With the season in the dumps and frustrated or just plain fed-up fans demanding “Do something,’’ the head coach of the Giants has identified who to blame.
“Actually, what should happen is people should shift it to me,’’ Coughlin said Monday, the day after his free-falling club fell to 0-5 with another desultory loss, this one to an Eagles team riding a three-game losing streak.
Coughlin, clearly sensing a pitchfork-wielding mob assembling to get at Eli Manning, tried to redirect the angst toward himself. Manning threw three fourth-quarter interceptions to turn a 22-21 deficit into another loss by rout and, immediately afterward, Coughlin called two of the picks “almost unbelievable’’ and “terrible.’’
After an uneasy night’s sleep, Coughlin said, “It’s my job and I take full responsibility for it. I know that we’re maligning my quarterback today and believe me, there’s a bunch of people involved in that.’’
He went on to cite breakdowns along the offensive line and among the receivers as contributing factors in Manning’s struggles.
“It’s a team game, and yes, the head coach is the guy that’s responsible for the losses, and the players need to be there for each other in all circumstances and in this one, criticizing the quarterback for the outcome for everything there at the end of the game really is not right,’’ Coughlin said.
Just as there were heavy doses of credit doled out when this front office and coaching brain trust — and this franchise quarterback — won two Super Bowls in a four-season span, so too does blame have to be slapped on those most responsible for this unexpected plummet, this relocation into the dregs of NFL society. The Giants and the Jaguars are the only two 0-5 teams in the league. The Giants and Jaguars!
These are desperate times, with no sign of a victory anywhere in sight, certainly not Thursday night in Chicago against the Bears. Is this the time for a desperate action? The season has already slipped away, but can the Giants actually sit back and endure what could be a 3-13 season, or worse?
Coughlin, asked directly if he is considering making a move with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride or defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, was not very expansive but was quite decisive. “No,’’ Coughlin said.
So no major or even minor moves are in the offing but, at 0-5, not much is off the table when it comes to fans demanding or at least contemplating drastic changes. The usual suspects:
Eli Manning: Hey, here’s a novel idea. How about figuring out a way to trade Eli Manning (he’s making $13 million this season and $32 million the next two years) and stink so badly that with the No. 1 pick in the draft Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville is there for the taking? Well, other than that being an absurd notion, the Giants believe Manning is in the prime of his career and this confounding turnover spree is an aberration and not a signal that the end is near. Teams work their tails off to find an Eli Manning, who is a two-time Super Bowl MVP, and don’t give up on them after a few misfires.
Jerry Reese: The Giants have had three general managers in the past 34 year and if Reese were let go he’d have a new job in about 30 minutes. Reese keeps a low profile in public and back in the summer stated everyone in the organization is on notice after missing out on the playoffs three of the past four years. Also, he expressed his belief the Giants were Super Bowl contenders this season. He handed over to Coughlin a roster lacking depth on the offensive line and at running back and deficient at linebacker, but ownership feels strongly he’s part of the solution.
Tom Coughlin: He’s 67 years old and that rarely meshes with an 0-5 record, but unless ownership sees signs he’s slipping or he is getting tuned out, he stays put. Reese did not hire Coughlin, but has great admiration for his work ethic.
A big-name veteran: Thus far, nothing has shaken up the locker room. Not the repeated losing, the passionate pleas of Antrel Rolle, Coughlin’s urgings, the fact the mediocre NFC East provides a reasonable chance to plow back into contention. No doubt, this team will undergo massive changes after this season, as this will be the final goodbye to the vestiges of the two Super Bowl winners. Why wait? Would cutting Justin Tuck or Corey Webster or Mathias Kiwanuka or Brandon Jacobs make a difference or any sense as far as a shock-value maneuver? It’s not the Giants’ way.