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The Associated Press is reporting that Perry Fewell will interview Thursday with Tom Coughlin for the defensive coordinator's job. If Coughlin wants the interim Bills coach, he'd better move quick. Word is he'll also interview this week with Lovie Smith for the open Bears defensive coordinator's position. According to the AP, it's more likely he'll land in Chicago than in New York.
He's also interviewing for the Bills head coaching job, but he is considered a longshot there.
EP
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Ed's At It Again
Thought you might like to see my man Ed Valentine's newest ponderings on the defensive coordinator's job at Big Blue View. So take a look and tell me what you think.
EP
EP
Guess I'm The Last One Up On This...
but we can't let the day go by without having an official list of possibilities for the defensive coordinator's job. I know we've talked about some of these names as parts of other entries, but we'll throw them all here now. Believe it or not, I'm sure there are other names on Tom Coughlin's short-list, but darned if he's called to share them with me.
So here we go.
DICK JAURON: The most obvious one for several reasons. First, Coughlin knows him from his Jacksonville days, which is a big plus. The guy wasn't a very good head coach, but he knows defense. And now that he's no longer occupied in downtrodden Buffalo, he might just make himself available to his former boss to straighten out this mess of a defense.
DOM CAPERS: The father of the zone blitz (just what some of you guys need, right?) is busy coaching the Green Bay defense in the playoffs right now. But he'd be worth an interview. Remember, those assistants under contract have to be offered a higher position, like assistant head coach, in order to jump. Capers also worked with Coughlin.
BOB SUTTON: The National Football Post website said Coughlin is targeting this ex-Army head coach and current Jets linebackers coach. The military background is right up Coughlin's alley. But this is a guy who got zilch out of a first-round pick in Vernon Gholston. Well, everybody has his failures. He did do well with this year's starting LBs, however, as they were a functional part of the league's No. 1 defense. And guess what? Except for that one touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez in the Atlanta loss, those guys actually knew how to cover a tight end.
JIM HASLETT: I put him as a longshot, actually. He was a gritty linebacker and a fiery head coach himself. But I think he's a bit too flighty for Coughlin. Tends to go off on the sidelines and with the media.
KIRK OLIVADOTTI: This linebackers coach will be out of work soon in Washington, but I'm not sure he's a great fit here. His father, Tom, was once a Giants assistant, but to me the old man's most memorable moment came when a popup bounced off his mouth in the coaches-media softball game and opened a gash. Still, the Redskins had the 10th-best defense in the league, and Olivadotti did handle stud pass rusher Brian Orakpo.
GEORGE EDWARDS: The Dolphins linebackers coach's name has been bandied about. The 42-year-old coordinated the Redskins' defense from 2002-03. Seems like a longshot.
PEPPER JOHNSON: He's coaching the Patriots defensive line right now, but boy, would he be a popular choice among fans. You all should remember him from his Giants career, when he was considered a hard-hitting inside linebacker and a say-it-all interview. Like Haslett, though, not sure his and Coughlin's personalities would jive.
Other names will arise in the coming days, and I'll try to keep up with things the best I can.
EP
So here we go.
DICK JAURON: The most obvious one for several reasons. First, Coughlin knows him from his Jacksonville days, which is a big plus. The guy wasn't a very good head coach, but he knows defense. And now that he's no longer occupied in downtrodden Buffalo, he might just make himself available to his former boss to straighten out this mess of a defense.
DOM CAPERS: The father of the zone blitz (just what some of you guys need, right?) is busy coaching the Green Bay defense in the playoffs right now. But he'd be worth an interview. Remember, those assistants under contract have to be offered a higher position, like assistant head coach, in order to jump. Capers also worked with Coughlin.
BOB SUTTON: The National Football Post website said Coughlin is targeting this ex-Army head coach and current Jets linebackers coach. The military background is right up Coughlin's alley. But this is a guy who got zilch out of a first-round pick in Vernon Gholston. Well, everybody has his failures. He did do well with this year's starting LBs, however, as they were a functional part of the league's No. 1 defense. And guess what? Except for that one touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez in the Atlanta loss, those guys actually knew how to cover a tight end.
JIM HASLETT: I put him as a longshot, actually. He was a gritty linebacker and a fiery head coach himself. But I think he's a bit too flighty for Coughlin. Tends to go off on the sidelines and with the media.
KIRK OLIVADOTTI: This linebackers coach will be out of work soon in Washington, but I'm not sure he's a great fit here. His father, Tom, was once a Giants assistant, but to me the old man's most memorable moment came when a popup bounced off his mouth in the coaches-media softball game and opened a gash. Still, the Redskins had the 10th-best defense in the league, and Olivadotti did handle stud pass rusher Brian Orakpo.
GEORGE EDWARDS: The Dolphins linebackers coach's name has been bandied about. The 42-year-old coordinated the Redskins' defense from 2002-03. Seems like a longshot.
PEPPER JOHNSON: He's coaching the Patriots defensive line right now, but boy, would he be a popular choice among fans. You all should remember him from his Giants career, when he was considered a hard-hitting inside linebacker and a say-it-all interview. Like Haslett, though, not sure his and Coughlin's personalities would jive.
Other names will arise in the coming days, and I'll try to keep up with things the best I can.
EP
The Final Grades
But first, let's talk about our poll. Hey, you guys are right in line with what John Mara said about Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese. They're not going anywhere, and few of you wanted them anywhere but here.
Of the 303 ballots cast, 205 (67 percent) said the Giants should keep them both. The next biggest total, 79 (26 percent) said they should keep Reese and fire Coughlin. Eleven of you, or three percent, wanted Mara to get rid of both of them. And eight, or two percent, said they should keep Coughlin and get rid of Reese.
Guess we can say the Giants split the difference by firing defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. But then, that was going to happen anyway.
Actually, if Mara had to go on sheer grades, he'd probably be clearing out a bunch more, like most of the defense. That may still happen, and not just because so many units failed easy-grader Prof. P's class. The co-owner is just good and ticked that his team didn't perform anywhere near the standards the veterans set the past two seasons.
QUARTERBACK: Can't really fault Eli Manning here, as he had his best statistical season so far despite an admirable battle against a battered heel that, thankfully, will need rest but not surgery. More than 4,000 passing yards for the first time, and a career-high 27 touchdowns highlighted a season that saw him dodge pass rush pressure and find receivers down the field. If you can fault him for anything, it was the constant fiddling at the line in his effort to find the perfect play. Making like Peyton is fine when you're way up, but when it was still a game it served more to interrupt the offensive flow than gain any great results. He had a bunch of end zone throws that were off-line, too, and that showed up in a Red Zone efficiency that finished 23rd in the league. Still, he was out there fighting until the end, which wasn't very pretty. GRADE: B+.
RUNNING BACKS: When is Brandon Jacobs ever going to stay healthy for a whole season? Probably never. Resign yourself to it. The fact is, he's a banger and no amount of sweeps is going to save him. It's just going to make him ineffective, as he was this year in a 224-carry, 835-yard season that saw his average fall from 5.0 to 3.7. He did have five touchdowns, but Jacobs showed only flashes of the bruising scourge of linebackers and defensive backs he should be. Ahmad Bradshaw did a great job playing through two ankle sprains and a busted fifth metatarsal, and at one point looked more like the featured back than Jacobs. But he, too, tailed off at the end. Not a single Giants running back rushed for a 100-yard game this year. DJ Ware was supposed to provide that third head, but an early elbow injury robbed him of his confidence, and he had a bad fumble against Denver. Gartrell Johnson was okay in his limited role. GRADE: C.
RECEIVERS: Big question coming out of training camp. Big star by the end of the season. But not perfect. Mario Manningham had all sorts of trouble staying in on sideline routes, and Hakeem Nicks had a couple of big drops. But overall, can't argue with this group's success. Steve Smith became the Giants' first 100-catch receiver, going for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns. Nicks, showing true game-breaking potential, had 11 plays of 29 yards or more while catching 47 passes for 790 yards (16.8-yard average) and six touchdowns. And Manningham still managed to catch 57 balls for 822 yards and five TDs. Nicks eventually overtook Manningham as the second starter next to Smith, but that nucleus, plus the addition of third-rounder Ramses Barden, should make for a dynamic corps next season. Kevin Boss took one big hit after another, including one that resulted in a concussion, but kept playing and came up with a bunch of key catches. Smith was the league's top third-down receiver. Bradshaw did okay out of the backfield, but not so with fullback Madison Hedgecock, who dropped more balls than he caught. GRADE: A.
OFFENSIVE LINE: David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O'Hara, Chris Snee, and Kareem McKenzie had a great, productive run together for the past three years. But that may be ending as some shifting and new blood is needed. McKenzie showed he's starting to break down, and rookie Will Beatty proved while taking over for him that he's ready for a starting job. Seubert broke down, too. Whether it was because of playcalling, or simply because of creeping age, this line was hardly the physical, brawling bunch of the past couple of seasons. Part of the reason for Jacobs' inefficiency was that the holes just weren't there consistently enough. The middle let in too much pass pressure, and the edges were no longer quick to the outside. They were simply average on the run most of the time, showing only glimpses of the past in games against Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Philadelphia. Manning was sacked 20 of his 30 total times in the final eight games. GRADE: C.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Justin Tuck wasn't a vocal leader. But the other players should have taken not of his physical leadership in playing through, and succeeding with, a couple of bad shoulders, one of which will undergo surgery this week. He was the most consistent member of a thoroughly inconsistent front, playing both inside and out and getting pressure from both spots. Other than Tuck, ugh. Osi Umenyiora had six sacks, one less than Tuck's team-high total, and lost his starting job the last quarter of the season to Mathias Kiwanuka because of his shortcomings in the run defense. Kiwanuka was okay against the run for the most part, but hardly spectacular. And the middle of the line, from Chris Canty, to Barry Cofield, to Fred Robbins, to ultimate free agent bust Rocky Bernard, were all but non-existant most of the time. Run defense starts up front, and that area allowed 110.8 yards per game and 21 touchdowns. So does the Red Zone defense, which finished worst in the league. If not for Tuck, this group would have received a straight F. GRADE: D-.
LINEBACKERS: Cover the tight end much? Visanthe Shiancoe's 10 catches in last week's quit job was just the end of a long, exhausting road for this group. Tight ends continually tormented them, and it didn't matter of Michael Boley or Antonio Pierce or Chase Blackburn was in coverage. They all had problems. They weren't much good on the blitz, either, as few of the many the since-deposed Bill Sheridan dialed up ever got home. Once Pierce left with a neck injury, that was it for leadership. Boley never did look like the fast backer the Giants prized as a free agent, and Pierce had grown slow, anyway. Danny Clark was invisible most of the time on the strong side. Jonathan Goff showed fire and potential as the starting middle linebacker the last part of the season. GRADE: F.
SECONDARY: Mr. Brown, this is Mr. Webster. Mr. Johnson, this is Mr. Brown. By the way these guys failed to communicate, you'd think this unit hadn't spent a whole offseason and training camp together. Once Kenny Phillips went out, the safeties were thrown into such disarray that they simply spiraled out of control. Receivers ran free down the middle of the field constantly. One safety might be playing Cover-2, another in man. Of course, the worst of the bunch was C.C. Brown, who eventually lost his starting job to converted cornerback Aaron Ross. Corey Webster looked like he was having a Pro Bowl season the first half of the year, and then tailed off. Terrell Thomas did a good job at right corner in place of the injured Ross, and has probably cemented that position, as has Bruce Johnson at nickelback. But Kevin Dockery was a disaster in any role back there. It was common to see a pass go up and find a receiver uncontested, despite someone being in position to make a play. It's hard to believe the Giants finished as high as No. 15 in pass defense, but that's because of the weaklings they played during the 5-0 run. More telling are the 31 touchdowns they allowed, second-worst to Detroit's 35. Any time you mention the Giants in the same sentence as the Lions, you know something's wrong. They had all sorts of injuries -- Phillips, Ross, Webster -- but the fill-ins should have done a much better job. GRADE: F.
SPECIAL TEAMS: I'll say it again. Lawrence Tynes did not directly cost them a game. But his inability to hit the end zone on kickoffs and the coverage team's inability to make a stop at key times certainly did. It was nothing to see the offense answer an opponent score, only to have said offense watch as the opponent returned a kickoff beyond the 35. That happened far too often. Jeff Feagles had one of the worst years of his career. Domenik Hixon returned a punt for a touchdown, and came within a couple of shoestring tackles of breaking other big returns. But by and large, the return teams failed to produce advantageous field position. The kickoff return team finished 28th with a 20.8-yard average. Not good. GRADE: D.
COACHING: They've already fired rookie defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, for good reason. Even veteran coordinators don't survive the kind of fall his unit took this year, from No. 5 in points allowed last year to 29th this year. The 427 points marked the second-worst total in franchise history, and they allowed 40 or more points in five games, worst total since they set the mark of 501 points in 1966. With a new coordinator coming in, the rest of the defensive staff shouldn't feel too comfortable, either. They all take part of the blame for the constant miscommunication problems between safeties and corners, backers and safties, and backers and linemen. That stuff was inexcusable, injuries or not. The offense was better, but coordinator Kevin Gilbride could make you pull your hair out with some of his Red Zone calls. And his early abandonment of the running game, even as his team trailed by a mere handful of points, contributed greatly to the lack of rhythm the offensive line often displayed. Finally, Tom Coughlin has to take a hit here for the last two games. He appeared to have lost his players' minds, and it resulted in two straight give-up jobs, the first of which came when they were down just 3-0 against Carolina in a game that would have preserved their playoff hopes. Coughlin's nice-guy incarnation since 2007 may have run its course. After this, it could be back to General Tom, the drillmaster. And the Giants would deserve as much. GRADE: F.
Okay, you're turn.
EP
Of the 303 ballots cast, 205 (67 percent) said the Giants should keep them both. The next biggest total, 79 (26 percent) said they should keep Reese and fire Coughlin. Eleven of you, or three percent, wanted Mara to get rid of both of them. And eight, or two percent, said they should keep Coughlin and get rid of Reese.
Guess we can say the Giants split the difference by firing defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. But then, that was going to happen anyway.
Actually, if Mara had to go on sheer grades, he'd probably be clearing out a bunch more, like most of the defense. That may still happen, and not just because so many units failed easy-grader Prof. P's class. The co-owner is just good and ticked that his team didn't perform anywhere near the standards the veterans set the past two seasons.
QUARTERBACK: Can't really fault Eli Manning here, as he had his best statistical season so far despite an admirable battle against a battered heel that, thankfully, will need rest but not surgery. More than 4,000 passing yards for the first time, and a career-high 27 touchdowns highlighted a season that saw him dodge pass rush pressure and find receivers down the field. If you can fault him for anything, it was the constant fiddling at the line in his effort to find the perfect play. Making like Peyton is fine when you're way up, but when it was still a game it served more to interrupt the offensive flow than gain any great results. He had a bunch of end zone throws that were off-line, too, and that showed up in a Red Zone efficiency that finished 23rd in the league. Still, he was out there fighting until the end, which wasn't very pretty. GRADE: B+.
RUNNING BACKS: When is Brandon Jacobs ever going to stay healthy for a whole season? Probably never. Resign yourself to it. The fact is, he's a banger and no amount of sweeps is going to save him. It's just going to make him ineffective, as he was this year in a 224-carry, 835-yard season that saw his average fall from 5.0 to 3.7. He did have five touchdowns, but Jacobs showed only flashes of the bruising scourge of linebackers and defensive backs he should be. Ahmad Bradshaw did a great job playing through two ankle sprains and a busted fifth metatarsal, and at one point looked more like the featured back than Jacobs. But he, too, tailed off at the end. Not a single Giants running back rushed for a 100-yard game this year. DJ Ware was supposed to provide that third head, but an early elbow injury robbed him of his confidence, and he had a bad fumble against Denver. Gartrell Johnson was okay in his limited role. GRADE: C.
RECEIVERS: Big question coming out of training camp. Big star by the end of the season. But not perfect. Mario Manningham had all sorts of trouble staying in on sideline routes, and Hakeem Nicks had a couple of big drops. But overall, can't argue with this group's success. Steve Smith became the Giants' first 100-catch receiver, going for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns. Nicks, showing true game-breaking potential, had 11 plays of 29 yards or more while catching 47 passes for 790 yards (16.8-yard average) and six touchdowns. And Manningham still managed to catch 57 balls for 822 yards and five TDs. Nicks eventually overtook Manningham as the second starter next to Smith, but that nucleus, plus the addition of third-rounder Ramses Barden, should make for a dynamic corps next season. Kevin Boss took one big hit after another, including one that resulted in a concussion, but kept playing and came up with a bunch of key catches. Smith was the league's top third-down receiver. Bradshaw did okay out of the backfield, but not so with fullback Madison Hedgecock, who dropped more balls than he caught. GRADE: A.
OFFENSIVE LINE: David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O'Hara, Chris Snee, and Kareem McKenzie had a great, productive run together for the past three years. But that may be ending as some shifting and new blood is needed. McKenzie showed he's starting to break down, and rookie Will Beatty proved while taking over for him that he's ready for a starting job. Seubert broke down, too. Whether it was because of playcalling, or simply because of creeping age, this line was hardly the physical, brawling bunch of the past couple of seasons. Part of the reason for Jacobs' inefficiency was that the holes just weren't there consistently enough. The middle let in too much pass pressure, and the edges were no longer quick to the outside. They were simply average on the run most of the time, showing only glimpses of the past in games against Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Philadelphia. Manning was sacked 20 of his 30 total times in the final eight games. GRADE: C.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Justin Tuck wasn't a vocal leader. But the other players should have taken not of his physical leadership in playing through, and succeeding with, a couple of bad shoulders, one of which will undergo surgery this week. He was the most consistent member of a thoroughly inconsistent front, playing both inside and out and getting pressure from both spots. Other than Tuck, ugh. Osi Umenyiora had six sacks, one less than Tuck's team-high total, and lost his starting job the last quarter of the season to Mathias Kiwanuka because of his shortcomings in the run defense. Kiwanuka was okay against the run for the most part, but hardly spectacular. And the middle of the line, from Chris Canty, to Barry Cofield, to Fred Robbins, to ultimate free agent bust Rocky Bernard, were all but non-existant most of the time. Run defense starts up front, and that area allowed 110.8 yards per game and 21 touchdowns. So does the Red Zone defense, which finished worst in the league. If not for Tuck, this group would have received a straight F. GRADE: D-.
LINEBACKERS: Cover the tight end much? Visanthe Shiancoe's 10 catches in last week's quit job was just the end of a long, exhausting road for this group. Tight ends continually tormented them, and it didn't matter of Michael Boley or Antonio Pierce or Chase Blackburn was in coverage. They all had problems. They weren't much good on the blitz, either, as few of the many the since-deposed Bill Sheridan dialed up ever got home. Once Pierce left with a neck injury, that was it for leadership. Boley never did look like the fast backer the Giants prized as a free agent, and Pierce had grown slow, anyway. Danny Clark was invisible most of the time on the strong side. Jonathan Goff showed fire and potential as the starting middle linebacker the last part of the season. GRADE: F.
SECONDARY: Mr. Brown, this is Mr. Webster. Mr. Johnson, this is Mr. Brown. By the way these guys failed to communicate, you'd think this unit hadn't spent a whole offseason and training camp together. Once Kenny Phillips went out, the safeties were thrown into such disarray that they simply spiraled out of control. Receivers ran free down the middle of the field constantly. One safety might be playing Cover-2, another in man. Of course, the worst of the bunch was C.C. Brown, who eventually lost his starting job to converted cornerback Aaron Ross. Corey Webster looked like he was having a Pro Bowl season the first half of the year, and then tailed off. Terrell Thomas did a good job at right corner in place of the injured Ross, and has probably cemented that position, as has Bruce Johnson at nickelback. But Kevin Dockery was a disaster in any role back there. It was common to see a pass go up and find a receiver uncontested, despite someone being in position to make a play. It's hard to believe the Giants finished as high as No. 15 in pass defense, but that's because of the weaklings they played during the 5-0 run. More telling are the 31 touchdowns they allowed, second-worst to Detroit's 35. Any time you mention the Giants in the same sentence as the Lions, you know something's wrong. They had all sorts of injuries -- Phillips, Ross, Webster -- but the fill-ins should have done a much better job. GRADE: F.
SPECIAL TEAMS: I'll say it again. Lawrence Tynes did not directly cost them a game. But his inability to hit the end zone on kickoffs and the coverage team's inability to make a stop at key times certainly did. It was nothing to see the offense answer an opponent score, only to have said offense watch as the opponent returned a kickoff beyond the 35. That happened far too often. Jeff Feagles had one of the worst years of his career. Domenik Hixon returned a punt for a touchdown, and came within a couple of shoestring tackles of breaking other big returns. But by and large, the return teams failed to produce advantageous field position. The kickoff return team finished 28th with a 20.8-yard average. Not good. GRADE: D.
COACHING: They've already fired rookie defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, for good reason. Even veteran coordinators don't survive the kind of fall his unit took this year, from No. 5 in points allowed last year to 29th this year. The 427 points marked the second-worst total in franchise history, and they allowed 40 or more points in five games, worst total since they set the mark of 501 points in 1966. With a new coordinator coming in, the rest of the defensive staff shouldn't feel too comfortable, either. They all take part of the blame for the constant miscommunication problems between safeties and corners, backers and safties, and backers and linemen. That stuff was inexcusable, injuries or not. The offense was better, but coordinator Kevin Gilbride could make you pull your hair out with some of his Red Zone calls. And his early abandonment of the running game, even as his team trailed by a mere handful of points, contributed greatly to the lack of rhythm the offensive line often displayed. Finally, Tom Coughlin has to take a hit here for the last two games. He appeared to have lost his players' minds, and it resulted in two straight give-up jobs, the first of which came when they were down just 3-0 against Carolina in a game that would have preserved their playoff hopes. Coughlin's nice-guy incarnation since 2007 may have run its course. After this, it could be back to General Tom, the drillmaster. And the Giants would deserve as much. GRADE: F.
Okay, you're turn.
EP
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sheridan Out
Somebody had to pay for the Giants' defensive demise this season. And, in probably the worst-kept, yet most short-lived secret of the year, defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan paid the immediate price.
The Giants fired him today, as announced in a one-line e-mail tonight.
Now the search starts. Dick Jauron, the fired Buffalo Bills head coach and former Jacksonville cohort of Tom Coughlin's, could be a logical candidate. So could another former Coughlin assistant, Don Capers, who is running the offense in Green Bay.
EP
The Giants fired him today, as announced in a one-line e-mail tonight.
Now the search starts. Dick Jauron, the fired Buffalo Bills head coach and former Jacksonville cohort of Tom Coughlin's, could be a logical candidate. So could another former Coughlin assistant, Don Capers, who is running the offense in Green Bay.
EP
FYI
Here's the entire transcript of President and CEO John Mara's assessment of the season.
Q: How disappointing is this?
A: Probably as disappointed as I have ever been in my life with this team, given the expectations that we had this year, given the roster that I thought we had and given the way we started out and given the embarrassment of the last two games.
Q: When you say ‘disappointed,’ are you disappointed in the effort?
A: Everything. I’m disappointed in everything. I’m unhappy at everybody. It is just not acceptable to perform like that. There are 8-8 seasons and there are 8-8 seasons. This one felt a lot more like 2-14 to me.
Q: A lot of times guys will say they don’t want to react too much to what occurred late in the season. But it sounds like you are in not in that mode right now.
A: Well, I’m less than 24 hours after the end of the season. So I’m sure I’ll cool down at some point and will try to make intelligent decisions going forward. And I’ll sit down with the coach and the general manager. We’ll do what we need to do to improve the team. But, obviously, I’m not very happy right now. They know that.
Q: Did the last two games, particularly, tell you something?
A: We had -- even before the last two games, there were at least four other losses where we were just not competitive. And obviously the last two games were the worst. But when you have that many games where you get blown out, there is something wrong. That means that something has to be done.
Q: You have been around a lot of losing seasons here. For you to say this is the most disappointed you have been in a team, what was it?
A: Given the expectations that we had, given the roster that we thought we had coming into the season and we start out 5-0. And you start thinking about the postseason. We just did not expect it to end this way, particularly the last two weeks.
Q: Was it a lack of fight, a lack of pride, those kinds of things?
A: Lack of mental and physical toughness and, quite frankly, a lack of effort over the last two weeks. That is just something that I never expected to see from this group of players.
Q: What message would you want to tell your fans moving forward?
A: We are going to do what we need to. We are not going to leave any stone unturned.
Q: When you start evaluating, are you going to start evaluating from the top?
A: That is always the way we do it. To answer your question, I’m not pleased with anybody right now.
Q: Both Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese said today that, by in large, even the last two games, they did not think the team did not give effort.
Sounds like you don’t agree with that?
A: Well, let’s just say it was not the effort that I expected.
Q: Did you address players?
A: No, I haven’t.
Q: I know your dad occasionally did that. Did you consider doing that?
A: I really didn’t, no. I just really don’t think it is my place to do that. But looking back, it probably couldn’t have hurt.
Q: It seems like Jerry and Tom only think this team needs some tweeking. You just said something has to be done. It sounds like you are thinking a little more along the lines of something dramatic.
A: Well, I don’t know how you define ‘dramatic.’ Obviously our roster isn’t as good as we thought it was. So we need to take a look at that. We are going to have to discuss everything at this point. I don’t think we can take anything for granted after the way this season ended.
Q: Any changes to the coaching staff?
A: The status quo is not acceptable on any level. I’m not going to get into specific positions or anything like that. But we need to do something, and I will be expecting them to give me their recommendations on what we need to do. And ultimately we will approve it or not approve it.
Q: Are Jerry and Tom safe?
A: Yes…There will be no change to the head coach or general manager, if that is what you are asking.
Q: Do you want to kind of settle down a little bit and not let emotion drive you here?
A: Well, that is always what you try to do.
Q: How long are you talking, a couple of days?
A: I have no idea. It is going to be awhile. I don’t know that I will ever get over the last two weeks.
Q: But you need to get to the point where you can start making logical decisions?
A: Yes.
Q: You have no timeframe for that?
A: No, there is no specific time.
Q: In Jim Fassel’s last year – after that year you characterized the team a certain way – I forget the exact words.
A: Franchise in trouble.
Q: Franchise in trouble. Is this a ‘franchise in trouble?’
A: I don’t know that I would put it the same way here. I think we have a pretty good nucleus of players and a pretty solid organization, notwithstanding our performance over the second half of the season, so I don’t think I would be quite that dramatic. I think I probably made that statement within that 24-hour period.
Q: We were very interested in the talks you had with Tom after the ’06 season and what kind of changes he made. Do you think – do you anticipate that maybe again – speaking with him along those lines again?
A: I’ll certainly be sitting down. I only spoke to him briefly this morning. But I’m not going to tell him how to coach the team. He has been doing this a long time and he knows how to do that better than I do. But I am anxious to hear from both he and Jerry about what we are going to do to fix this. We spent a lot of money this past offseason in free agency. We didn’t get quite the results that we anticipated. Obviously we were not as good as we thought we were.
Q: Is that why it hurts so much? Were you kind of blindsided by what happened here?
A: Listen, when you perform the way we performed over the second half of the season, it hurts, period, regardless of what you have done prior. I have been around a long time. I thought I had seen everything. But I certainly didn’t see this coming. And I certainly didn’t see the last two weeks coming.
Q: The fact that the closing of the stadium was one of those weeks, was that especially tough for you to take?
A: No question; no question. That is not the way we wanted to go out in that building. I felt that loss probably more deeply than any other, particularly the way we were so non-competitive in that game.
Q: How much stock- if much at all – do you put in former players like Harry Carson or Carl Banks on the radio really questioning heart, character, that kind of thing?
A: Well, I have my own eyes and ears. I go to practice. I’m at the games. So I can see for myself.
Q: When you talk about ‘lack of physicality’ did you notice this all season? Did you see this coming on?
A: I think more toward the second half of the season. I just think that --- we always used to pride ourselves on being a tough team both physically and mentally. And I didn’t see any evidence of that over the second half of the season.
Q: Do you have any theories on why?
A: I don’t know why. I know we had some injuries, but I don’t think we had catastrophic injuries. There is no excuse for performing the way we performed over basically the last 11 weeks.
Q: This could be a very unique offseason with the CBA and everything. There could be an opportunity for a team to kind of break the bank if they really wanted to. What is your sense of what it is going to be moving forward and how much of a bank do you want to break?
A: Well, I think it has been proven that that doesn’t work. If there are players that we are interested in, we are going to go after them. But how many times do we have to see evidence of the fact that spending a lot of money on free agency doesn’t necessarily improve your team. It is a lot of times about chemistry and having the right nucleus and having leadership in the locker room. We are going to look at the free agency market and we will make decisions if we think we can improve the team.
Q: This could also be an opportunity for a team to unload some of the contracts without cap repercussions.
A: Well, that is true. But again we are not going to do anything that is going to hurt the product on the field. If we think a guy can be a contributor, we are going to keep him.
Q: Coach Coughlin’s contract – he has two more years on the contact. Is that enough time for him to rebuild what you had here?
A: Well, I don’t know. Two years is a lifetime. I’m worried about next season right now and I am still trying to recover from this one.
Q: Do you question the leadership in that locker room?
A: I think there was a lack of leadership in the locker room this past season. I am disappointed that nobody emerged to act like a leader. I think some guys tried. I think a lot of guys have that in them. But for whatever reason, it didn’t come out this year.
Q: What do you make of this Osi situation?
A: I don’t make a lot of it. I can remember being in the locker room with Harry Carson where he was going to retire and lead a rescue mission into Iran to rescue the hostages. You can’t place too much emphasis on it. Osi is a competitor, and I expect him to be a big part of this team in the future.
Q: Do you see other guys on the field executing like Eli.
A: Not enough.
Q: When you talk about some guys having it in them to be a leader and you didn’t see it, was Eli in that group?
A: Well, I’m not going to get into criticizing individual players. It is just not the way I want to …..
Q: Do you find it ironic that going into the season receivers were the big question mark and they may have been the best part of the team?
A: They probably were; they probably were. That happens a lot in football, though. You always have to expect the unexpected. What I didn’t expect was – and probably the biggest area of disappointment – was the lack of pressure on the passer. We thought that would be our strong suit coming into the season. For whatever reason we didn’t generate consistent pressure on the quarterback. And I think that hurt us tremendously this year.
Q: Is the lack of a defensive identity tougher for you to swallow because of the history of the franchise or does it not matter?
A: I don’t think it matters what of side of the ball. What disappointed me the most was the just the lack of physical and mental toughness. Even in the game against Carolina, we go down the field – we get the touchdown called back with the penalty. We fumble the ball and it is like we collapsed.
Q: Guys admitted they were demoralized.
A: I just don’t understand that. It is still 0-0. Just stop them, get off the field and go back down and score. There were just too many instances where that occurred this year. And that, to me, comes back to the mental toughness. And maybe a lot of that is confidence, I don’t know. But there was just a lack of that this year.
Q: Regarding the evaluation process – are you waiting for Jerry and Tom to get back to you with their evaluations first or are you going to be a part of it?
A: Tom is obviously going to talk to his coaches. He and Jerry will meet. I will be meeting with them on the procedures. There will be a lot of discussions over the next couple of weeks.
Q: You said the status quo is not acceptable. If Tom came to you and said, “I can turn this around with these guys,” would you be more inclined to let him do what he wants to do?
A: You like to let the head coach made the final decision on those things. But that would be a tough one as well. The status quo, after what we just went through, is just not acceptable.
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Q: How disappointing is this?
A: Probably as disappointed as I have ever been in my life with this team, given the expectations that we had this year, given the roster that I thought we had and given the way we started out and given the embarrassment of the last two games.
Q: When you say ‘disappointed,’ are you disappointed in the effort?
A: Everything. I’m disappointed in everything. I’m unhappy at everybody. It is just not acceptable to perform like that. There are 8-8 seasons and there are 8-8 seasons. This one felt a lot more like 2-14 to me.
Q: A lot of times guys will say they don’t want to react too much to what occurred late in the season. But it sounds like you are in not in that mode right now.
A: Well, I’m less than 24 hours after the end of the season. So I’m sure I’ll cool down at some point and will try to make intelligent decisions going forward. And I’ll sit down with the coach and the general manager. We’ll do what we need to do to improve the team. But, obviously, I’m not very happy right now. They know that.
Q: Did the last two games, particularly, tell you something?
A: We had -- even before the last two games, there were at least four other losses where we were just not competitive. And obviously the last two games were the worst. But when you have that many games where you get blown out, there is something wrong. That means that something has to be done.
Q: You have been around a lot of losing seasons here. For you to say this is the most disappointed you have been in a team, what was it?
A: Given the expectations that we had, given the roster that we thought we had coming into the season and we start out 5-0. And you start thinking about the postseason. We just did not expect it to end this way, particularly the last two weeks.
Q: Was it a lack of fight, a lack of pride, those kinds of things?
A: Lack of mental and physical toughness and, quite frankly, a lack of effort over the last two weeks. That is just something that I never expected to see from this group of players.
Q: What message would you want to tell your fans moving forward?
A: We are going to do what we need to. We are not going to leave any stone unturned.
Q: When you start evaluating, are you going to start evaluating from the top?
A: That is always the way we do it. To answer your question, I’m not pleased with anybody right now.
Q: Both Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese said today that, by in large, even the last two games, they did not think the team did not give effort.
Sounds like you don’t agree with that?
A: Well, let’s just say it was not the effort that I expected.
Q: Did you address players?
A: No, I haven’t.
Q: I know your dad occasionally did that. Did you consider doing that?
A: I really didn’t, no. I just really don’t think it is my place to do that. But looking back, it probably couldn’t have hurt.
Q: It seems like Jerry and Tom only think this team needs some tweeking. You just said something has to be done. It sounds like you are thinking a little more along the lines of something dramatic.
A: Well, I don’t know how you define ‘dramatic.’ Obviously our roster isn’t as good as we thought it was. So we need to take a look at that. We are going to have to discuss everything at this point. I don’t think we can take anything for granted after the way this season ended.
Q: Any changes to the coaching staff?
A: The status quo is not acceptable on any level. I’m not going to get into specific positions or anything like that. But we need to do something, and I will be expecting them to give me their recommendations on what we need to do. And ultimately we will approve it or not approve it.
Q: Are Jerry and Tom safe?
A: Yes…There will be no change to the head coach or general manager, if that is what you are asking.
Q: Do you want to kind of settle down a little bit and not let emotion drive you here?
A: Well, that is always what you try to do.
Q: How long are you talking, a couple of days?
A: I have no idea. It is going to be awhile. I don’t know that I will ever get over the last two weeks.
Q: But you need to get to the point where you can start making logical decisions?
A: Yes.
Q: You have no timeframe for that?
A: No, there is no specific time.
Q: In Jim Fassel’s last year – after that year you characterized the team a certain way – I forget the exact words.
A: Franchise in trouble.
Q: Franchise in trouble. Is this a ‘franchise in trouble?’
A: I don’t know that I would put it the same way here. I think we have a pretty good nucleus of players and a pretty solid organization, notwithstanding our performance over the second half of the season, so I don’t think I would be quite that dramatic. I think I probably made that statement within that 24-hour period.
Q: We were very interested in the talks you had with Tom after the ’06 season and what kind of changes he made. Do you think – do you anticipate that maybe again – speaking with him along those lines again?
A: I’ll certainly be sitting down. I only spoke to him briefly this morning. But I’m not going to tell him how to coach the team. He has been doing this a long time and he knows how to do that better than I do. But I am anxious to hear from both he and Jerry about what we are going to do to fix this. We spent a lot of money this past offseason in free agency. We didn’t get quite the results that we anticipated. Obviously we were not as good as we thought we were.
Q: Is that why it hurts so much? Were you kind of blindsided by what happened here?
A: Listen, when you perform the way we performed over the second half of the season, it hurts, period, regardless of what you have done prior. I have been around a long time. I thought I had seen everything. But I certainly didn’t see this coming. And I certainly didn’t see the last two weeks coming.
Q: The fact that the closing of the stadium was one of those weeks, was that especially tough for you to take?
A: No question; no question. That is not the way we wanted to go out in that building. I felt that loss probably more deeply than any other, particularly the way we were so non-competitive in that game.
Q: How much stock- if much at all – do you put in former players like Harry Carson or Carl Banks on the radio really questioning heart, character, that kind of thing?
A: Well, I have my own eyes and ears. I go to practice. I’m at the games. So I can see for myself.
Q: When you talk about ‘lack of physicality’ did you notice this all season? Did you see this coming on?
A: I think more toward the second half of the season. I just think that --- we always used to pride ourselves on being a tough team both physically and mentally. And I didn’t see any evidence of that over the second half of the season.
Q: Do you have any theories on why?
A: I don’t know why. I know we had some injuries, but I don’t think we had catastrophic injuries. There is no excuse for performing the way we performed over basically the last 11 weeks.
Q: This could be a very unique offseason with the CBA and everything. There could be an opportunity for a team to kind of break the bank if they really wanted to. What is your sense of what it is going to be moving forward and how much of a bank do you want to break?
A: Well, I think it has been proven that that doesn’t work. If there are players that we are interested in, we are going to go after them. But how many times do we have to see evidence of the fact that spending a lot of money on free agency doesn’t necessarily improve your team. It is a lot of times about chemistry and having the right nucleus and having leadership in the locker room. We are going to look at the free agency market and we will make decisions if we think we can improve the team.
Q: This could also be an opportunity for a team to unload some of the contracts without cap repercussions.
A: Well, that is true. But again we are not going to do anything that is going to hurt the product on the field. If we think a guy can be a contributor, we are going to keep him.
Q: Coach Coughlin’s contract – he has two more years on the contact. Is that enough time for him to rebuild what you had here?
A: Well, I don’t know. Two years is a lifetime. I’m worried about next season right now and I am still trying to recover from this one.
Q: Do you question the leadership in that locker room?
A: I think there was a lack of leadership in the locker room this past season. I am disappointed that nobody emerged to act like a leader. I think some guys tried. I think a lot of guys have that in them. But for whatever reason, it didn’t come out this year.
Q: What do you make of this Osi situation?
A: I don’t make a lot of it. I can remember being in the locker room with Harry Carson where he was going to retire and lead a rescue mission into Iran to rescue the hostages. You can’t place too much emphasis on it. Osi is a competitor, and I expect him to be a big part of this team in the future.
Q: Do you see other guys on the field executing like Eli.
A: Not enough.
Q: When you talk about some guys having it in them to be a leader and you didn’t see it, was Eli in that group?
A: Well, I’m not going to get into criticizing individual players. It is just not the way I want to …..
Q: Do you find it ironic that going into the season receivers were the big question mark and they may have been the best part of the team?
A: They probably were; they probably were. That happens a lot in football, though. You always have to expect the unexpected. What I didn’t expect was – and probably the biggest area of disappointment – was the lack of pressure on the passer. We thought that would be our strong suit coming into the season. For whatever reason we didn’t generate consistent pressure on the quarterback. And I think that hurt us tremendously this year.
Q: Is the lack of a defensive identity tougher for you to swallow because of the history of the franchise or does it not matter?
A: I don’t think it matters what of side of the ball. What disappointed me the most was the just the lack of physical and mental toughness. Even in the game against Carolina, we go down the field – we get the touchdown called back with the penalty. We fumble the ball and it is like we collapsed.
Q: Guys admitted they were demoralized.
A: I just don’t understand that. It is still 0-0. Just stop them, get off the field and go back down and score. There were just too many instances where that occurred this year. And that, to me, comes back to the mental toughness. And maybe a lot of that is confidence, I don’t know. But there was just a lack of that this year.
Q: Regarding the evaluation process – are you waiting for Jerry and Tom to get back to you with their evaluations first or are you going to be a part of it?
A: Tom is obviously going to talk to his coaches. He and Jerry will meet. I will be meeting with them on the procedures. There will be a lot of discussions over the next couple of weeks.
Q: You said the status quo is not acceptable. If Tom came to you and said, “I can turn this around with these guys,” would you be more inclined to let him do what he wants to do?
A: You like to let the head coach made the final decision on those things. But that would be a tough one as well. The status quo, after what we just went through, is just not acceptable.
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Tweaking
General manager Jerry Reese's assessment of the happenings of 2009 did not include a demolition plan for the offseason. Instead, he said a lot of tweaking would do the trick.
"Well, there is work to do," Reese said. "But I don’t think you need to blow the whole thing up. I still think we have a good nucleus of players here. There are some things that we have to address. The evaluation process is starting. We will do that.
"We look forward, like I said, to taking all the positive things that we can. The negative things, we will try to correct those things. But I don’t think we need to blow this team up."
Whatever changes happen on the free agent front, Reese said they would not be affected by an uncapped season. In other words, they'll work under a strict, self-imposed budget in lieu of a cap. So don't expect a wild spending spree.
"I don’t think that is going to affect us," Reese said. "If there is no salary cap, we have a fiscal responsibility. We will do what we can do to make the team better, but we’ll have some parameters.
"I think we can do whatever we need to do in the offseason. Again, our owners are great. They give us all the resources we need to go out and try to make this team better. I don’t expect things to be any different this time."
Of course, an uncapped year will bring a rise in the minimum experience needed to qualify for free agency, from four to six years. That could dilute the talent pool by as many as 200 players.
But Reese said he'll navigate through that with due diligence.
"A lot of things can happen," he said. "Some of these guys will get what we call non-qualifying offers. Those guys will come into play. Probably more trades this offseason than you have seen in the past. That kind of stuff will probably come into play. But the market itself will be thin. It will be thin with older guys."
One thing Reese said will remain constant is the place of Osi Umenyiora on the team. The defensive end was none too happy about losing his starting job to become a situational pass rusher. But Reese, echoing Tom Coughlin's sentiments of last week, said he has no plans on sending the former Pro Bowler anywhere.
"He is still a big part of what we are trying to do here," Reese said. "When you are in the middle of the season and things are not going well, you have to do whatever you have to do. The coach tried to do some things to shake up the defense and shake up the team. Osi was a pro and went right in there and played his role. But Osi is a major part of what we are trying to do moving forward. We expect him to be a strong contributor as the years come."
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"Well, there is work to do," Reese said. "But I don’t think you need to blow the whole thing up. I still think we have a good nucleus of players here. There are some things that we have to address. The evaluation process is starting. We will do that.
"We look forward, like I said, to taking all the positive things that we can. The negative things, we will try to correct those things. But I don’t think we need to blow this team up."
Whatever changes happen on the free agent front, Reese said they would not be affected by an uncapped season. In other words, they'll work under a strict, self-imposed budget in lieu of a cap. So don't expect a wild spending spree.
"I don’t think that is going to affect us," Reese said. "If there is no salary cap, we have a fiscal responsibility. We will do what we can do to make the team better, but we’ll have some parameters.
"I think we can do whatever we need to do in the offseason. Again, our owners are great. They give us all the resources we need to go out and try to make this team better. I don’t expect things to be any different this time."
Of course, an uncapped year will bring a rise in the minimum experience needed to qualify for free agency, from four to six years. That could dilute the talent pool by as many as 200 players.
But Reese said he'll navigate through that with due diligence.
"A lot of things can happen," he said. "Some of these guys will get what we call non-qualifying offers. Those guys will come into play. Probably more trades this offseason than you have seen in the past. That kind of stuff will probably come into play. But the market itself will be thin. It will be thin with older guys."
One thing Reese said will remain constant is the place of Osi Umenyiora on the team. The defensive end was none too happy about losing his starting job to become a situational pass rusher. But Reese, echoing Tom Coughlin's sentiments of last week, said he has no plans on sending the former Pro Bowler anywhere.
"He is still a big part of what we are trying to do here," Reese said. "When you are in the middle of the season and things are not going well, you have to do whatever you have to do. The coach tried to do some things to shake up the defense and shake up the team. Osi was a pro and went right in there and played his role. But Osi is a major part of what we are trying to do moving forward. We expect him to be a strong contributor as the years come."
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Mara's Not Happy
Thanks to my guy Ralph V., here's a story on Giants co-owner John Mara and his displeasure about, well, everybody on this 8-8 season "that seemed more like 2-14" to him.
You'll note that Mara said Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese would both be back next year. But the same can't be said for defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, who Mara did not call out by name but certainly inferred when he said there would be changes.
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You'll note that Mara said Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese would both be back next year. But the same can't be said for defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, who Mara did not call out by name but certainly inferred when he said there would be changes.
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The Schedule
Here's the Giants' schedule for next season, 14 games of which were predetermined by the NFL's scheduling formula. Their other two games will come against Carolina (home) and Seattle (away) by virtue of their third-place finish in their respective divisions.
HOME:
Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit, Carolina, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Chicago.
AWAY:
Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Minnesota, Houston, Indianapolis, and Seattle.
The exact dates and times will be announced at some point after the draft.
And speaking of the draft, the Giants will pick in the No. 15 spot. They should be able to get a pretty good player there. Maybe a middle linebacker?
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HOME:
Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit, Carolina, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Chicago.
AWAY:
Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Minnesota, Houston, Indianapolis, and Seattle.
The exact dates and times will be announced at some point after the draft.
And speaking of the draft, the Giants will pick in the No. 15 spot. They should be able to get a pretty good player there. Maybe a middle linebacker?
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Getting Back The Swagger
If Steve Smith and Eli Manning had one thing in common as they set off for parts unknown, it was that the Giants need an adjusted attitude if they're to rebound from this hugely disappointing 8-8 season.
"We’ve just got to realize that’s not us," Manning said, referring specifically to the final two games in which they were outscored 85-16. "That can’t be us. We can’t let ourselves think that is the way we play football.
"We know we can perform better. You’ve got to forget about it and erase that from your memory. This whole season, there are a lot of things we can learn and a lot of things we need to improve on. We have to do those things so you don’t forget about those things where you need to make improvement. We also made strides in some areas and you’ve got to think about some of the good things we did. We just have to have a great offseason.
"When it comes to March, April, start on the basics with these guys and make sure by the time spring hits we are kind of back where we need to be and we are making strides to get forward and not just getting back to where we were this year."
That means getting the old confidence of the previous two seasons back. Real confidence. Not the kind the Giants showed during the practice week, when nearly each and every man had an uncanny knack for saying the right thing, only to do the completely wrong thing on Sunday.
A lot of that lies on the defensive side of the ball, but some of that shifted over to the offense, too. Remember, Manning did have his low moments in this, his statistically best, season, as did the running backs and offensive line. You can throw playcaller Kevin Gilbride in there, too.
To Smith, the Giants' first 100-catch receiver, part of the necessary changes involves the realization that they're only as good as the scoreboard says.
"I think we just went out there and didn’t play tough enough,” Smith said. "We just weren’t motivated some games, it seemed like. We had great weeks of practice, but didn’t show it on game day. We need an attitude adjustment.
"Maybe we got too high on ourselves and guys thought we were better than we were. In this league you’ve got to come ready to play each week. We’re embarrassed and we don’t want to feel that feeling anymore."
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"We’ve just got to realize that’s not us," Manning said, referring specifically to the final two games in which they were outscored 85-16. "That can’t be us. We can’t let ourselves think that is the way we play football.
"We know we can perform better. You’ve got to forget about it and erase that from your memory. This whole season, there are a lot of things we can learn and a lot of things we need to improve on. We have to do those things so you don’t forget about those things where you need to make improvement. We also made strides in some areas and you’ve got to think about some of the good things we did. We just have to have a great offseason.
"When it comes to March, April, start on the basics with these guys and make sure by the time spring hits we are kind of back where we need to be and we are making strides to get forward and not just getting back to where we were this year."
That means getting the old confidence of the previous two seasons back. Real confidence. Not the kind the Giants showed during the practice week, when nearly each and every man had an uncanny knack for saying the right thing, only to do the completely wrong thing on Sunday.
A lot of that lies on the defensive side of the ball, but some of that shifted over to the offense, too. Remember, Manning did have his low moments in this, his statistically best, season, as did the running backs and offensive line. You can throw playcaller Kevin Gilbride in there, too.
To Smith, the Giants' first 100-catch receiver, part of the necessary changes involves the realization that they're only as good as the scoreboard says.
"I think we just went out there and didn’t play tough enough,” Smith said. "We just weren’t motivated some games, it seemed like. We had great weeks of practice, but didn’t show it on game day. We need an attitude adjustment.
"Maybe we got too high on ourselves and guys thought we were better than we were. In this league you’ve got to come ready to play each week. We’re embarrassed and we don’t want to feel that feeling anymore."
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On Sheridan
There's a better than even shot that defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan will be gone within the next week or so, perhaps in just a few days. The Giants tend to give things like this time to let the emotions of the se
ason settle and then make their moves.
ason settle and then make their moves.But the words of Justin Tuck at "Baggie Day" today, when the players meet for the last time before scattering until the offseason weight and conditioning program begins, might herald the end of the rookie defensive coordinator.
"Change is always tough," Tuck said. "I don’t want to get into anything about he said, she said, as far as what is going to happen with our coordinator. If they do decide to make a change or whatever it may be, that would be difficult because obviously it is another person to get used to, maybe, possibly another scheme. It’s part of the NFL, we understand that if not the biggest, one of the biggest businesses in the world.
"Obviously, everybody is held to a higher standard, especially here. We expect to be in the running for a championship every year. When that doesn’t happen, you’ve got to look at yourself and look at the people around you. I am speaking as far as staff. You make a decision for whatever it may be, we will deal with it when the time comes."
That may not be far off. Even Tom Coughlin was reticent about commiting to Sheridan, as he had last week. When asked again whether Sheridan was his defensive coordinator, he responded, "Everything is under review." But according to Coughlin, the decision to launch, keep, or demote Sheridan will lie with him and not with general manager Jerry Reese.
Meanwhile, Tuck was left embarrassed by the year's defensive showing, an effort that included five games of 40 or more points, the second-highest points allowance of 427 points since the franchise record 501 in 1966, and the final two no-shows.
"I know defensively this was probably one of the worst feelings I have had in my five years now of being part of this defense," Tuck said. "You look up in this facility of all the names that flow above us and see all the great defensive players and know the great defenses that they have been a part of. We all strive to be like that and we all want to leave a legacy here that says I was part of that 2010 defense that carried this football team to a world championship.
"If I was going to transfer anything from those teams, it would just be how we approach playing defense. I didn’t see the swagger that we had from previous years this year especially after the New Orleans loss. The first five games I think we played pretty good on defense but after those first five, I don’t know if we started feeling ourselves more than we should have or if we thought we were better than what we were. But we didn’t play that quality of defense that we have come accustomed to."
Of course, a player's perception of what went wrong could be totally different than reality. For instance, Tuck said he didn't see anyone quitting the last two games. One gets the idea that perhaps the doctors have already started him on the anethesia he'll get later this week for the operation on his torn left labrum.
"You try to reflect back and look and see where things might have gone wrong or if I had done this or if we would have done this or this decision cost us or whatever it might be. The fact of the matter is we just didn’t get the job done the last 11weeks and like I said we have the whole offseason to look back and reflect back and think about what we could have done differently.
"It’s funny, I listen to a lot of people and listen to a lot of things people say. A couple days ago somebody told me sometimes you have to fall all the way down or go all the way back to start going forward. I use the analogy of shooting a bow and arrow. If you ever pull a bow back and pull it halfway, the arrow doesn’t go as far as it can. If you pull it all the way back, that arrow flies for days if you shoot it the right way.
"I am encouraged with that fact that I don’t think anybody quit, I don’t think anybody is not embarrassed about it. If you weren’t embarrassed about how we played, that is when I worry about you and think people don’t care. I talked to some guys, talked to some coaches and guys are really embarrassed about it and I am actually glad they are because you should be."
Change is coming. It's just a matter of when.
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Another Reason For Coughlin
This is probably the least of the reasons why I believe Tom Coughlin will, and should, stay as the Giants' head coach. But it's a reason few have really pointed out, and it's worth mentioning.
There is a potential lockout coming in 2011.
In addition to the equity the 63-year-old Coughlin gained through winning a Super Bowl and then going 12-4 the following season, it would make little financial sense to bring in a new coach now. Coughlin still has two years remaining on his contract. The new guy would probably get a four-year deal, which would mean starting over in 2010 with a new system and new philosophy, only to be interrupted for a year -- perhaps more -- in the event of a lockout. Remember, you'd still have to pay that coach, and it would probably cost the team more than the $5.2 million it would have to pay Coughlin in the idle season to bring in a name coach.
Quite simply, it's more economical to allow Coughlin to work in 2010, pay him in 2011, and then send the then-65-year-old coach into retirement. Of course, a return to winning and the playoffs could give the Giants many more options than that.
As I said, the economics are the least of the reasons. But they do exist as legitimate ones, and the Giants are cost-conscious. Unlike that owner in Washington, who undoubtedly will spend money wildly this offseason to little avail, even if he does get Mike Shanahan to pilot his ship.
EP
There is a potential lockout coming in 2011.
In addition to the equity the 63-year-old Coughlin gained through winning a Super Bowl and then going 12-4 the following season, it would make little financial sense to bring in a new coach now. Coughlin still has two years remaining on his contract. The new guy would probably get a four-year deal, which would mean starting over in 2010 with a new system and new philosophy, only to be interrupted for a year -- perhaps more -- in the event of a lockout. Remember, you'd still have to pay that coach, and it would probably cost the team more than the $5.2 million it would have to pay Coughlin in the idle season to bring in a name coach.
Quite simply, it's more economical to allow Coughlin to work in 2010, pay him in 2011, and then send the then-65-year-old coach into retirement. Of course, a return to winning and the playoffs could give the Giants many more options than that.
As I said, the economics are the least of the reasons. But they do exist as legitimate ones, and the Giants are cost-conscious. Unlike that owner in Washington, who undoubtedly will spend money wildly this offseason to little avail, even if he does get Mike Shanahan to pilot his ship.
EP
NEW POLL!!!!!
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
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
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Game 16 Summary
As I said in a previous post, if you were smart you were doing something else besides watching the Giants' second straight catastrophe, a 44-7 trouncing by the playoff-bound Vikings that was really 44-0 until nearly halfway through the fourth quarter.
At least we can say they didn't quit at 3-0, as they did last week against Carolina. This time, they waited all the way to 17-0 before saying "the heck with it, let's go fishing." Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes and did just about what he pleased against a defense that had no interest in stopping anybody.
Call these last two games the end of Giants pride or whatever, but one has to wonder how deep the offseason surgery will go now. We do know one thing, however. Justin Tuck, who played all season with a torn labrum courtesy of a trip by Flozell Adams in Week 2, will have that left shoulder operated on in the next couple of weeks. He'll be in a sling for about a month, and then he'll do two to three months of rehab and should be near full speed for the start of training camp.
And now, another sad recap. For those brave enough, here's the complete boxscore.
BIG PLAYS:
Percy Harvin's 22-yard run to the Giants' 9 set up tight end Visanthe Shiancoe's nine-yard, walk-in touchdown catch that ended an opening possession on which the Vikings moved 60 yards almost effortlessly.
With the score 24-0 in the second quarter, Eli Manning's throw to Kevin Boss was tipped in the air by Boss and intercepted by linebacker Chad Greenway at the Giants' 40. Fullback Naufahu Tahi converted a fourth-and-1 for a first down at the 29, and that led to Sidney Rice's acrobatic catch over the back of Terrell Thomas for a 12-yard touchdown toss and a 31-0 halftime lead.
THE VETS:
Eli Manning's 141 yards passing put him just over the 4,000 mark for the first time in his career.
Steve Smith became the first Giant to record 100 catches in a season on his third grab, a six-yarder, in the first quarter.
Aaron Rouse was utterly lost at safety on Visanthe Shiancoe's second-quarter touchdown pass, and was beaten again along with D.J. Johnson on Sidney Rice's four-yard touchdown catch that made it 24-0.
Terrell Thomas was in great position to intercept Brett Favre's 12-yard end zone pass to Rice, but he failed to make a play as Rice went over the corner's back for the touchdown that made it 31-0 at half.
THE KIDS:
Nothing to speak of here except for Will Beatty, who didn't look horrible and actually threw a great block after coming across the field as Manning found Travis Beckum for a first-down pass in the second quarter.
THE UGLY STUFF:
They may not have quit quite as early as last week, but they still quit. Have to wonder what Tom Coughlin is thinking now after failing to keep his player's minds two weeks in a row. Also have to wonder what ownership and general manager Jerry Reese think of it.
The defense allowed 40 points for the second straight week and fifth time this season, and finished with the second-worst points total -- 427 -- in franchise history. It's the first time they've given up 40 points in consecutive games since 1971, and the first time they've had five games of 40 points since 1966.
THE BUMPS:
Tuck (labrum), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles and foot), FB Madison Hedgecock (labrum), and RB Brandon Jacobs (meniscus) will all have surgery within the next week.
Hakeem Nicks left the locker room with a wrap around his right wrist and will be undergoing a cleanup procedure soon.
Kevin Dockery suffered a burner in the first half, and Bruce Johnson was tested for a concussion in the first half.
EP
At least we can say they didn't quit at 3-0, as they did last week against Carolina. This time, they waited all the way to 17-0 before saying "the heck with it, let's go fishing." Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes and did just about what he pleased against a defense that had no interest in stopping anybody.
Call these last two games the end of Giants pride or whatever, but one has to wonder how deep the offseason surgery will go now. We do know one thing, however. Justin Tuck, who played all season with a torn labrum courtesy of a trip by Flozell Adams in Week 2, will have that left shoulder operated on in the next couple of weeks. He'll be in a sling for about a month, and then he'll do two to three months of rehab and should be near full speed for the start of training camp.
And now, another sad recap. For those brave enough, here's the complete boxscore.
BIG PLAYS:
Percy Harvin's 22-yard run to the Giants' 9 set up tight end Visanthe Shiancoe's nine-yard, walk-in touchdown catch that ended an opening possession on which the Vikings moved 60 yards almost effortlessly.
With the score 24-0 in the second quarter, Eli Manning's throw to Kevin Boss was tipped in the air by Boss and intercepted by linebacker Chad Greenway at the Giants' 40. Fullback Naufahu Tahi converted a fourth-and-1 for a first down at the 29, and that led to Sidney Rice's acrobatic catch over the back of Terrell Thomas for a 12-yard touchdown toss and a 31-0 halftime lead.
THE VETS:
Eli Manning's 141 yards passing put him just over the 4,000 mark for the first time in his career.
Steve Smith became the first Giant to record 100 catches in a season on his third grab, a six-yarder, in the first quarter.
Aaron Rouse was utterly lost at safety on Visanthe Shiancoe's second-quarter touchdown pass, and was beaten again along with D.J. Johnson on Sidney Rice's four-yard touchdown catch that made it 24-0.
Terrell Thomas was in great position to intercept Brett Favre's 12-yard end zone pass to Rice, but he failed to make a play as Rice went over the corner's back for the touchdown that made it 31-0 at half.
THE KIDS:
Nothing to speak of here except for Will Beatty, who didn't look horrible and actually threw a great block after coming across the field as Manning found Travis Beckum for a first-down pass in the second quarter.
THE UGLY STUFF:
They may not have quit quite as early as last week, but they still quit. Have to wonder what Tom Coughlin is thinking now after failing to keep his player's minds two weeks in a row. Also have to wonder what ownership and general manager Jerry Reese think of it.
The defense allowed 40 points for the second straight week and fifth time this season, and finished with the second-worst points total -- 427 -- in franchise history. It's the first time they've given up 40 points in consecutive games since 1971, and the first time they've had five games of 40 points since 1966.
THE BUMPS:
Tuck (labrum), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles and foot), FB Madison Hedgecock (labrum), and RB Brandon Jacobs (meniscus) will all have surgery within the next week.
Hakeem Nicks left the locker room with a wrap around his right wrist and will be undergoing a cleanup procedure soon.
Kevin Dockery suffered a burner in the first half, and Bruce Johnson was tested for a concussion in the first half.
EP
Inactives
Here are today's inactives. And while you're at it, you might want to peruse my friend Patti Triana's list of Ins and Outs at Inside Football. All of us have had them -- here's the one I did Tuesday. But she also gives a nice little rundown of the ramifications of an uncapped year, something we'll be delving into here at some point this week.
And so, the inactives.
GIANTS
QB Rhett Bomar
CB Corey Webster
S Sha'reff Rashad
T Kareem McKenzie
G Rich Seubert
WR Mario Manningham
TE Scott Chandler
DT Chris Canty
That means Ramses Barden, the third-round wide receiver who spent the entire year on the inactive list, will get his first chance today. Also, fifth-round quarterback Rhett Bomar is dressed as the emergency quarterback, marking the first time the Giants will have three quarterbacks in uniform since 2007. Also, with Seubert and McKenzie out, Kevin Boothe and Will Beatty will start. This will be the fourth start for Beatty, the second for Boothe.
VIKINGS
QB Sage Rosenfels
WR Jaymar Johnson
CB Karl Paymah
TE Garrett Mills
LB J Leman
C Jon Cooper
DT Jimmy Kennedy
DE Jayme Mitchell
EP
And so, the inactives.
GIANTS
QB Rhett Bomar
CB Corey Webster
S Sha'reff Rashad
T Kareem McKenzie
G Rich Seubert
WR Mario Manningham
TE Scott Chandler
DT Chris Canty
That means Ramses Barden, the third-round wide receiver who spent the entire year on the inactive list, will get his first chance today. Also, fifth-round quarterback Rhett Bomar is dressed as the emergency quarterback, marking the first time the Giants will have three quarterbacks in uniform since 2007. Also, with Seubert and McKenzie out, Kevin Boothe and Will Beatty will start. This will be the fourth start for Beatty, the second for Boothe.
VIKINGS
QB Sage Rosenfels
WR Jaymar Johnson
CB Karl Paymah
TE Garrett Mills
LB J Leman
C Jon Cooper
DT Jimmy Kennedy
DE Jayme Mitchell
EP
How Today Will Go
Okay, gang. Here's the rundown. We're going to put up the inactives in a few minutes, but after that there will be a long gap until I get the game summary together. No live blog today, as I have several things to attend to. I get the feeling that most of you guys will be out shopping, anyway, as opposed to being huddled around the old tube to watch a meaningless game.
At any rate, I'll be taping the game and watching the whole thing, so the summary will be as complete as any come tonight.
The usual highlights package will come tomorrow, but Tuesday's report card will be of a total season's nature because, let's face it, nothing that happens today will change any overall grade.
EP
At any rate, I'll be taping the game and watching the whole thing, so the summary will be as complete as any come tonight.
The usual highlights package will come tomorrow, but Tuesday's report card will be of a total season's nature because, let's face it, nothing that happens today will change any overall grade.
EP
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Game 16 Scouting Report
GIANTS (8-7) vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (11-4)
THE TEAMS: Tom Coughlin talked a lot about regaining pride and respect after last week's quit-job against the Panthers. With nothing to play for except that, it's questionable how much even a victory can restore. Coughlin dismissed the notion of allowing Eli Manning to get an early start on rehabbing his troublesome right foot, repeating his stated goal to win every game possible. The Vikings are a team in turmoil, with Brett Favre arguing with head coach Brad Childress and a once-potent offense floundering the last four games. They have lost three of their last four, averaging 21 points per game in the process, as opposed to their 10-1 start during which the offense averaged 31.1 points per game. The Vikings have plenty to play for even though Monday's loss to the Bears cost them a shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They're still looking for the second-seed bye, which means they'll play this one as if their season depended on it.
THE HISTORY: The Giants trail the regular-season series 12-8, including last season's 20-19 loss when the Giants went out there in the finale. Including the 2000 NFC Championship game, they have played in nine of the last 10 seasons, with the Vikings winning six of those.
THE INJURIES: Giants -- T Kareem McKenzie (knee), CB Corey Webster (knee), and DT Chris Canty (knee) are out. RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankles and foot), WR Mario Manningham (shoulder), G Rich Seubert (knee), DE Justin Tuck (knee) are questionable. QB Eli Manning (foot), WR Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) and DT Fred Robbins (lower leg) are probable.
Vikings -- DT Jimmy Kennedy (thumb) is doubtful. TE Visanthe Shiancoe (thigh) and DT Pat Williams (elbow) are questionable. S Eric Frampton (ankle), G Steve Hutchinson (shoulder), C John Sullivan (knee), and CB Antoine Winfield (foot) are probable.
Vikings -- DT Jimmy Kennedy (thumb) is doubtful. TE Visanthe Shiancoe (thigh) and DT Pat Williams (elbow) are questionable. S Eric Frampton (ankle), G Steve Hutchinson (shoulder), C John Sullivan (knee), and CB Antoine Winfield (foot) are probable.
WATCH THIS: If you can't play for the playoffs, then play for stats. That's kind of what this game is all about, because Eli Manning, Steve Smith, and Hakeem Nicks have milestones in their sights. "Yeah they mean something," Manning said. "I want to make sure to get Steve his 100 catches. I take pride in having my receivers get that. I know Hakeem Nicks needs four to get 50 catches. That is something that is good for a rookie to get 50 catches in a season. In the long run that is not the most important thing, that’s not why you play the games, but still in this circumstance you try to get those things for your guys."
Smith, of course, has 97 catches and has already set the franchise record for single-season receptions by a lot. And Nicks, a big-play factor since he returned from an early-season injury, has 47 catches to rank him third among NFC rookie receivers. And Manning is just 120 yards away from his first 4,000-yard passing season. "I guess it is something," Manning said. "It’s not something that I was worried about or trying to get or wasn’t a goal at the beginning of the season. I guess it is something nice to know that you have done. To get 4,000 in a season is not easy and has been a big jump for me from last year and previous years. I guess it will be something nice to have."
Manning will have to engineer the capture of these numbers against a defense that has compiled 22 takeaways, fifth-highest in the league. And they've converted those into 92 points, eighth-most in the league.
The Vikings are also good against the run, not good news for a struggling running game playing without Brandon Jacobs. Ahmad Bradshaw won't be able to handle a full workload with his injuries, so expect to see Gartrell Johnson take a good number of carries. But it will be tough sledding against a run defense that has alloowed just three 100-yard individual rushing performances in the last 63 games. They had gone 36 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher before Jonathan Stewart (of 206-yard fame against the Giants last week) hit them for 109 on Dec. 20.
The defense also ranks sixth in touchdown efficiency in the Red Zone, allowing just 17 in 39 penetrations. They're total Red Zone allowance of 167 points ranks seventh in the league.
The offensive line, featuring the Giants' only Pro Bowler in center Shaun O'Hara, will have to keep careful watch on defensive end Jared Allen, the NFL's second-leading sacker with 13 1/2. He's been a monster all year. Along with LBs E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway, who had a three-takeaway game Sept. 20 against Detroit, the threesome has been nearly impervious against the run.
CBs Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin lead a secondary that has just one interception in the last four games, and just 10 on the season. But the overwhelming pass rush has helped them immeasurably.
A Giants defense that hit its lowest point of a lowly season last week will be looking to rebound against the dynamic Brett Favre. Though he's strugged the past four games, Favre has had an outstanding season with 29 touchdown passes against just seven interceptions. Four of those have come in the last four games, however. Still, he must be regarded as warily as ever, and Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora will have to exert pressure from the edges to keep the still-mobile 40-year-old in the pocket. Pass pressure has been a problem all season, however. Give Favre time, and he'll undoubtedly find Sidney Rice (77 catches for 1,200 yards and six TDs), Percy Harvin (53 catches, 731 yards, six catches) and former Giants TE Visanthe Shiancoe (49-472-10) for some major damage.
An even bigger concern in light of last week's 247-yard rushing performance by the Panthers is Adrian Peterson. He may be fumble prone, having lost six of seven this year, but he can eat up huge chunks of yardage, too. He already has 1,329 yards and 17 touchdowns on 305 carries, a 4.4-yard per carry average. And he catches the ball out of the backfield, too, as his 42 receptions for 435 yards indicates. DT Fred Robbins has been a liability against the run up the middle, and Mathias Kiwanuka and Tuck have only been mediocre on the outside. Despite their up-tick against the run right after Kiwanuka was given the starting job over Umenyiora following the Denver game, the Giants reversion to their old form and the fact that they haven't faced a running back with the power, speed, and production of Peterson does not bode well for them.
The rookie Harvin is also one of the league's top kickoff returnmen, with a 27.5-yard average and two touchdowns, one of which went for 101 yards. Domenik Hixon had a solid season, but didn't put up anywhere near the numbers Harvin did. Ryan Longwell has missed just one field goal this year inside of 40 yards. Neither Longwell nor the Giants' Lawrence Tynes get their kickoffs to the goal line with any great consistency, so both teams will have chances to return for good field position.
PREDICTION: They'll play better than last week. But that's not saying much. Quitting on a game means hitting rock bottom, and the Giants are there. Obviously, coming up from there doesn't necessarily translate into victory. The Vikings have a lot to play for here, and there won't be any letup from their end. The Giants will try, but things could get ugly quickly. Vikings 28-14.
EP
Friday, January 1, 2010
Giants Are Out, But Ed's Still Here
Happy New Year, gang! Sorry this is a bit late, but was up all night at the blog's New Year's Eve party making merry. Special guest Eli Manning was a real hoot, but had to get tough with Justin Tuck when he tried to scarf up all the hors d'oevres. Other than that, our 16-piece band -- The Giant Blog -- was in outstanding form.
Anyway, at least we're up in time to present this final Q&A swap of the season with Ed Valentine, or the first of 2010, whichever way you want to look at it. The Giants may be getting ready for a long winter's nap, but Ed and I never sleep. Unless it's New Year's Day, however.
Don't forget to peruse my answers to the same four questions at Ed's Big Blue View .
Here's Ed:
1. Given the state of the defense this year, what would you do with coordinator Bill Sheridan after Sunday?
"Run him out of town as fast, and as far, as possible. He can join the great 'Failed Coordinator Society' along with Tim Lewis and John Hufnagel. I'd have Jeff Feagles boot him out, but I don't think Feagles has the leg strength left to do anything but push him gently toward the door. Not everything that happened this season with the defense was Sheridan's fault. There were a lot of players just plain getting manhandled or not making plays when they were in position to do so. But, he has to take the fall. This defense was historically bad by Giants standards, and a lot of that blame falls on him. The communication issues, the blown assignments are on him. So is the lack of emotion you saw so often, which really tells me the players don't believe in him no matter what they say to the media. Bye, bye Bill. Have fun coaching linebackers for Spags in St. Louis."
2. Osi Umenyiora said after last week's game that this could be his final game as a Giant. Do you agree?
"The emotional side of me was ready to say "take a hike, Osi" after Sunday's game. Today, I'm not so sure. I don't think the bridge is burned here, and you can argue this one both ways. I do think Jerry Reese will listen if teams call about Umenyiora, but I have doubts that anyone will offer more than maybe a 5th-rounder for him. After the way he played this year, why would they? He was flat-out awful, and the fact that he leads the Giants in sacks is an indictment of everyone else around him rather than being a credit to Osi. Whether he is a Giant or not, Osi needs to take a looooong look in the mirror this off-season. And at the film. Truth is, he has not been a great player since 2005. Yet, he wants to talk and act like a guy who thinks he's among the top 5 DE's in the league. Sorry, he's the third-best DE on his own team. If he isn't willing to accept a pass-rush specialist role with limited snaps then the Giants have to take whatever they can get and move on."
3. Does this team need a major overhaul, or is it enough just to tweak certain areas?
"Well, it needs a lot. A lot more than I think any of us realized, even a few weeks ago. Defensively, it needs new defensive tackles, help at linebacker, new blood at safety (and I don't mean just a healthy Kenny Phillips. Special teams coach Tom Quinn should join Sheridan on the unemployment line. He has been been ST coach for three years, and the Giants coverage units have been awful the entire time. Jeff Feagles is done. Not sure about Lawrence Tynes, but they need to bring in real competition for him. Offensively, the big decision is running back. Was this an off year for Brandon Jacobs, or has he begun his inevitable decline? Will Beatty needs to start next season, and I would like to see an early pick spent on another young lineman."
4. We now here that Brandon Jacobs has been bothered by a knee injury for much of the season. Do you buy that as an excuse for his sub-par performance this year?
"Excuse? No, not an excuse. Maybe as a partial explanation. He has not looked like the Jacobs we all came to love, and maybe the explosiveness just hasn't been there. The question is, will he ever be what he was? Will he still be Jacobs, or has he already begun to transition into Eddie George at the end of his career? He has always been susceptible to injuries, and now that the knee problems we have been waiting for with his running style have started you have to wonder some about his future."
The floor is open.
EP
Anyway, at least we're up in time to present this final Q&A swap of the season with Ed Valentine, or the first of 2010, whichever way you want to look at it. The Giants may be getting ready for a long winter's nap, but Ed and I never sleep. Unless it's New Year's Day, however.
Don't forget to peruse my answers to the same four questions at Ed's Big Blue View .
Here's Ed:
1. Given the state of the defense this year, what would you do with coordinator Bill Sheridan after Sunday?
"Run him out of town as fast, and as far, as possible. He can join the great 'Failed Coordinator Society' along with Tim Lewis and John Hufnagel. I'd have Jeff Feagles boot him out, but I don't think Feagles has the leg strength left to do anything but push him gently toward the door. Not everything that happened this season with the defense was Sheridan's fault. There were a lot of players just plain getting manhandled or not making plays when they were in position to do so. But, he has to take the fall. This defense was historically bad by Giants standards, and a lot of that blame falls on him. The communication issues, the blown assignments are on him. So is the lack of emotion you saw so often, which really tells me the players don't believe in him no matter what they say to the media. Bye, bye Bill. Have fun coaching linebackers for Spags in St. Louis."
2. Osi Umenyiora said after last week's game that this could be his final game as a Giant. Do you agree?
"The emotional side of me was ready to say "take a hike, Osi" after Sunday's game. Today, I'm not so sure. I don't think the bridge is burned here, and you can argue this one both ways. I do think Jerry Reese will listen if teams call about Umenyiora, but I have doubts that anyone will offer more than maybe a 5th-rounder for him. After the way he played this year, why would they? He was flat-out awful, and the fact that he leads the Giants in sacks is an indictment of everyone else around him rather than being a credit to Osi. Whether he is a Giant or not, Osi needs to take a looooong look in the mirror this off-season. And at the film. Truth is, he has not been a great player since 2005. Yet, he wants to talk and act like a guy who thinks he's among the top 5 DE's in the league. Sorry, he's the third-best DE on his own team. If he isn't willing to accept a pass-rush specialist role with limited snaps then the Giants have to take whatever they can get and move on."
3. Does this team need a major overhaul, or is it enough just to tweak certain areas?
"Well, it needs a lot. A lot more than I think any of us realized, even a few weeks ago. Defensively, it needs new defensive tackles, help at linebacker, new blood at safety (and I don't mean just a healthy Kenny Phillips. Special teams coach Tom Quinn should join Sheridan on the unemployment line. He has been been ST coach for three years, and the Giants coverage units have been awful the entire time. Jeff Feagles is done. Not sure about Lawrence Tynes, but they need to bring in real competition for him. Offensively, the big decision is running back. Was this an off year for Brandon Jacobs, or has he begun his inevitable decline? Will Beatty needs to start next season, and I would like to see an early pick spent on another young lineman."
4. We now here that Brandon Jacobs has been bothered by a knee injury for much of the season. Do you buy that as an excuse for his sub-par performance this year?
"Excuse? No, not an excuse. Maybe as a partial explanation. He has not looked like the Jacobs we all came to love, and maybe the explosiveness just hasn't been there. The question is, will he ever be what he was? Will he still be Jacobs, or has he already begun to transition into Eddie George at the end of his career? He has always been susceptible to injuries, and now that the knee problems we have been waiting for with his running style have started you have to wonder some about his future."
The floor is open.
EP
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Ya Gotta Believe!
Give Bill Sheridan this. The defensive coordinator is an optimist.
He believes that his unit will come out full bore Sunday against the Vikings in an effort to redeem itself after last week's heart-less catastrophe against Carolina. And, yeah, he believes he'll be back in the same defensive coordinator's spot next year.
Now, you'd be hard-pressed to find any coach around the league who would say publicly he's a goner. Former Giants DC Tim Lewis went that route in Pittsburgh before he showed up here and, surprise, Bill Cowher fired him. But outside of that, I haven't heard too many assistants predict their own demise.
So it's understandable that Sheridan would take a bright attitude despite his unit's precipitous fall from grace this year.
"Absolutely," he said when asked if he expects to survive his rookie season.
And what would his pitch to Tom Coughlin be?
"The same reason why he gave me the job, because he thinks I’m competent and do a conscientious, diligent job," Sheridan said. "That’s what I told him when I interviewed for it before. I said, ‘To me the most important thing is competence, that you can give (the players) a plan on a weekly basis that will put them in the best position to defend and beat your opponent. That’s why he gave me the job. And if he’s evaluated I’m still competent in that area, that’s what I would tell him."
There's no doubt Sheridan tried his hardest to be a good coordinator. But injuries hurt, and the miscommunication problems with the secondary must be laid at his doorstep. In his favor is Coughlin's tendancy toward loyalty to his assistants.
Sheridan said he hadn't given his job security a great lot of thought.
"I’m not concerned about it,” Sheridan told the media. "I know you guys are very concerned about it, but I am not concerned about it. You guys are doing a great job of being concerned about it, but I am not."
EP
He believes that his unit will come out full bore Sunday against the Vikings in an effort to redeem itself after last week's heart-less catastrophe against Carolina. And, yeah, he believes he'll be back in the same defensive coordinator's spot next year.
Now, you'd be hard-pressed to find any coach around the league who would say publicly he's a goner. Former Giants DC Tim Lewis went that route in Pittsburgh before he showed up here and, surprise, Bill Cowher fired him. But outside of that, I haven't heard too many assistants predict their own demise.
So it's understandable that Sheridan would take a bright attitude despite his unit's precipitous fall from grace this year.
"Absolutely," he said when asked if he expects to survive his rookie season.
And what would his pitch to Tom Coughlin be?
"The same reason why he gave me the job, because he thinks I’m competent and do a conscientious, diligent job," Sheridan said. "That’s what I told him when I interviewed for it before. I said, ‘To me the most important thing is competence, that you can give (the players) a plan on a weekly basis that will put them in the best position to defend and beat your opponent. That’s why he gave me the job. And if he’s evaluated I’m still competent in that area, that’s what I would tell him."
There's no doubt Sheridan tried his hardest to be a good coordinator. But injuries hurt, and the miscommunication problems with the secondary must be laid at his doorstep. In his favor is Coughlin's tendancy toward loyalty to his assistants.
Sheridan said he hadn't given his job security a great lot of thought.
"I’m not concerned about it,” Sheridan told the media. "I know you guys are very concerned about it, but I am not concerned about it. You guys are doing a great job of being concerned about it, but I am not."
EP
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