New York Giants: Examining Pattern of Losses
Over the course of the last 3 years, the New York Giants have been a disaster, let’s be honest. A record of 22-26 over that time span doesn’t exactly speak to the potential hall of fame pedigree of head coach Tom Coughlin, and quarterback Eli Manning. What are they lacking? What is the core problem or problems?
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At the end of last season, I felt as though it was time to move on from Coughlin. What stood out to me the most was when following a game against the San Francisco 49ers he told the media that the quarterback sneak isn’t in the playbook. To me that reeked of his inability to adapt and change for the better.
What makes Bill Belichick great? He’s willing to do whatever it takes to win (cue the deflate gate and spygate jokes). He’s had players drop-kick extra points, linebackers catch touchdown passes, redefined the tight end position, wide receivers play cornerback, and much more. My point is that he never leaves anything out of the question.
When was Coughlin at his best? When he was willing to change for the betterment of the team. Take a peak at the 2007 season for reference.
Finally, the organization decided to get away from his old-school style of coaching when they hired Ben McAdoo last offseason to bring a faster pace west coast offense. Even with McAdoo aboard, the need to achieve balance still irked Coughlin, and you could tell his offensive strategy was still very much alive in the new system.
I get that balance is important, but when you have a run game that averages 3.6 yards a carry, what will balance actually accomplish? Now, I’m not here to completely blame Coughlin for the struggles, injuries have decimated this team to its core.
Last offseason, the team looked like filled major needs in all 3 phases, until almost all of their acquisitions fell due to injury. Walter Thurmond III, Rashad Jennings, Geoff Schwartz and others missed significant time in significant roles. Not to mention, season-ending injuries to Prince Amukamara, Jon Beason, and Victor Cruz.
Oct 5, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) makes a catch during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at MetLife Stadium. The New York Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons 30-20.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
There’s no need for me to go on about the offensive line. We all know they’ve lacked chemistry as a unit, and have failed to run block well enough. I don’t feel like beating a dead horse on that topic.
Field position is what concerns me the most, and is the reason they spent big on Dwayne Harris in free agency. They ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards per kick return last year, which is something that needs to change. Special teams as a whole has to play better on this team come 2015, as they’ve been the source of big problems in the past.
So when you add questionable coaching, injuries, bad offensive line play, and poor special teams, you’re bound to lose some football games. These are all facets the team aimed to fix over the offseason with draft picks, free agent signings, and coach hirings. We’ll have to see how healthy this current group stays, and if they’re willing to learn from past mistakes.