A New York Post writer who gets it.

[Sephiroth]

Mike Vaccaro pretty much nails it.

 

 

 

Coddling Coughlin shows why he shouldn’t be only one fired

By Mike Vaccaro

December 20, 2015 | 5:50pm

For a few minutes there, the antiseptic new building rocked and rattled the way the old house did, Giants fans feeding Giants players, and the players feeding the fans, and for a few minutes there, it felt like so many December Sundays out of yesterday.

Odell Beckham Jr., who should’ve been benched an hour earlier, who probably would have been benched by a less desperate coach, plucked a football out of the frosty air, landed on the blue end zone, and after being down 35-7, the Giants were about to be tied 35-35.

And after spending so much of the afternoon in a damn-near catatonic state, their eyes glazed over by what seemed like a lost cause, 79,436 folks inside MetLife Stadium had risen like a sleeping beast. The Giants were steamrollering. The Panthers were staggering.

Then they weren’t.

 

Then there was another last-second field goal sailing through a set of uprights, and another fine story done in by the epilogue. The comeback was mere prologue, barely a footnote. The scoreboard taunted them on the way out: Panthers 38, Giants 35. The kings of the close call had done it again. Too little. Too late. Too bad.

 

“Our momentum came back and we created some opportunities for ourselves,” Tom Coughlin said when it was over. “It’s always a crush to lose.”

The season isn’t yet expired, and so Coughlin wouldn’t talk as if it had, even if things took a turn for the grim when the Redskins bullied the Bills in Washington. Still, it felt like he was grasping, the ceaseless procession of difficult losses finally weighing on his football sensibilities.

 

Keeping Beckham in the game, without even sitting him for a series or two after collecting three personal-foul penalties — including the most inexcusable one, a deliberate helmet-to-helmet shot against his new blood rival Josh Norman that may well draw him a suspension next week — is something that 2005 Coughlin or 2007 Coughlin or 2011 Coughlin never would have tolerated. Ever.

 

 

But then, neither would he have offered reflexive postgame comments that channeled something more closely resembling 1995 Rich Kotite than 2015 Tom Coughlin: “To tie it up the way we did, that’s an outstanding tribute to our team, to our players, to our coaches. I did tell them I was proud of the way they battled.”

 

A guy who used to have Coughlin’s job used to say, “There’s no medals for trying,” and that could really be the Giants’ theme song this year. You want to lay roses at the feet of paid professionals for not laying down — for not quitting — despite looking profoundly, abjectly incompetent for the game’s first 45 minutes? You want to ignore that the comeback had as much to do with the Panthers’ losing their own heads, and growing soft with a lead?

 

Really? It was Coughlin, five years ago, who said this after someone wanted to soften the blow of a blowout loss in New Orleans: “I don’t think guys need to be complimented for doing what’s in their job description. I would hope you wouldn’t quit. I would hope you’d have the pride to play to the gun.”

 

What Coughlin probably wants to say but never could, never can, is this: How many coaches do YOU know who could field THAT defense every week, and THAT two-man offense, and stay competitive?

 

Once the Giants are officially eliminated — whether that’s next week in Minnesota or not until midnight approaches in Week 17 against Philadelphia — Coughlin’s situation will emerge front and center. And maybe it should: This would be four straight years outside the playoffs. Coaches get fired for that kind of cold streak.

 

But if he answers for this, he absolutely should not be asked to answer for it alone. Almost every week there is a talent gap that is so noticeable, it’s practically laughable. Having an elite quarterback camouflages some stains, and having Odell Beckham Jr. — at least when he’s worrying about catching footballs and not pile-driving opponents like a WWE villain — covers up even more sins.

 

But not all of them. Certainly not the defense, which at times Sunday looked like it was playing 8-on-11, and which looked utterly non-competitive as Cam Newton led the Panthers on their winning drive. Coughlin has shown, many times, that if you give him a puncher’s chance with even a small surplus of talent, he can keep you in the ring for 15 rounds.

 

It’s been a while since Jerry Reese has provided him that. It’s turned his time with the Giants into a minute-by-minute crawl. And worse, it’s turned him desperate. He keeps petulant kids in the game. He makes questionable in-game decisions. He embraces moral victories. If that’s what Coughlin has become, then a large part of him has already left the premises.

 

Still, if the rest of him is soon asked to leave? It shouldn’t leave alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GA4M]

I can't put any blame on the Coaching in this game.

[Sephiroth]

I can't put any blame on the Coaching in this game.

 

Except for the fact that a player clearly lost his shit and the coach did nothing about it whatsoever.

[GA4M]

 

Except for the fact that a player clearly lost his shit and the coach did nothing about it whatsoever.

He's never benched Eli for sucking either. Maybe it's because the players have all the power these days. I was thinking the DRC, OBJ drops and the Jennings fumble. other than the Browns, I've never seen a team do so much to fuck themselves.

[Sephiroth]

He's never benched Eli for sucking either. Maybe it's because the players have all the power these days. I was thinking the DRC, OBJ drops and the Jennings fumble.

 

It's not that he sucked, it's that he turned the game into the WWE. Playing poorly is one thing, completely losing your mind and assaulting the opposing players is another.

[GA4M]

 

It's not that he sucked, it's that he turned the game into the WWE. Playing poorly is one thing, completely losing your mind and assaulting the opposing players is another.

Let's just hope he grows out of it because now other teams know what to do to stop him, just piss him off. I figured we'd be a 7 and 9 team anyway so maybe next year.

[BlueInCanada]

 

Except for the fact that a player clearly lost his shit and the coach did nothing about it whatsoever.

 

They pull OBJ.

 

"HURRR DURR WHY DID THE COACHES DO THAT HE'S THE ONLY CHANCE OF A COMEBACK IN A MUST WIN GAME"

 

They leave OBJ in.

 

"HURRR DURR WHY DIDNT THEY PULL OBJ TO TEACH HIM A LESSON IN A MUST IN GAME"

[Allstarjim]

Yeah, he got talked to, got himself under control, and tied the game. Big deal.

[Sephiroth]

Yeah, he got talked to, got himself under control, and tied the game. Big deal.

 

 

 

They pull OBJ.

 

"HURRR DURR WHY DID THE COACHES DO THAT HE'S THE ONLY CHANCE OF A COMEBACK IN A MUST WIN GAME"

 

They leave OBJ in.

 

"HURRR DURR WHY DIDNT THEY PULL OBJ TO TEACH HIM A LESSON IN A MUST IN GAME"

 

lol Gints fans.

 

Well yeah, some Giant fans think we should be starting Nassib. Most normal people think that if your star receiver is losing his mind, you should... you know... sit him for a drive and let him get his shit together. Maybe only get one personal foul instead of three.

 

Yeah, he got talked to, got himself under control, and tied the game. Big deal.

 

That's the thing. He didn't get "talked to." Coughlin said after the game he didn't say anything to him about it.

[Tempest]

I think Tom Coughlin has been in a unique position with Odell Beckham Jr this year. Bench him because he is misbehaving and there goes your offense. This isn't an exaggeration, just the ugly truth. I can't think of another player Tom Coughlin has coached that has been as important as discipline and played the way no other Tom Coughlin coached player has.

 

We will see what the NFL hands down. At any point during the game yesterday the following could have happened: Coaches sitting their players, Refs ejecting the offenders, TV coverage shifting to the 20 other players on the field. Coaches needed their best players, the refs left them in and the game went on instead of escalating into a team brawl on the field, and the cameras rolled hoping to catch the NFL story of the season.

[NightFire]

This has been a season for the ages. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.

[Gman329]

This has been a season for the ages. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.

 

I'm watching for a lot of years (55?) and can't ever recall a season quite like this. Six of the eight losses in the last minute? By a total of 15 points? That'll test your fandom!

[Tempest]

This has been a season for the ages. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.

 

I thought that of the 2013 season. 2015 feels more like one point short.

[fringe]

This has been a season for the ages. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.

For me I see a mostly over matched team playing their hearts out and coming up just short. I think a lot of things went right to get them that close.

[TaylorBanksCarsonVanPelt]

 

I'm watching for a lot of years (55?) and can't ever recall a season quite like this. Six of the eight losses in the last minute? By a total of 15 points? That'll test your fandom!

Been watching for 46 years... this is a season where we win two of those games... we would be talking about taking on Brady's Patsies again...

[Gman329]

For me I see a mostly over matched team playing their hearts out and coming up just short. I think a lot of things went right to get them that close.

I agree....we started with mostly back ups (esp on D) and it was an injury induced revolving door from there, with each new piece a step lower on the food chain than the piece they replaced, leaving us with neither talent or cohesiveness. Under a lesser coach, we have 2 or 3 wins - maybe - and many of those close losses would have been blowouts.

[JMFP]

The sooner Coughlin retires the sooner Reese loses another excuse.

 

This defense is a joke, and that's not the fault of Coughin or Spags.

[JMFP]

 

I'm watching for a lot of years (55?) and can't ever recall a season quite like this. Six of the eight losses in the last minute? By a total of 15 points? That'll test your fandom!

There is no more pain for me. Just numbness.

[JMFP]

I agree....we started with mostly back ups (esp on D) and it was an injury induced revolving door from there, with each new piece a step lower on the food chain than the piece they replaced, leaving us with neither talent or cohesiveness. Under a lesser coach, we have 2 or 3 wins - maybe - and many of those close losses would have been blowouts.

2015 has been a season with a weak roster and reckless coaching.

[Bigblue25]

It's been four years of barely beating bad teams and barely losing to good teams. This is really a 4-12 roster. People are excited about the cap room coming this offseason...until you realize there's about 20 players under condract

[Bigblue25]

This are the guys under contract next year

Eli

Nassib

Cruz

OBJ

Harris

Pugh

Richburg

Schwartz

Beatty

Flowers

Jennings

Veereen

Williams

Diggy

Wynn

DRC

Collins

Thompson

Hankins

Bromley

Kennard

Thomas

Herzlich

[NightFire]

For me I see a mostly over matched team playing their hearts out and coming up just short. I think a lot of things went right to get them that close.

True enough and that's why I am on the fence with Coughlin. Cruz doesn't play, JPP blows up hand, OBJ goes full on retard and is suspended, season starting LBs and TEs out and Eli forgets you can snap with 1 second left multiple times. This has been trying to shine a turd. Without Coughlin and these coaches I firmly believe the Giants would be thinking about the number 1 pick.

[Allstarjim]

 

 

 

Well yeah, some Giant fans think we should be starting Nassib. Most normal people think that if your star receiver is losing his mind, you should... you know... sit him for a drive and let him get his shit together. Maybe only get one personal foul instead of three.

 

 

That's the thing. He didn't get "talked to." Coughlin said after the game he didn't say anything to him about it.

Seph know the Giants employ more than one coach, right? I saw him get talked to.

[fringe]

True enough and that's why I am on the fence with Coughlin. Cruz doesn't play, JPP blows up hand, OBJ goes full on retard and is suspended, season starting LBs and TEs out and Eli forgets you can snap with 1 second left multiple times. This has been trying to shine a turd. Without Coughlin and these coaches I firmly believe the Giants would be thinking about the number 1 pick.

Yeah LW, the only thing that bugs me about Coughlin is the consistent injuries. And I don't think there's much he can do about it except build a team like New England, which is kind of like a McDonalds where the positions are repeatable and redundant to any player of a certain talent level.

[Storm]

This are the guys under contract next year

Eli

Nassib

Cruz

OBJ

Harris

Pugh

Richburg

Schwartz

Beatty

Flowers

Jennings

Veereen

Williams

Diggy

Wynn

DRC

Collins

Thompson

Hankins

Bromley

Kennard

Thomas

Herzlich

 

 

Honestly, those are players I'd like to build a team around, everyone else can go, as far as I am concerned. Prince Amukamara, especially. He's a middling cornerback, that Giants fans inexplicably fawn over, and he always has been.