New York Giants Lose 7 Straight, Fans Deserve Better
The New York Giants are a team so accustomed to losing this season, that a 21 point lead was not safe in Jacksonville. The game was lost after Eli Manning suffered a sack fumble in the closing minute. The Giants however can not blame one play or for that matter have one scapegoat for the defeat. This is a team that almost seems committed to losing as now things are getting embarrassing.
Having lost 7 straight games pretty much sums up the season as the Giants can’t finish games since in critical moments they have failed to execute. When Tom Coughlin’s team has been tested this season, they have folded to the pressure. In the beautiful scenery of Jacksonville, the Giants added their 9th loss of the 2014 season.
This was very much a tale of two 30 minute periods of football. In the first half Big Blue led 21-0. Manning and the Giants offense dominated in time of possession, sustaining 3 lengthy scoring drives. The defense completely shut down the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense, it was a rare moment of dominance for the 31st ranked Giants’ defense. In the second half the Giants completely and utterly fell apart.
It was eerily like the Cowboys game, the pass protection fell apart in the second half
Piece by piece, the Jaguars tore into the Giants lead. The Jaguars started to dominate the line of scrimmage defensively. The Giants saw Manning get sacked 4 times, all in the second half. The whole team fell apart in the second half much like last week against the Dallas Cowboys. It was an inexcusable loss for the Giants, to a team that was even more flawed than they were. The little things win football games, just ask the Jaguars since they capitalized on them.
New York had little miscue after miscue as it eventually caught up to them. They dropped a sure interception in the end zone and allowed the Jaguars to kick a field goal. There were a few dropped passes, missed blocks and blown assignments in coverage but the interception that could have been, in the first half sticks out as the most frustrating. Even when the Giants had defensive success in their fingertips, they let it slip away.
Nov 30, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; The New York Giants breaks up the pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Cecil Shorts(84) during the second quarter at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The most abysmal stretch of football came when on a 3rd and 15 after a sack, Larry Donnell fumbled after catching a pass in the flats, the fumble was recovered for a touchdown. Eli Manning also had a fumble that resulted in a Jaguars touchdown deep in Giants territory.
It was unbelievable and hard to believe considering how the game started in the favor of the Giants finally showing some pride. It was jaw dropping to see a team find such embarrassing ways to lose a game.
There were a few positives in this gut wrenching and heart breaking affair. The Giants rushing attack was highlighted by an impressive 91 yards and 2 touchdowns from a former Jaguar in Rashad Jennings. Odell Beckham Jr continued to shine with 7 receptions for 90 yards. The Giants’ offense in the first half was actually a beautiful thing to watch.
The 21-0 start looked almost effortless. Ben McAdoo had his offense well prepared and they were hitting on all cylinders. None of these positives matter however. Nothing matters but the scoreboard in the National Football League.
What the New York Giants are doing to their fans is nothing short of emotional torture.
The job does not stop for a 7-game losing streak. There is no pity party and there is no time for sulking. Tom Couglin and his staff must figure out what changed the course of this game.
When did the smooth sailing stop and what caused the loss of momentum and ultimately the game? What do they need to fix to prevent this in future games? These are all questions that the coaching staff and the players need to actively attempt to answer.
The Giants have an amazing fan base that deserves better than this. These fans are faithful who wear their blue every Sunday and who live and die on every snap, that is who the Giants let down. The fans deserve better. The Giants lost a very winnable game that they had firm control of. It was the worst loss of the season because it is so unacceptable.
This team is not great but you have to wonder when it will show some pride. When will it fight through the adversity and have their will unbent by the pressure of failure? When will they give the fans what they deserve? Ultimately these are just a handful of questions that might not be answered until the offseason is finally here to start the rebuilding process.