NY Football Giants

[NYC Pirate]

As bad of a loss as you could sustain. A possible season changing loss to the Cowboys. This was
a trap game for the Cowboys and it turned out to be the case.

So many twists and turns and they had an absolute chance to steal this game on the road. I guess you start
with the last offensive possession by the Giants. The mindset to try to run the clock down without knowing
what you want to do. You either run plays to score a TD or run 3 plays and kick a fieldgoal. Actually Eli had a chance to run 30 more seconds on the clock earlier in the drive. For whatever reason the ref could not get the scoreboard operator to run the gameclock and 30 second clock at the same time. So Eli ran the play to early.
Once Eli hits Odell that had to be the end of the game. Plus Eli had a bonehead moment by not falling down well inside fieldgoal range.

McAdoo was running his offense so fearful of the Not Great Cowboy defense the entire night. What were they afraid of?? The last possession was just not well thought out

The defense was playing an excellent road game. What the " " changed on the last 2 Cowboy drives?? That was just awful. What changed??

I understand that the Giants have a lack of talent up front in pass defense but they had this game in their pocket. Not sure they can rebound from this. Our devastating losses are always to the Eagles, Cowboys or 49ers. This one is right up there. When does SHU basketball start??

 

[Bluebeard]

I was traveling to Atlanta and turned the game on at 23-13 and watched the last three possessions of the game. You hold them to 13 points over 55 minutes and 14 in the last five. Terrible loss.

 

[its haLL baLL]

Just a terrible loss. The decision to pass and then for Eli to throw it away and not take the sack are a microcosm of the past few years. I didn't think they had a chance going into that game, but to lose like that is as frustrating as it gets for fans.

 

[BostonBlackie]

Perfect example of why the Patriots are what they are. Brady/Belichick never would have made that mistake.

 

[Seton75]

Run it twice up the gut and either put it away or leave them little time. You have to be able to get a yard on 2 tries.

 

[ponyfoot19]

Bad decisions by Manning, McAdoo & Coughlin at the end no doubt. I disagree with OP's contention about the performance of the Giants defense. In the last two Dallas possessions, it looked like 11 playing against 7, but even prior to that, the Cowboys stopped themselves, the Giants didn't stop them.

 

[Section112]

Devastating and unnecessary loss. Coughlin has to make the decision there and run the ball and suck up the clock. Especially with a young defense there to give them all the help they needed and especially after Dallas ran down the field and easily scored the previous possession. And you have to be able to score with one yard to go there. Just finish it.

The game was badly reffed too but with that they should have won the game. The pass interference call was awful and gave Dallas 4 pts. And someone needs to explain to me how a team calls a TO, then when the clock is stopped and its a dead ball their guy commits a foul and the team gets their TO back?? The penalty was huge too not having enough guys on the line. That also stopped the clock and put them back five yards. You could feel it happening at the end - the clock just kept stopping for strange reasons.

This is on the coach first and foremost but Eli and the O coordinator did not help. Out of all of those 3 experienced guys, noone has the sense to use as much clock as possible. This game could have given a young team a lot of confidence and swagger if they won and stole a game down there. Instead it could have just the opposite effect. No matter what happens from here I think this seals it that it is Coughlins last year.

 

[its haLL baLL]

To make matters worse, Jennings was apparently told not to score on the runs from the 4 and 2 after the two minute warning. I guess the coaching staff was worried the defense couldn't hold them to under 10 points with 100 seconds or so left in the game... Unbelievable

 

[Halldan1]

Dissecting Giants’ unreal meltdown one blunder at a time

By Mike Vaccaro

September 14, 2015 | 1:52am

Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin Photo: EPA (2)

ARLINGTON, Texas — Honestly, it’s not just that the Giants lost this one. It’s not just the galling reality that they allowed their ancient rivals from Texas to steal a 27-26 victory, every bit as much as if the Cowboys had reached into their pockets and pilfered all their billfolds. That part? That’s bad enough.

But in this case, the “how” trumps the “what.”

In this case, it was the manner in which this meltdown occurred that was every bit as troubling, every bit as inexcusable, as the meltdown itself.

“My fault,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “The end of the game … that’s on nobody else but me.”

Coughlin was being true to his core beliefs there, demanding accountability for himself the way he asks everyone who works for him to do it. And yes: Ultimately, this loss lands like an anvil on the shoulders of a head coach who can no longer afford to shoulder many more of them.

But he wasn’t alone. Start with Steve Spagnuolo, the old hero defensive coordinator, who ordered his defense into a tortoise shell after that same ultra-opportunistic unit had helped the Giants seize a 23-13 lead. That depleted “D” had hounded the Cowboys into three costly turnovers that yielded 17 points, but with 7:57 left in the game, he backed them off, and the Cowboys pounced.

“Like a hot knife through butter,” Coughlin lamented.

And still, they should have survived. Despite it all, the Giants were grinding out the clock. They benefited from some rampant stupidity by Dallas defenders, including an unsportsmanlike penalty against Jeremy Mincey (which, for the record, stopped the clock and allowed the Cowboys to bank a timeout rather than burn one, a dumb rule that was essentially an unindicted co-conspirator to the calamity in progress).

Then: third-and-goal, from the 1.

The Cowboys had just taken their final timeout. There were 103 seconds left in the game. Someone — surely Ben McAdoo, the offensive coordinator, though Coughlin could have vetoed it and didn’t — decided against running the ball, which, at the least, even if they couldn’t cover the final 36 inches to pay dirt, would have dissolved 40 seconds.

Seven months ago, the world balled its fists and screamed out loud at the Seattle tandem of Pete Carroll and Darrell Bevell, who eschewed a run at the goal line of Super Bowl XLIX, famously put the ball in the air, and famously blew a chance for back-to-back championships.

Now Coughlin and McAdoo teamed up to do the same thing.

“The decision to throw the ball was not a good decision,” Coughlin said. “It should have been a run whether we scored or not. We had a chance to take a few more seconds off the clock, run it, take it and kick the field goal, and another 40 seconds or so would come off the clock …”

Coughlin shook his head.

“The strategy,” he said, “was obviously wrong at the end.”

A word about Eli Manning, who didn’t have his strongest game by any stretch (20-for-36, 193 yards) but stood at the doorstep of the kind of impactful, early-season win that has escaped him for three years. Manning could have bailed his coaches out, could have canceled the play when he saw nothing open, taken a sack, kept the clock spinning. He didn’t do that, either.

“A hundred percent on me right there,” Manning said. “Bad thought management on my part. That can’t happen.”

So the Giants settled for a field goal, and hoped 26-20 would be enough, but was there even a soul back home in New York who thought it would be enough? Surely the 93,579 inside AT&T Stadium felt differently. And this is where the baton in this coaching relay from hell wound up in the hands of the man who started it all.

Actually, by this point, there was little Spagnuolo could do. Romo looked at the Giants’ defense and must have felt like he was working 11-on-6: 24 yards to Lance Dunbar. Sixteen yards, again to Dunbar. Thirteen yards to Jason Witten. Eight to Terrance Williams — the only one of the first five plays on which the Cowboys even considered going out of bounds.

Because they didn’t need to.

Because instead of 57 seconds to work with, Romo started with 97 seconds. And so it was, 13 seconds left in the game, Romo got the ball, dropped it, picked it up (and since no Giant laid a finger on him all night, he knew he was in no imminent danger).

And drove a stake right through the Giants’ soul.

The stake handed to him by the Giants themselves.

“We’ll rise up from this,” Coughlin said, and it was a nice thing to say about his team, but here’s the greater truth on a night when 1-0 turned into 0-1 in the most galling way possible: Seeing is believing.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Some other points here:

When the Cowboys were driving on last drive and you are under 30 seconds, how about using a timeout to regroup and get the guys settled to make a stop. Romo already knows what he wants to do and the TO doesn't help the Cowboys that much. I believe the Giants still had 3 TO's and they were not going to be able to use them all anyway. Just something to consider. The Cowboys probably had what seemed like 15 consecutive successful plays in a row on those last 2 drives.

I hated most of the Giant 3rd down attempts the entire night. Parker just killed them with 3 drops. I understand he was taking V Cruz's place, but you have to consider other wideouts on your roster if a guy is killing you in those spots. Also they seemed to be short of the 1st down markers on their route's or to RB's.

You have a great player in Odell and you have to go to him on that last drive in the endzone. He had just made the play that should have sealed the deal. Probably 2nd down there would have been the spot. OR

4 straight running plays from the 4 on the last drive with a you are not stopping us attitude. I didn't see that. No conviction as per the last several years inside the 5 yard line. have to blame Coughlin for that.

The Cowboys may not be as good as projected. Plus Bryant is out for 4-6 weeks. Wow a win there and the Giants would be off and running with a road conference win. Ouch! Hopefully the Eagles will struggle tonight.

 

[Shuathelete]

When they got the illegal formation they ran about 5-6 seconds of the clock, lost 5 yards, and repeated the down. Could they technically keep doing that until the clock ran out?

 

[Vegas pj]

Run it twice up the gut and either put it away or leave them little time. You have to be able to get a yard on 2 tries.

Giants must have been using the Seahawks play book from last years not so Super Bowl.

 

[Section112]

To make matters worse, Jennings was apparently told not to score on the runs from the 4 and 2 after the two minute warning. I guess the coaching staff was worried the defense couldn't hold them to under 10 points with 100 seconds or so left in the game... Unbelievable

I did not read that but if true - f'n ridiculous. And also makes no sense that they want to run clock on first and second down and not on third????

 

[HallBall02]

1) James jones > Preston Parker and Randle...who cut him and why?

2) WTF with the poor clock management the entire 2nd to last giants drive. They didn't take as much time as they could have on the previous plays (before the 3rd down dibaccle) during the drive...how many millions do these people make and any fan with a pinky of common sense could have made a better decision time wise.

 

[mjs428]

Coughin turned into Willard last night

 

[its haLL baLL]

I did not read that but if true - f'n ridiculous. And also makes no sense that they want to run clock on first and second down and not on third????

"As a running back, it's really tough when they tell you not to score," Jennings said.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/gi...ays-the-giants-blew-this-game-is-unbelievable

 

[hallgrad80]

I'm a firm believer that players , coaches and GM's have a useful shelve life and Coughlin's shelve life has expired as has Reese's and I believe that Manning's is on the way to that point and last night's game confirms that for me.

 

[Halldan1]

The 5 worst losses in Giants history
By Post Sports Desk

September 14, 2015 | 1:11pm

(Clockwise from top left) DeSean Jackson, Vince Young, Herm ERdwards, Flipper Anderson and Trey Junkin. Photo: Paul J. Bereswill, AP (2),, Getty Images, Charles Wenzelberg


Sunday night’s loss was just the latest in the Giants’ history of heartbreaking losses. Here’s a brief look at just a few of the collapses:

Eagles 38, Giants 31
Dec. 19, 2010

Kevin Boss’ touchdown reception with 8:17 to play made it 31-10 Giants, but the Eagles scored 28 unanswered points capped by DeSean Jackson’s punt-return touchdown as time expired. The loss knocked the Giants out of the playoffs.

Titans 24, Giants 21
Nov. 26, 2006

The Giants entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 21-0 lead against Vince Young and the Titans. Tennessee scored 10 points in the final 44 seconds highlighted by a Young scramble when Mathias Kiwanuka let go of the QB on a 4th-and-10 play to escape and send the Giants into a tailspin.

49ers 39, Giants 38
Jan. 5, 2003

The Trey Junkin game. After giving up a 24-point lead to San Francisco in a wild-card playoff game, the Giants had a chance to win it with a field goal, but Junkin’s snap was low and the Giants’ season ended.

Rams 19, Giants 13 (OT)
Jan. 7, 1990

Barely a minute into overtime, Rams receiver Flipper Anderson scored on a 30-yard touchdown reception. Anderson ran through the end zone and into the tunnel, taking the Giants’ season with him.

Eagles 19, Giants 17
Nov. 19, 1978

The Miracle at the Meadowlands. The Giants had a 17-12 lead, and the Eagles had no timeouts, but rather than take a knee, QB Joe Pisarcik fumbled a handoff to Larry Csonka. Herman Edwards scooped up the ball and scored the winning touchdown.

 

[NYC Pirate]

I'd take the Titan loss out of that, but I agree with the others.
1) 49er playoff game at Candlestick Park
2) Eagles loss with Jackson return
3) Flipper Anderson
4) Giants' lose at 19-0 lead to Vikings in a home playoff game with 6 minutes left
5) Larry Csonka fumble
6) last night
7) many others to Eagles and Cowboys. I recall a game where Giants had just scored to take a lead against Cowboys with about 10 seconds left. Giant kickoff went out of bounds and ball placed at 40. Then one long pass and a 50+ fieldgoal.

 

[its haLL baLL]

I'm a firm believer that players , coaches and GM's have a useful shelve life and Coughlin's shelve life has expired as has Reese's and I believe that Manning's is on the way to that point and last night's game confirms that for me.

This team suffers from a lack of talent more than anything else. Look at the offensive and defensive lines - how many above-average starters are there on the two lines? Not many. There are a few talented players at the skill positions, but the core of the team and the lines are just plain bad.

Look at what Reese inherited (best d-line in the NFL and one of the better o-lines) and look what it has turned into. Talent wise, this may be the worst defense in the NFL. The only players who would start on a playoff caliber defense are two of the more injury prone corners in the NFL (DRC and Prince) and JPP, who I will cut Reese some slack for. In regards to DRC and Prince, if one or both go down, look out.

The time for Coughlin to retire and Reese to be fired was last year. Now, we are wasting one of the few years of Eli's prime that are left. Next year, if McAdoo isn't retained, they will be wasting another year of Eli and Beckham while they learn a new offense. I understand loyalty is a big part of the Giant's history, but at this point they are being loyal to a fault.

 

[The SHUttle]

If I had any kind of expectations for this year, I would be upset, but I don't so I'm not. Coughlin will be fired after this year, which is sad given the 2 Super Bowls, but he was definitely given enough consideration for that. The terrible roster decisions by Reese continue to slap you in the face. I could not believe when they dropped Jones and kept Parker. Did nobody watch this guy last year? Maybe he's a swell guy. I don't know, but I do know that he is not a serviceable NFL receiver.

 

[Section112]

If I had any kind of expectations for this year, I would be upset, but I don't so I'm not. Coughlin will be fired after this year, which is sad given the 2 Super Bowls, but he was definitely given enough consideration for that. The terrible roster decisions by Reese continue to slap you in the face. I could not believe when they dropped Jones and kept Parker. Did nobody watch this guy last year? Maybe he's a swell guy. I don't know, but I do know that he is not a serviceable NFL receiver.

Last night was extremely puzzling. It now appears the coaches and Eli were not clear on how many TOs Dallas had. Don't you think one of them would check and make sure everyone is on the same page? WTF????

The Jones decision is simply crazy! Even if he was not a slot receiver to fill in for Cruz, he is wayyyy better than Randle. That was a chance to significantly upgrade one of two WR positions. Then when Vic came back that would be a terrific group of receivers to say the least (Cruz, Beckham and Jones).

 

[bd98]

Jerry Reese inherited a championship-ready roster. His destruction of that roster is now complete. Yeah, last night is infuriating but this team isn't winning anything this year anyway. If the Cowboys don't gift the Giants 17 points we're talking about a 3 touchdown loss. 3 touchdown losses will be the norm this season. There are people all over this roster who have no business being in the NFL. Parker the most obvious example. Every single one of the linebackers. Who the hell is Uani Unga and what is he doing covering Jason Witten? I feel bad for Coughlin that he has to go out with this pathetic team Reese constructed. The sad thing is I think Reese will actually keep his job.

 

[Piratz]

What an epic disaster. I've sat through all the insane losses we've all talked about over the years but this one was different because this one was literally all mental. How the QB could've been so confused - and not corrected - is beyond me. And the logic was totally off.

A pass on 3rd down? Are you fn kidding me??!?! I literally sat there thinking, "Wow, they're going to pull it off. Just run the ball here and worst case is they kick-off up 6 with less than a minute to go."

And why the pooch kick!?!?!

I liked some of the things I saw from them on Sunday night. Defense leaked like a sieve at times but they tackled well, ball hawked, seemed to play the run better than last year and had aggression. Pass rush was concerning, but they were playing that Dallas line. DRC had his best game as a Giant.

Lots of young players playing in their first game and they'll get better. I like the look of Unga/Kennard at LB versus what we've rolled out there recently. Need time. Also need the three high picks on the OL (Pugh, Richburg, Flowers) to finally settle in and just play together in their slots. Schwartz is solid and Newhouse seemed to hold up decently. Loved how they ran the ball late to set up that infamous goal-to-go.

Will see how they respond and if Beason/Cruz ever see the light of day.

I cannot take Preston Parker. How this guy is allowed a spot again this year when he has such trouble catching the ball is beyond me. This happened last year as well. He absolutely KILLED 3 drives that would've set up 1st downs in the RZ. Inexcusable for a journeymen wideout.

 

[Burnsly]

While I don't agree with the Giants keeping Parker over Jones, I do understand the move. A backup WR needs to be able to contribute on special teams.

 

[hallgrad80]

What's killing the Giants is the horrible drafts Reese had from 2008 thru 2012 . The are no players left on the roster from the 08 draft; 1 ( Beatty) from the 2009 draft; 1 (JPP) from the 2010 draft; 1 from the 2011 draft( Amukamara) and 3 from the 2012 draft in Randle, Hosey and Kuhn.

When you add in his lackluster record in the free agent market there is nothing to recommend that Reese should keep his job.

 

[Section112]

The D line actually got better once Kuhn was hurt. Also if Flowers is hurt we are in trouble. Back to John Jerry on the line somewhere and he is simply bad.

Maybe Eli really is a dunce. Or he got wasted once he signed his new $84M contract and was still feeling the effects? But one of Coughlin, Manning and McAdoo should have had enough sense to run the ball on 3rd down?? Those guys all blew it big time and gave the game to a division rival - really unforgivable in my mind. I hope Mara went apeshit on their asses.

 

[Piratz]

What's killing the Giants is the horrible drafts Reese had from 2008 thru 2012 . The are no players left on the roster from the 08 draft; 1 ( Beatty) from the 2009 draft; 1 (JPP) from the 2010 draft; 1 from the 2011 draft( Amukamara) and 3 from the 2012 draft in Randle, Hosey and Kuhn.

When you add in his lackluster record in the free agent market there is nothing to recommend that Reese should keep his job.

This.

But whatever changes they made in the drafting proces (Mara alluded to them on one of his recent post-season pressers), it looks to be improved over the past few classes. Takes a while to recover.

2013 = Pugh, Hankins, Moore, Taylor
2014 = Beckham, Richburg, Bromley, Williams, Kennard
2015 = Flowers, Collins, Odighizuwa

 

[Burnsly]

Right now, the only decent draft was in 2014 & mainly because of Beckham. Jury is still out on this years draft. Except for Hankins, the guys drafted in 2013 are all under achieving, especially Pugh.

 

[hallgrad80]

Other then Beckham , you can't point to any player in the 2013 or 2014 drafts that you can point to and say he's an impact / pro bowl caliber player. As for the 2015 draft its way too early to assess how good a draft it will turn out to be.

 

[Piratz]

Reese allowed the lines deteriorate. On the offensive side it all came crashing down in 2013 and on the defensive end was last year. That's what most of the picks have been spent on in those past 3 drafts. Linemen take a while longer than skill-position players, but I do think he's got a good group here. Hopefully time will reveal that.

Of the 12 players I listed with excellent potential, 7 of them are linemen.

 

[its haLL baLL]

The D line actually got better once Kuhn was hurt. Also if Flowers is hurt we are in trouble. Back to John Jerry on the line somewhere and he is simply bad.

Maybe Eli really is a dunce. Or he got wasted once he signed his new $84M contract and was still feeling the effects? But one of Coughlin, Manning and McAdoo should have had enough sense to run the ball on 3rd down?? Those guys all blew it big time and gave the game to a division rival - really unforgivable in my mind. I hope Mara went apeshit on their asses.

Eli alluded to the fact that he thought they were going to go for it on 4th down, which is why he threw the ball away. Now this is my question - who called the pass play on 3rd down? Did McAdoo call a run and Eli audible to pass, thinking they'd go for it on 4th down? Did McAdoo call a pass, thinking they'd go for it on 4th down as well and Coughlin then changed his mind? Did McAdoo call a pass, knowing they were going to kick the field goal? And if he did, how in the world did he not tell Eli to take the sack if nothing was open because they were kicking the field goal on 4th?

None of it makes any sense.

 

[Seton75]

I guess TC and Mcadoo were the two guys who watched the last play of the Super Bowl and said good play.

 

[Halldan1]

Giants’ top 10 worst plays: From The Fumble to latest fiasco against Cowboys
BY Hank Gola
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

G. Paul Burnett/AP
Eagles' Herman Edwards pounces on the ball just fumbled by Giants QB Joe Pisarcik.

In our pre-season pullout, the Daily News listed the best 10 plays in Giants history. Scott Norwood’s miss and David Tyree’s helmet catch allowed Big Blue fans to revel in their team’s glory.

Today, we’re dropping the other hammer with the 10 worst plays, and, wouldn’t you know it, the current Giants helped us out by making Sunday night’s fiasco at the Cowboy goal line the latest addition..............

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...-plays-fumble-latest-fiasco-article-1.2362533

 

[Halldan1]

OUCH

 

[Section112]

How is he gonna pick his nose let alone get around an O lineman? This is right up there with Plaxico except no jail time.

 

[The SHUttle]

Yeah, that doesn't look conducive to shedding blocks or grabbing players to tackle them.

 

[Shuathelete]

On the bright side hes incapable of committing facemask penalties

 

[Piratz]

Unreal. Giants have lost some stalwart players who should be team leaders in their prime and at key positions in JPP, Cruz, Beatty, and Beason.

Considering both Cruz will likely miss tomorrow and then they have a Thursday night game this coming week, sounds like they may have both he and Beason back for Week 4 at Buffalo. But Beason likely plays a little tomorrow and definitely against the Redskins on Thursday.

They need to grab both of these home games and get to 2-1.

 

[Piratz]

Who the hell is Uani Unga and what is he doing covering Jason Witten?

I kind of like Unga, but we shouldn't be in another on-the-job-training situation with a UFA. MLB has been an issue since Pierce left because Beason has never been able to stay on the field in his career.

The Cowboys TORCHED the Giants' LB's on that final drive. The first two plays went for 40 yards on short passes to RB Lance Dunbar who exposed the LB's poor coverage angles. Unga got killed on the first play after the DB's did a good job at covering everyone up. The second play was more broken because Ayers flushed Romo and McBride missed a tackle.

Then Witten destroyed Unga twice. A costly training session.