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New York Giants’ Week 10 Embarrassment Shows Change Is Needed

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By @AnthonyBeers

Giants Defense vs Seahawks

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants are in the exact spot they were  a season ago. Nine games into the season, they are 3-6, and the media is begging Giants players and coaches for answers. What else is there to say when the Giants’ defense gives up 350 rushing yards in a game? That’s the most ever in Seattle Seahawks history. That’s the most in an NFL game since 2009. The Giants’ defense gives up a league-worst 404.9 yards per game. The saying goes stats are for losers, but in this case, the stats don’t lie.

Tom Coughlin has provided Giants fans with fantastic memories and should be forever loved, but there’s no question the clock is ticking on his stay. It’s hard to beat that old horse because the media has overplayed a Coughlin departure far too often. Honestly though, this year feels different. Following a loss the attitude behind a team’s response is everything. This year, minus Eli Manning and a handful of others, the attitude’s been bad.

Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News reported that Jason Pierre-Paul said he missed the team’s halftime adjustments because he was “in the bathroom.” Yes, he actually said that to a reporter. Pierre-Paul’s honesty had no direct impact on the Giants’ embarrassing loss, but the fact that he thought it was a good idea to share that information is just absurd. It makes it seem like he doesn’t care how himself or the Giants are perceived in the media. If that’s true, that’s a serious problem. His future with the team remains unclear.

While Coughlin’s head is put on a stick in the media, very little is mentioned of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. For several years, even in the midst of a run to the Super Bowl, the defense has given up a ton of yardage consistently under Fewell. He’s failed to overcome the injuries this defense has suffered over recent weeks. He often blames the players. And when there’s no question they should play better, there’s a serious lack of accountability and honor behind that blame. Had it not been for Jon Beason last season, Fewell would have easily been out of the job. Hey Fewell, the winless Oakland Raiders have a better defense than yours. It’d be shocking if he wasn’t gone by the end of the year at this rate.

If a long list of Giants’ problems could be narrowed down to just one, it would be how the Giants coaches are handling the amount of injuries the team has had. The Giants may define the phrase walking wounded, but that’s football. It’s up to the coaches to determine who gives the Giants the best chance to win and create a scheme that best suits current players and situations. The coaches have not changed the schemes, and several players deserve more playing time than they’ve received. The hollers from the fans of seeing more Corey Washington have validity. Robert Ayers and Damontre Moore have been more effective in their limited snaps than Pierre-Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka have been as every down players. As the worst defense in the league, Fewell has nothing to lose by trying new schemes.

The Seahawks only attempted 17 passes on Sunday. A vast majority of their rushing attempts were zone reads where Russell Wilson either elected to keep it or hand it to Marshawn Lynch. It’s a play commonly run by most high schools in America. The Giants were still getting caught out of position by it in the fourth quarter. The Giants were embarrassed. Wellington Mara was rolling in his grave.

Alas in the NFL, every game is meaningful and will continue to be so. Many Giants players and coaches are officially fighting for jobs. Pride, which hasn’t been present in recent weeks, is on the line. Rolling over for draft picks is dishonorable. There are seven games left to play for crying out loud. Hit people. Play for each other. Try new schemes. Reward the right players. And maybe, just maybe, the Giants can come away with something they haven’t seen in over five weeks.

A win.

Anthony Beers is an NFL columnist specializing in the New York Giants at www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on twitter @AnthonyBeers. 

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