplyDeleteErnie - A guy named Mike Florio runs Profootballtalk.com, a blog about the whole NFL. He often gives the Giants the short end of the stick, which is why I spend more time here than there. However, he did write an interesting piece about Coughlin - which I find to be pretty spot on. Here's a small piece of it:
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago, Giants coach Tom Coughlin widely was believed to be in grave danger (is there another kind?) of being fired.
So Coughlin underwent a stunning late-career transformation, and his new approach helped the team dig out of an 0-2 start (during which they gave up 80 points), culminating in an unlikely Super Bowl win.
Two years later, Coughlin and the Giants have put together precisely the kind of season that would have gotten him fired in 2007.
And with Coughlin, 63, having only two years left on his contract, the Giants have to look at the team's late-season meltdown, featuring a Week 17 game in which it appeared that they weren't even trying to keep it close, and the Giants have to decide whether now is the time to make a change.
Maybe, at the end of the day, the Giants decide to stand pat. But regardless of whether the team's collapse from 5-0 to 8-8 can be blamed on poor offensive line play, a rash of injuries (which Coughlin famously called a "cancer" when he was hired), or the subpar performance of Bill Sheridan, the man Coughlin hired to replace defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Coughlin ultimately is responsible.
I think Mr. Florio is saying what a lot of us are feeling. The million dollar question is has Coughlin lost the team? Based on the past two weeks, circumstantial evidence points to "Yes".
As you may recall, the year that the Giants decidec to fire Fassel, there were three games left in the season, and Wellington Mara took the opportunity to address the players. He made it clear that firing the coach was only one part of the solution, and that many of the players would not be wearing the Giant uniform next season as they stopped playing with effort. I think that if Wellington was still with us, he would have made a similar speech to this team a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, Sheridan once again failed to have his team prepared for what the Vikings were going to do. It should not have come as a big surprise that Shancoe would be a major target. He has been all year. It should also not come as a surprise when the Vikings used their backs as receivers. Everyone in the NFL, except for Sheridan, knows the Giant linebackers can't cover. Sheridan needs to go now so the new guy can start work immediately.
I think along with Sheridan, Gilbride needs to go too. Eli needs a new voice and a new scheme. I don't care that he had his best statistical season. They were not able to move the ball when they really needed to and I think Eli should be even better than he is. Coughlin isn't going anywhere so the other 2 must go. Greg Blache from Washington should be who they go after for DC. He has proven he can coach defense in the NFC East - their only ad game was against the Giants - go figure.
ReplyDeleteGogolack;
ReplyDeletewho goes, who stays?
I think Reese got a lot of credit for his work in previous drafts, but with all drafts time will tell. I've posted numerous times that the Giants greatest weakness, by far, are their LBs. This has never been addressed under Reese. Kehl, Goff, Sintim do not seem to be game changing players. Boley, Clark as free agents have been poor as well. The fact that Boley was signed by Reese and then had a violation of NFL policy and a surgery shows that he did not do his homework. The same can be said of the DL free agents.
I believe that this team is in for some very thin years. We feel that we have a great receiver in Smith, but can he change a game and take over? Can Manningham? Can Nicks? I'm not convinced that we have as potent an offense as our stats show. We lack a game breaker, we lack speed (anyone who saw Nicks almost get run down by a DL saw this).
My formula is simple once your needs outnumber your draft picks and FA acquisitions, you are in a downward spiral. Look at the remainder of the NFC East, do these teams have as many holes as we do? Get used to 8-8, no good coach will touch this team until they get better personnel.
Boley, Clark, M. Johnson and Osi have to go, they are quitters. bad influence for the team. Keep Robbins who still has a push playing on a bad leg as well as Cofield. Hope that Canty and Kenny P can come back and play at a high enough level. GET SOME VETERAN DBs and a kicker
Gogolack you're lost.
ReplyDeleteYou realize the Giants went 8-8 in 2006 -- the year before they won the Super Bowl. I'm sure you said the samething back then too. Well, I guess that's why you're not in the league.
And actually our receiving corps looks pretty good -- Smith, Nicks and Manningham as your top three -- and then you have a solid tight end in Boss.
You are seriously mistaken if you think this team is going to be a .500 team where no respectable coach is going too touch. Every team has down years. And 8-8, while it is a disappointment, it's not a catastrophic failure.
And the Giants greatest weakness is not their LB's, but their safeties and maybe DT's. But of course you want to keep Robbins and Cofield as you say they provided a "push." Did you watch the games? There was no push in the middle of that line.
And then you say Reese didn't do his homework on Boley? In fact, they did. The Giants and Reese expected he'd be suspended, that's why they opted for the surgery when they did.
And one last point: the Giants have the most holes to be filled? What about Washington? Or do they not count?
And the Cowboys have no big-time receiver, a porous O-line and poor coaching. BTW their secondary isn't that good either.
The Eagles? They have no RB and that defense has been pretty poor all year. Their LB's have struggled as has their front four. So have some idea of what you're talking about before you post. Bad years happen. And 8-8 isn't a complete collapse, just disappointing.
Look at San Diego, after winning 14 and 11 games they won 8 last year. I'm sure you would have expected that team to break up and declare them on a downward spiral.
Just try and get a clue before you post.
I voted to keep them both. Reese is a no-brainer, Coughlin is tougher to vote for. I think Coughlin deserves one more year - at this point it is hard to tell how much of this season to blame on him. But I vote for him, knowing that it most likely means another mediocre season. I think Coughlin lost this team somewhere in late November, right around the Denver game. I think he deserves another chance with a new DC. But in any case, I don't see him being around much more than a couple more years. I don't want this organization to become like the Redskins, firing a head coach every other year. But I do think his best times with the Giants are behind him. I hate to say that, but that is my gut feel.
ReplyDeleteBut let's be realistic. How long does Coughlin have left? Is it two years on his contract? And he's already the oldest head coach in the league. What is he 63?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't get rid of him, but they need to start to prepare for a new coach once Coughlin leaves -- I would imagine in one, maybe two more years.
If it were practical, I'd clean house. EVERYBODY goes, but....I voted to keep both. Good point, Ern, about Coughlin and contracts. There is no GM in waiting, so Reese stays. I do agree with the poster who wants Boley, Johnson, Osi and Clark gone because they are quitters. Bernard and Canty should also be gone - for doing VERY bad impersonations of football players.
ReplyDeleteSheridan, and entire D staff - gone. They all play a part - in not preparing the players and not holding the players accountable.