New York Giants: What Sunday’s Loss To Redskins Means
By Eric Mollo
The Giants have lost four games this season that they’ve led at some point in the fourth quarter. That said, their loss to the Redskins on Sunday might be the most devastating this 5-6 team has endured.
To come out of a bye week and not score until the fourth quarter is both frustrating and confusing, but it’s mostly just depleting. The season’s not over yet, but these types of performances are what cause fans to lose confidence in a team pretty quickly.
It was more than just one loss: the Giants dropped a game to their divisional opponent, are no longer in control of their destiny, and lost arguably their best offensive lineman for the season with a broken leg.
So what does it all mean for Big Blue? I think it’s summed up in one word: change. Not today or tomorrow, but at some point, the Giants have to be thinking about shaking things up. And I believe they have been, and the sense of urgency for change only may have grown after Sunday’s loss.
Right now, I think three people in the organization are getting put on notice. And to me, realistically and unfortunately, they’re fan favorites who may not be donning Giant blue next season.
Coaching: Steve Spagnuolo
I think most Giants fans will, understandably, forever hold Steve Spagnuolo in high regard after he turned the team’s defense into Super Bowl winners in 2007. But things are a bit different eight years later. The Giants’ D ranks dead last in total defense through eleven games this season and is showing no signs of pass rush, and someone has to be held responsible. I think the guy is Spagnuolo.
The defense was invisible Sunday, and giving up yet another backbreaking play to DeSean Jackson was only a microcosm of what fans have seen from the defense all year: big plays, long drives, and just overall poor play. And the roars for a defensive improvement, if not an overhaul, are growing. They rank last in total yards, passing yards, and sacks, and in the NFC, only Tampa, Philadelphia, and Detroit have given up more points.
Some fans will very reasonably argue Spagnoulo needs a bit of a longer leash because he wasn’t given a lot of talent with which to work—especially minus Jason Pierre-Paul for most of this year. But I’m not sure that argument holds up here. A lot of people, including myself, also thought the Panthers were short on overall talent heading into this season, and Rex Ryan walked right into the Jets’ head coaching job a few years back and developed his defensive “talent,” something the Giants haven’t don’t this season. So, I think it’s fair to say that word “talent” is a bit of a loose term. No matter how much or little talent a team has, they are still NFL players and its inexcusable to be ranked last in so many major categories.
Pardon my continued criticism of Spags (I don’t mean to pile on), but after his successful ’07-’08 stint with New York, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing either. I could understand his poor Rams’ tenure, as the responsibilities for a head coach are different than a coordinator’s, but the 2012 Saints defense he coordinated was historically bad. And this year’s Giants defense is, again, extremely poor. It’s certainly not fair to put all the responsibility on Spagnuolo’s shoulders, but I do believe there’s a decent chance he won’t be coordinating the Giants’ defense next season.
Personnel: Jason Pierre-Paul
The Giants defense has played better since Pierre-Paul’s return, despite him no registering a sack yet. And Sunday’s loss to Washington wasn’t on Pierre-Paul’s shoulders by any means. Nor does his quiet day mean he didn’t have an impact. But what the unit showed on Sunday is that they are treading toward that overhaul territory, and if they do let some personnel go, I think Pierre-Paul may be the biggest name from which the team moves on.
This isn’t to put the blame for the team’s defensive struggles solely on Pierre-Paul, nor is it to say that his July 4th accident has brought this team down. It’s just that Pierre-Paul will demand money this offseason. And given his sturdy but still relatively unproven recovery coming back from his hand injury, and the type of money the still very tools-y soon-to-be 27-year-old defensive end will likely demand, I just see the Giants investing their money elsewhere.
Nov 3, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) sits on the bench during second half against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
I think the team would like to have Pierre-Paul back—he’s proven thus far he could help stabilize a struggling defense. But if he’s not the same double-digit sack threat fans know him as, I just think the Giants will invest their money and draft picks in cheaper options since they don’t need just one pass rusher, but multiple.
And think: they were in contract negotiations with Pierre-Paul before his hand injury. They wanted to keep him, but only at the right price. If that price is still too high, I think the Giants will be willing to let him walk and start with a number of new personnel along the defensive line.
Front Office: Jerry Reese
Back to that talent thing…
I don’t think Sunday’s loss was indicative of the lack of talent the Giants have on their roster, but the lack of deep talent. When Robert Ayers or Jason Pierre-Paul weren’t on the field, it was as if the pass rush didn’t exist. And for pretty much the entire afternoon, anyone not named Beckham or Manning were no sort of offensive threat. The Giants’ comeback on Sunday showed the team does have some talent and firepower to compete, but their falling short exposed a greater issue that fans have seen all season: this team’s just not that deep. And that falls on Reese.
Next: New York Giants: 5 Things that Went Wrong Sunday
Jerry Reese has helped bring two Super Bowls to New York, and only a handful of general managers can say they’ve won two Super Bowls in their tenure, particularly one that hasn’t even spanned just under a decade like Reese’s.
But for all the incredibly savvy moves Reese has made over the years, the team’s more recent transactions haven’t been as hot, such as signing Rashad Jennings and Preston Parker, and drafting Andre Williams. And for what he’s not done—addressing the right tackle position with a more-proven player than Marshall Newhouse, for instance—deserves some criticism as well.
The Giants’ season is not over yet, and a lot can change in five weeks—wins against the Panthers and Vikings would certainly alter my currently bleak outlook. But should things look similar to what fans saw on Sunday, fans could also expect some changes to come this offseason. Right now, Steve Spagnuolo, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Jerry Reese may be the victims of that change.