N.Y. Giants ~ Dallas Aftermath

NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS:
Coaches Not On Same Page.

One of the more disturbing things I saw Sunday versus the Cowboys was Coach Coughlin and Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell bickering with each other.  The way Dallas and Dez Bryant torched our secondary I can see why they'd both be frustrated.

But here's my concern.  Coach Perry Fewell has been mentioned lately as a candidate to become a Head Coach.  The talk originally surfaced when Wade Phillips was fired from Dallas.  I'm hoping this was just an isolated in-game argument during a game gone bad, that was quickly forgotten by the two.  What I'm hoping against is this being the beginning of a rift between the two.  I don't want Coach Fewell leaving to take a Head Coaching job so soon after taking our position like Coach Steve Spagnuolo did; it's just disruptive to the big picture.



What Happened To Perry Fewell's Defense?

The cat is out of the bag.  The Giants have been exposed.  Attack our suspect secondary utilizing three step quarterback drops.  Our pass rush is predicated on our Defensive Front-Four.  The best way to thwart them is getting rid of the ball quickly.

I'd suspect Coach Coughlin had a bigger problem with the gaping holes in secondary coverage than the lack of a pass-rush.  It seemed as if Coach Fewell didn't have any reasonable solutions for containing Dallas' Dez Bryant.  Corner-back Terrell Thomas offered, "They attacked our weakness.  They went right after us and kind of caught us off guard."

My questions are how and why?  How did they catch you off guard and why did they catch you off guard?

If this be the case then maybe Coach Coughlin was justified snapping at his Defensive Coach.



Oh, Our Aching Line!

With every pun intended, it's painfully obvious, injured Center Shaun O'Hara is one of the most important players in a Giants' uniform.  It was painfully evident when the Giants could not convert a fourth down and one with a hand-off to Brandon Jacobs.  Although I thought he made the first down, there was little to no surge from the Offensive Line.  Shaun O'Hara's importance was painfully evident when Kevin Boothe got called for a holding penalty calling back a touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks.  It was also painfully obvious on the missed snap and Eli's ill advised pass attempt.  While iron-man David Diehl's importance to this line should not go under-spoken, everything starts with the Center position.

Kevin Boss added his name to the list of casualties by injuring his tail bone making a stellar catch and having his legs removed from under him.



Fourth Down and Gilbride To Go..

Because our Offensive Line is compromised my next comment should be taken in stride.  It's been my pet-peeve this season, as you know.

The failure to gain one yard and get a first down when faced with 4th down and 1 is representative of something I've been saying and stand by.

Coach Gilbride calls plays based on what he wants to do.  He's pass happy; gets cute and greedy.  Blah blah.  There are enough play calls to go around to throw the ball less than he does, and invest those plays into getting Brandon Jacobs more touches and a better vibe for attacking the line of scrimmage.  There's things Coach Gilbride likes to do, but there's things we absolutely must do in dire situations.  Whether you like it or not, Jacobs is on this roster and has to be looked to in short yardage situations as your bread and butter.  Coach Gilbride just has not given him enough touches this year.  As the inclement weather gets closer, the ability to execute when you absolutely have to becomes more detrimental to a team's success.




Mike.BTB