The Great Debate (Not Presidential)

John Carney or Lawrence Tynes?

Mr. Perfect or Prime Time?

$1,045,000 or The Free Agent?

Right before the start of the game on Sunday, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News wrote “Tom Coughlin has said all along that he won’t switch back to Tynes until he is absolutely sure his knee is no longer an issue. He has no plans to activate two kickers for a game, so the last thing he needs is for Tynes to get hurt in the middle of the game and leave the Giants without any kicker at all.” So, Carney got the call for the fourth straight game and was perfect once again with three field goals and fiven extra points, bringing his season totals to 12 for 12 on field goals and 13 for 13 on extra points.

But this week like every other game for the rest of the season, Tom Coughlin will have to make a decision on who to use as the kicker. It is a really a tough choice and a hard one for Coughlin.

You have Lawrence Tynes who kicked the Giants to the Super Bowl (on his third try) and was given a five-year deal worth $7 million. And on the other hand you have John Carney who has yet to miss a kick and has done nothing but prove that he deserves the job. I am a firm believer that you should not lose your job to injury and I think Coughlin thinks the same way, but there are some more factors that go into the debate.

If the Giants aren’t going to play Carney, they aren’t going to keep him, at least not for the long run because Coughlin feels the roster spot could be used another way, I disagree. And after watching Martin Grammatica lose an important game for the Saints Monday night, there are other jobs out ther efor Carney and he won’t remain a free agent for long.

So say Tynes gets his job back. And say he messes up and misses a field goal here or there or even worse an important one that could decide the game. If Carney is standing on the sidelines, don’t think for a second that it won’t become a big time story in the papers. And forget about the scneario that Tynes might mess up. What about the simple fact that if Tynes gets hurt again and Carney has already been released and signed by another team? Then what do the Giants do? Sign someone else who they know nothing about?

I think the decision is simple. You kick Carney until he proves he can’t do the job and he hasn’t done that yet. Tynes hasn’t kicked in a real game since February and Carney has been perfect. Not alright. Not good. Not great. But perfect. I understand that Tynes is earning $1,045,000 this season, but winning games is what is important. And with John Carney as the kicker, the Giants are undefeated.