The leaves fall and the Giants rise. It happens every year … except this one.
In coach Tom Coughlin’s previous nine seasons, his Giants at the halfway point were 5-3 twice, 6-2 six times and 7-1 once for a first-half record of 53-19 — a winning percentage of .736. Their second-half swoons were as predictable as frost on the lawn, and the unexpected Super Bowl runs in 2007 and 2011 were sights to behold.
In Coughlin’s 10th anniversary season, instead of presenting him with the traditional tin or aluminum gift or the more modern diamond jewelry, a handful of rocks have been dropped at his doorstep.
The louder he preached no turnovers, the more the Giants committed them. The more he insisted “Finish!’’ the Giants caved in during the fourth quarter. The 0-6 start was the worst for the franchise in 37 years and the 2-6 record at the bye week looks only marginally better.
If not for the mediocrity within the NFC East — where the 4-4 Cowboys sit atop the pack — the Giants would be in complete wait-‘til-next-year mode rather than just two games out of first place. Still, 2-6 is 2-6, a well-earned last place and in serious danger of dropping out of relevance if they do not get on a major roll in the second half.
A look at the good (not much), the bad (too much) and the ugly (quite scary) from the first half of the season:
WORST MOMENT
So many to sort through. We’ll dredge up the interception Eli Manning tossed with 1:54 remaining in Chicago. The Giants were on the Bears 35-yard line, had all the momentum and were driving for the potential winning touchdown when Manning’s pass sailed over the reach of an open Brandon Myers. The high fastball glanced off Myers’ fingers and was picked off by cornerback Tim Jennings to seal a 27-21 loss.
BEST MOMENT
It wasn’t a play but rather a player. From the moment Jon Beason arrived in the Oct. 4 trade with the Panthers, he made sure everyone knew he meant business. He needed just one game to get acclimated, and now he is a central figure at middle linebacker and already a presence on the field and in the locker room. Let’s see if his body holds up.
BEST PLAYER
It always is interesting to see how an athlete responds after he cashes in with a new contract. Victor Cruz has risen above the muck to be productive (47-677, four TDs). He has come up with fewer game-breaking plays but more gritty, over-the-middle grabs. He also has picked up his blocking to support the run game. The Salsa King is one tough dude and quietly is on pace for 94 receptions for 1,354 yards and eight touchdowns.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER
Manning likes to say every interception has its own story but, quite frankly, we don’t want to hear the tales of woe. There’s no doubt he’s not to blame for all 15 interceptions — heck, Rueben Randle’s fingerprints are probably on four of them — but with great power comes great responsibility. In his 10th season, Manning should not be forcing the ball where it doesn’t belong, no matter how dire the situation, and he shouldn’t be the league’s 31st-ranked quarterback, no matter how much has devolved around him.
REASONS FOR DESPAIR
The two victories have come against teams with malfunctioning quarterbacks. It looks as if Jason Pierre-Paul won’t hit his stride all season. It looks as if David Wilson might not be able to return from his neck issues. The 0-6 hole was so deep that the next loss could slap the Giants back into the cold reality of non-contention.
REASONS FOR HOPE
Have you checked out the NFC East lately? Andre Brown is ready to return and he could be the leading ball-carrier soon enough. The addition of Beason, the emergence of Will Hill and the resurgence of Jacquian Williams gives the defense some athleticism and attitude. Three home games coming out of the bye should help build momentum.
SECOND GUESS
The front office has often slapped together the tight end position figuring coach Mike Pope can use his Midas touch. At this point, would you rather have Martellus Bennett (playing well for the Bears) or Myers (not doing much in his first season with the Giants)? Myers had 79 catches in 2012 for the Raiders but is on pace for 40 with two TDs for the Giants.
FIRST GUESS
When the Giants win the coin toss, coach Tom Coughlin might as well forget about deferring because his team has been absolutely incompetent coming out of halftime. On eight first possessions to start the second half, the Giants on offense have run just 23 plays and gained a total of three yards, along with two turnovers. And, as if we need to remind anyone, zero points.
CRYSTAL BALL
Any team that loses its first six games has no business thinking playoffs, and beating the lousy Vikings and struggling Eagles shouldn’t convince anyone of anything. If 9-7 wins the NFC East, the Giants have to go 7-1 the rest of the way, which isn’t going to happen. If 8-8 wins it, the Giants need to put up a 6-2 record and unquestionably beat the Cowboys on Nov. 24. More likely, 5-3 is the ceiling to finish 7-9, which means they won’t be eliminated before Thanksgiving but will be by Christmas.
Midseason report card
OFFENSE
Losing David Baas and especially Chris Snee played havoc with the line — the rushing attack is 29th in the league, Eli Manning leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and has been sacked 19 times, the big-play passing game is gone and points are hard to come by. Did we miss anything?
F
DEFENSE
There have been hints of stability after a record-breaking (in a bad way) five-game opening. Some signs of life from dormant pass rush (10 sacks but just six in first seven games). Stopping the run has gone from decent to dominating, and the secondary has been respectable. Impact of Jon Beason’s arrival cannot be overstated.
C+
SPECIAL TEAMS
Terrible. Brutal. Embarrassing. All apply. Three punt returns allowed for touchdown, which is inexcusable. Return game as dynamic as knife-sharpening infomercial. Punter Steve Weatherford got off to a shaky start and Josh Brown missed two makeable field goals early before settling down and hit all five in Philly.
D
COACHING
It took GM Perry Fewell too long to find the formula to get the defense to play with some aggression and passion. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was dealing with too many new pieces, but the turnovers were ridiculous and a more conservative approach was needed sooner. The less said about Tom Quinn’s special teams, the better. Coach Tom Coughlin’s best work was holding the team together when 0-6 could have torn it apart.
C-