The New York Giants’ 45-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday proved that they are not a team that should be feared. There aren’t many teams that would be afraid to match up against them in the playoffs, assuming they even get in. The Giants need to win next week against the Redskins and need the Packers to lose to the Bears in order to punch their ticket.
The reasons teams should not be afraid of the G-Men were on full display against Green Bay: a lack of heart, as illustrated by the 515 yards surrendered by their defense, and a propensity for turning the ball over. The Giants committed six turnovers on four interceptions and two fumbles. Several of those turnovers — most notably the fumbles — came as the Giants were putting together promising drives. Sorry, Tom Coughlin. There’s no blaming Matt Dodge for this loss.
We thought the Giants would use last week’s collapse against the Eagles as a source of motivation that would carry them against the Packers. Obviously, we were wrong. We also thought there was no way Giants head coach Tom Coughlin’s job would end up in jeopardy — wrong again. If New York misses the playoffs it will be this game, not the Miracle in the New Meadowlands, that costs Coughlin his job.
Take it from a life-long Giants fan — last week was horrific. Sunday’s loss was worse. The lack of fire that the team played with at Lambeau shows that they quit, and that reflects poorly on their head coach. Coughlin may not deserve to be fired, but when a team falls apart like this and a guy like Bill Cowher has openly stated he wants the job, it could very well become a reality.
The Giants have put their fate in the hands of the Packers and the future looks grim. Next week, the Packers face a Bears team that could have nothing to gain by playing their starters. Ironically, the Bears might be the only team with any reservations about playing the Giants after what happened last time the two met — another factor which could lead the Bears to lay down for the Packers. No matter what happens, the Giants aren’t going to scare anybody — except maybe Jay Cutler.
Photo credit: AP Photo/Jim Prisching
