MINNEAPOLIS — These are the kind of endings to seasons that not only get players ushered away in droves, but also get head coaches fired and general managers ousted.
The purge won’t be that drastic in the aftermath of yesterday’s 44-7 we-don’t-care loss to the Vikings, that, coupled with last week’s 41-9 tank-job to the Panthers in a game that actually mattered, signals an infection has infiltrated the once-proud Giants.
Coach Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese aren’t going anywhere, but they were all a part of this collapse of epic proportions.
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“To play like that two weeks in a row is disrespectful to the logo that’s on our helmets,” center Shaun O’Hara said in a cramped and stone-quiet visiting locker room inside the Metrodome. “The Maras, the Tishes, the Giants franchise, the organization and our fans deserve better than what they’ve received from the players.”
With that, O’Hara figured he’d better finish up getting dressed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if John Mara takes off without us and makes us find our own way home,” O’Hara said without a trace of a smile.
No, the charter flight didn’t leave anyone behind, but it certainly is worth asking why the Giants (8-8) decided to travel here in the first place. They knew there would be no playoffs for them and played as if they had no appetite for competition and felt no great desire to give something back for last week’s terrible closing of Giants Stadium.
There were no answers from anyone.
“It’s just professional pride,” defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. “A lot of times when you’re a team that’s been successful and you get into a game that doesn’t mean anything you don’t know how to respond. That’s how we looked, even though Coach Coughlin told us how we needed to respond, everyone collected their checks and everyone practiced, guys just really didn’t show up today. And that’s unacceptable.”
Giving up 85 points in the last two games and 427 for the season — the second most in franchise history — is more than enough evidence for the Giants to part ways with Bill Sheridan, their first-year defensive coordinator, a move that should come this week. That won’t cure all that ails a team that went 3-8 after a 5-0 start, and Coughlin has to take a hard look at his entire operation, starting with his ability to get a read on the emotional state of his players. They clearly flat-lined the last two games and Coughlin never saw it coming.
He did say “I do think we tried,” when asked if his team showed any pride.
“They all came to the stadium wanting to play,” Coughlin added. “Didn’t go our way. I really don’t think for one minute as we went to the field that any one was not giving effort.”
Coughlin also snapped: “Blame me, just like always. The coach. It was all the coach.”
The Vikings (12-4) toyed with the Giants in such dismissive fashion that it looked like one of those early-season college mismatches when a top-ranked team thrashes a I-AA opponent and it almost looks as if there’s no effort involved. The Giants didn’t seem to care enough to be embarrassed; they mere more pitiful than anything else.
It took the Vikings, losers of three of their last four games, five plays and barely two minutes to go ahead 7-0 on the first of Brett Favre’s four touchdown passes. By halftime, it was 31-0, on the way to 41-0 in the third quarter — the fifth 40-point game allowed this season by the Giants.
“Just embarrassed, it wasn’t a good performance,” said Eli Manning, who was able to convert only one third down all game. “Really confused. I don’t know why all of a sudden this play came about us.”
The victory, combined with the Eagles’ loss in Dallas, gave the Vikings the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Giants had nothing tangible to gain and played like it.
“We’ve been a successful team but we’re going in the wrong direction right now,” Cofield said.
“We’re paid to play a game,” added O’Hara. “You have to be a pro. To come out and play like that again is disrespectful to the game and disrespectful to the Giants.”