The general manager is on record saying he believes this roster has more talent than the one that won the Super Bowl three years ago. The co-owner who runs the team is on record as not being a big proponent of late-season collapses or debacle-type losses.
Tom Coughlin, get thee to the playoffs.
There is no reason or excuse for the Giants falling short. They are more than healthy enough, certainly talented enough and don’t have to rely on anyone else to get where they must go.
It is all there, set up for the Giants, and if this coaching regime is to stay together, it has to get it done. Win Sunday in Green Bay, the playoff ticket is punched, the first goal is achieved and no one goes anywhere.
This is not about John Mara already deciding that Coughlin must make it to the postseason to gain a contract extension (he has one year remaining). A coach needs to save his job only when there is someone out there trying to take it away. Mara knows what sloppy coaching and dysfunctional teams look like and he sees none of that with Coughlin in charge. Mara prefers continuity over commotion. Mara, unlike many other owners, understands what an upheaval it is to fire one coaching staff and bring in another and realizes such drama only should be
foisted on an organization out of complete necessity.
But there is also the embarrassment of last year’s tank-job — a late-season demise that would have ousted a less-proven coaching regime — that cannot be forgotten. Going from 5-0 to 8-8 with a non-competitive, no-pride finish was hard to take but could be explained, in part, by too many injuries and not nearly enough depth. Going from the brink of 10-4, up 31-10 on the Eagles en route to the NFC East title, to 10-6 or 9-7 and out of the playoffs represents a pattern of stagnation that will be difficult to ignore. Mara goes by one sentiment above all others — is the arrow pointing up or down — when evaluating a coach and two consecutive non-playoff years and late-season swoons could tilt the arrow downward in his mind.
There is no need to lament the astonishing but deserving 38-31 loss to the Eagles because it represented a team-wide breakdown, from the very top to the very bottom. Coughlin at the very top failed to recognize the urgency of preventing a possible momentum-changing onside kick and Duke Calhoun at the very bottom made special-teams blunders that fueled the demise. The Giants should consider themselves fortunate that the NFL is not allowed to immediately disqualify the Giants from postseason consideration, citing as evidence the final 8:17 of that instantly infamous game.
Retribution awaits the Giants if they can defrost their shock and win a game Sunday in Green Bay at historic Lambeau Field, site of one of the greatest games not only in franchise history but in NFL annals, a modern-day overtime Ice Bowl on Jan. 20, 2008. The Giants haven’t been back, until now.
The Packers, at 8-6, are more desperate, fighting for their playoff lives. The Giants have won two games — Bears and Jaguars — against teams either in or close to in the playoffs. It is not supposed to be easy.
“All of a sudden, you’re back playing a big game again,” quarterback-turned-orator Eli Manning said. “That’s kind of what you want. All of a sudden you’re playing another team, maybe their record’s not as good, you can kind of have a little lull. I think hey, we’re playing a good team, at Green Bay, we win we’re in the playoffs. Perfect. You want to play in those games.”
The Packers have endured far more hardship than the Giants — who count Mathias Kiwanuka early and Steve Smith late as their most costly injury losses. The Packers had to figure out a way to win despite devastating injuries to leading rusher Ryan Grant in the season-opener and later lost tight end Jermichael Finley, linebackers Brad Jones and Nick Barnett, safety Morgan Burnett and tackle Mark Tauscher. They were without eight starters in last week’s loss to the Patriots. For most of the past two games, both losses, they had to play without gifted quarterback Aaron Rodgers, sitting out with a concussion. Rodgers is expected back to face the Giants; if not, backup Matt Flynn gets another start after playing well last week at New England.
If the Giants leave Green Bay having secured a playoff berth, the grand theme will be one of rebirth and resiliency, how they purged the Eagles demons, how Coughlin shepherded the flock with his steely-eyed determination. If the Giants depart needing to beat the Redskins in the regular-season finale and then must rely on help to get in, it could be a long, lonely winter.
It’s OK to scream
Let’s put this to rest. Tom Coughlin is actually getting heat in some circles for screaming at rookie Matt Dodge in full view of the TV cameras after Dodge failed to heed his instructions and send his punt out of bounds, setting in motion DeSean Jackson’s 65-yard game-winning touchdown return?
Are you kidding?
Dodge is lucky Coughlin didn’t cut him on the spot. This is the big leagues.— Paul Schwartz
Report: Rodgers cleared
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to start on Sunday against the Giants at Lambeau Field after passing his concussion tests, according to ESPN.
The Giants expected to face Rodgers, who suffered his second concussion of the season Dec. 12 at Detroit and sat out last week’s 31-27 loss to the Patriots. Backup Matt Flynn played well in New England, completing 24 of 37 passes for 251 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, but the Packers revolve around the multi-talented Rodgers.
Before last week, Rodgers had started 46 consecutive games. He has 23 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 98.5.