More instability is not what the New York Giants need right now. With the many holes that currently exist on the roster because of injuries and failed draft picks, a hole at head coach would exacerbate the situation. Tom Coughlin is a future Hall of Fame head coach yet he has been disrespected by countless Giants fans because of a few close losses at the end of games. While these losses certainly sting, the fact that this team is still tied for first place is pretty remarkable. What coach could do better with the current personnel that this franchise has?
Tom Coughlin Should Not Be on the Hot Seat
If anybody should be blamed for the lack of success, it should be Jerry Reese. He is the reason that the Giants have depth issues. A coach can only lead a group of players so far; the personnel needs to be strong too. Let’s take a look at some of the previous draft busts for the Giants. Just last week, the Giants cut 2013 third-round pick Damontre Moore. Missing out on a third-round pick before his rookie contract expires is inexcusable. The year before, the Giants drafted Jayron Hosley in the third round, and that pick looks pretty bad too. The value of a third-round pick is probably the only reason he is still on the roster. In 2011, the Giants drafted Jerrel Jernigan in the third round, and that pick was horrible too. He is no longer in the NFL. In 2010, the Giants drafted Chad Jones in the third round, and an unfortunate car crash ended his career before it began, so that is not Reese’s fault. However, in 2009, the Giants drafted Ramses Barden in the third round, and he isn’t in the NFL anymore either. Third-round picks are supposed to be impact players that you can build your franchise around. They aren’t supposed to be players that rarely see the field and never sign a second contract. For these five straight years, the Giants didn’t draft a single impact player in the third round. How is a team supposed to have depth if the third-round picks aren’t even panning out? Entire draft classes have been wasted and that is why the team has huge depth problems today. No head coach can lead a team to success without a solid group of players to lead. Prince Amukamara is the only player from the 2011 class still with the Giants. Jason Pierre-Paul is the only player from the 2010 class still with the Giants. If a team only drafts one or two quality players in an entire class, how can the team expect to succeed?
Because of these failures in the draft, the roster looks pretty scary today. The NFC East may be horrible, but it’s still impressive that this group is tied for first place. The offense has had some bad luck with injuries to Victor Cruz and various members of the offensive line, but that is why a team needs solid depth players. All teams suffer from injuries, but the good teams have drafted solid backups. The defensive roster is even scarier. The defensive line is a mess after Johnathan Hankins was lost for the season because the rest of the defensive tackles on the roster are mediocre. Jason Pierre-Paul is probably the best pass rusher on the team even with a partially destroyed hand, and the other defensive ends are mediocre. The linebacker situation is even worse, as Devon Kennard is the closest thing the unit has to a dynamic playmaker and he has been injured. The Giants have a nice pair of cornerbacks, but in today’s pass-happy league, teams also need a good nickelback, and the Giants don’t have one. Landon Collins looks like a promising safety, but the other safety position is a mess. There is a reason this unit has given up the most yards per game in the NFL and it’s not because of the coaching.
If Tom Coughlin can somehow lead this roster to the playoffs, that would be another impressive notch on his resume. It’s unfair, however, to expect anybody to lead a team filled with gaping holes deep into the postseason. Six wins seems about accurate for this roster, but who knows. Tom Coughlin has coached some incredible games and that is the only reason this team should have a little hope against the Panthers this week. If anybody can do it, Coughlin can.
So before you call for Coughlin’s head, look at the team he is attempting to lead to the playoffs. Coughlin is a proven winner and champion, assuming that he is coaching a roster with more than a few talented players. He did not forget how to coach overnight and his coaching style has worked in the past. If you are one of the people hoping that he gets fired, you probably were hoping the same thing when Coughlin was on the hot seat in the past. He has proven himself multiple times, and he will prove himself again if the front office builds a better team. The blame should be on Jerry Reese, not Tom Coughlin.
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