And then there were two as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers prepare to play in Super Bowl LIV this weekend. It’s a fitting conclusion to the 2019 season. However, for the remaining 30 teams, work has already begun for the 2020 season.
New York Giants fans can’t come away but being highly-impressed by new head coach Joe Judge. His no-nonsense style to coaching conjures up memories of Giants legends Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin during their tenures as the franchise’s head coach. Both conveyed conviction, passion, and confidence when they stepped on a football field.
Having a dynamic leader at the head coaching position is a must for all teams looking to contend for a Super Bowl title. The Giants were desperate to hire a coach that had a firm hand. Judge guarantees to instill some accountability inside the locker room. He feels winning teams possess good fundamentals and exhibit toughness on the field.
The goal is to restore some form of pride to a franchise that has won four Super Bowl titles but has hit some hard times of late. The prior two head coaches (Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur) failed miserably at that task.
New Giants Coach Joe Judge Hopes to Reestablish the Legacy of Past Greats
What Made Parcells and Coughlin Great Coaches
Under Parcells and Coughlin, the Giants raised four Vince Lombardi trophies in the air. Mostly because they were dynamic coaches who offered direction and leadership to their players in reaching the ultimate goal in the NFL. Neither man was content on being 8-8 or 9-7 as their mindset was Super Bowl or bust. Claiming a participation trophy wasn’t in their DNA.
Both built a winning culture by expecting their players to come to work each day and give 100 percent to the team’s cause. Sure, bodies will ache over the course of a season. Still, everyone on that 53-man roster was expected to put the team first and play to their best ability for 60 minutes each Sunday.
Parcells and Coughlin held similar coaching values but went about their business differently. Parcells rallied his players in unison by establishing an “us against them” mentality inside the locker room, while Coughlin was all about establishing a strict, discipline system that had serious consequences for those players who broke the rules. Still, if Coughlin hadn’t loosened his rigid coaching style, those last two Super Bowl victories would have never occurred.
This mindset or philosophy isn’t for every coach, but it has been quite successful for the Giants franchise.
Judge Is His Own Coach
Physical football isn’t outdated and if you think this is a false statement, then look at this January’s playoff results. The victor’s formula for success was keeping the game a low-scoring affair by establishing a strong running game and an outstanding pass rush that neutralizes the opposing quarterback in the pocket.
Judge is going to try to bring this “tough guy” mentality back to the Giants sidelines next season. He will rely on his coaching staff to accomplish this goal. Together, they must preach to the players to get physical off the snap and win control of the line of scrimmage. The work begins at OTAs and training camp as the foundation must be built before Week 1 of the regular season.
Giants fans are desperately looking for the team to return to their winning ways. The drought has been one playoff appearance in eight seasons since the Giants’ last Super Bowl win. Despite having certain characteristics of past Giants coaches, Judge will develop his own coaching style on the sidelines. Still, his success will be determined by how fast his players learn and adapt their skills to a more physical style of play.
It’s back to basics for the Giants.
