Giants should be embarrassed by their effort vs. Panthers
The New York Giants owe their fans an apology after the horrendous effort they gave today in their 41-9 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Despite having their playoff hopes on the line and the fact that they were playing their final game at Giants Stadium, New York couldn’t have cared less. Their effort was pathetic on both sides of the ball and it was clear from the start that their players wanted nothing to do with football today.
This is a loss where somebody losses their job. It won’t be Tom Coughlin, but I can’t see any scenario in which defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan is retained for next season. The Panthers were without DeAngelo Williams, yet the Giants allowed Jonathan Stewart to rush for 206 yards and a touchdown, and for Matt Moore to throw for three scores. I realize Stewart is a fine back and Moore is gaining confidence week to week, but there’s no excuse for a team with playoff aspirations to allow 416 total yards and 41 points at home. None.
Sheridan has to go; New York has to hire someone that understands that the team’s best attribute defensively is its defensive line. That said, his players should be embarrassed with the way they played today. They didn’t tackle, they didn’t play disciplined and they played with zero emotion.
The Giants didn’t deserve to go to the playoffs this year and maybe this was a fitting end to their season.
If Sheridan is back next season it will be a travesty.
That said, the dropoff from Williams to Stewart is not significant, if in fact there is a dropoff at all. Every year I become more and more convinced 90% of effective rushing is the line, not the back.
Too many instances of “franchise” guys going out and their backups performing just as well or better. Too many instances of former high-profile backups floundering behind weaker lines on new teams.
If they couldn’t get up for this game with their season virtually on the line, then they have no business making the postseason. The defensive coordinator needs to go and Coughlin needs to take a serious look at some players and see if they really want to be there. Even when they were beating up on Oakland, KC, and Tampa early in the season, they weren’t playing with emotion. Maybe it’s time for Coughlin to bring down the hammer a little more. The nice guy stuff doesn’t seem to be working its magic anymore.