EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.: Joe Judge had better hope New York Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch have decided to bring him back as coach for a third season.
If they haven’t, the way the Giants (4-11) are playing since quarterback Daniel Jones was hurt late last month is not going to help his cause. He has a 10-21 record with two games left this season. The team is riding a four-game losing streak without Jones and the losses have gotten uglier and uglier.
The worst was the 34-10 setback at Philadelphia on Sunday. The Giants were competitive on one side of the ball for a half because Pat Graham’s unit held the Eagles to three points. The second half was a blowout, thanks in part to mistakes by the offense and special teams, and failures by the tired defense.
It’s hard to say whether Judge deserves a third year. Like most coaches he works very hard. He has added good people on the roster and eliminated issues within the locker room. He just hasn’t won enough. Injuries in 2021, especially on the offensive line, didn’t help.
The Giants can’t keep turning over head coaches, though. They now have had five straight losing seasons. Ben McAdoo got thems to the playoffs in 2016 and was fired the next year. Pat Shurmur lasted two seasons. Judge is finishing up his second.
Hired in late 2017, general manager Dave Gettleman is likely going to take a fall after this season. Judge is question mark and he is not talking about it.
I think you come back every week and you go to work, and that doesnt mean its not frustrations within it, whether youre winning or losing, Judge said.
He said the addiction to coaching is working with the players and finding ways to have success. It involves showing players their mistakes and teaching them how to correct them. He insists it’s a building process.
Actually, the adrenaline, the kick you really have as a coach is that high you get from working with the team and being able to share in their success,” the 39-year-old said. “Thats really what you live for, what a coach lives for.
The question is can Mara and Tisch live with it another year?
WHAT’S WORKING
Despite the score, the defense was outstanding, especially in the first half which ended 3-3. In the second half, the Eagles got a touchdown on an interception return. Another TD was set up by an interception, and a big punt return led to a field goal. Philadelphia had one long drive, a 10-play, 75-yard series capped by the trick play TD pass to tackle Lane Johnson.
Another kudo for the Giants’ defense was it held the Eagles to 130 yards rushing, snapping Philadelphia’s streak of seven straight games at 175 yards or more.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
With Jones out for the season with a neck injury, the Giants have no offense. In the past four weeks, they have scored a combined 46 points. They were held to a season-low 192 yards by the Eagles and their lone touchdown came late with Philadelphia leading 34-3. Neither veteran Mike Glennon nor second-year QB Jake Fromm can lead this offense with the line playing poorly. There are no holes for runs. There is no time to throw. New York’s longest play was 11 yards. The Giants averaged 2.6 yards on 73 plays. That’s pathetic.
STOCK UP
To be honest, no one.
STOCK DOWN
Fromm. For a brief moment against Dallas, the former Georgia quarterback gave the impression he had a chance to be a contributor. He excelled in garbage time. In his first NFL start, he looked very much like an inexperienced quarterback playing against a good defense. No doubt his line didn’t help him. But he never helped himself with his legs and his passes were off-target. He finished 6 of 17 for 25 yards and an interception that set up the go-ahead score.
INJURIES
Backup offensive tackle Matt Peart tore an ACL in the first quarter and did not return. He was starting at right tackle with Nate Solder on the COVID-19 list. WR John Ross and DT Danny Shelton also are on the list. DB Julian Love, who shared the team lead in tackles Sunday, was added to the COVID-19 list Monday.
KEY NUMBER
2 The number of first-round picks the Giants have in the Top 8 in the NFL draft in April. Currently, they have the fifth and eighth picks (Bears). They got the second pick in the deal that allowed Chicago to draft Justin Fields with the No. 11 overall slot earlier this year.
NEXT STEPS
The Giants travel to Chicago on Sunday. OH NO!. Someone has to win, or tie, and that will affect the draft positioning.
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