New York Giants 2013: In Jerry We (Still) Trust

Last week I wrote that a Giants win against Philadelphia could potentially turn around the season. That didn’t happen, and this season’s not getting turned around. The Giants are officially playing out the string in week 6.

But you know what? Things could be worse. We’re not the Bucs, who’s coach forced a talented quarterback out of town. We’re not the Steelers, with an aging core and an injury-prone QB. We’re not the. Jaguars with no discernible talent anywhere on the roster. Watching this 0-5 (probably soon to be 0-6) Giants team, it’s hard to believe they won the Super Bowl just two years ago with mostly the same players. But they did. I have the DVD and everything.

That core of talent has been largely injured or ineffective this season, but it’s still there. And perhaps more importantly, so is the architect of those championship teams, Jerry Reese. Since his arrival, Reese has scouted extremely well, putting together 6 seasons worth of teams that have finished no worse than 8-8 (before this one, of course). His drafts have been strong but, as Bill Barnwell at Grantland wrote today, extremely injury prone. Those injuries more than anything are what have led the Giants to the abyss they face now.

But all hope is not lost. It’s commonly said in sports that it’s better to bottom out and be terrible than to suffer in the purgatory of mediocrity, and the Giants are going to put that theory to work. The way the Gmen are playing, they will likely end up with a top-5 draft pick in each round, and I still have a lot of faith in the man who will be making those selections. It may not make this season any prettier to watch, but there’s always next year. And next year is in good hands.