The New York Giants crushed the Titans this weekend, and they'll play at home against the Washington Redskins next Sunday. Here’s some of the latest buzz:
Coughlin’s future being evaluated
Coach Tom Coughlin most likely won’t be fired before the season is over, but the Giants’ management are evaluating his progress this season.
In an interview a few days ago, Giants co-owner Steve Tisch said that he doesn’t “blame Tom Coughlin.
“I think it’s unfair to blame one individual,” Tisch said, according to Newsday. “That’s totally unacceptable. Tom has been very gracious saying ‘Blame me, blame me, blame me.’ I don’t blame Tom Coughlin. I don’t blame any single player. It’s just been a very frustrating year. We’ve had a lot of injuries . . . with starters, with key players, with captains. It’s been a tough, tough year. But we’re going to get it right.”
With no heir apparent to Coughlin’s long and mostly successful tenure with the Giants, the owners might have to give him another shot.
“We'll look at what needs to be changed, what needs to be adjusted, what needs to be fixed and what positions both on the playing field and in the coaching staff need to be replaced,” Tisch added.
Manning has no injuries
The Giants downplayed the notion that Eli Manning might be hurt after he didn’t appear for the last two snaps against the Titans and spending extra time in the trainer’s room.
“I think he’s sore and had some ice [after the game],” Coughlin said Monday, according to NJ.com. “That is probably what he was doing. There really hasn’t been any report to me on anything like [an injury]. ... ”It’s normally just maintenance for him. I’m not speaking out of turn, I don’t know a lot about anything else and nobody seems to be overly concerned.”
Manning has started 175 straight games since 2004--the current league leader.
“Everything’s good, just kind of my normal procedures after a game,” Manning said on Monday, according to the NY Post. “I was getting some ice like I do most games, I didn’t think about it much, I just kind of hung out there a little bit longer. I was celebrating, kind of laughing with the trainers and some players were in there just kind of talking. … I did an interview with [Giants radio voice] Bob Papa, so that kind of took some time. I ended up being in there longer than usual just kind of enjoying the win and taking my time.
Beckham has ‘greatest catch’
Former Giants WR David Tyree, who made one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history, said that rookie WR Odell Beckham Jr. made “the greatest catch I’ve ever witnessed” in the loss against the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago.
“It’s a great thing that we can have those discussions, talking about making great plays. Unfortunately, (Beckham’s catch against the Cowboys) didn’t come in the right context, but it’s definitely worthy of all merits and discussions,” he told the New York Daily News.
He added: “The truth is, he could do something better, probably,” Tyree said. “I don’t know. The ceiling is very, very high for the young man.”
“In all honesty, you try to wait to say things like this, but he’s the most talented football player I’ve ever seen in my life. Talents only take you so far, but he has the desire. He has the heart. He enjoys the game. He loves the game. He loves going to work. So the potential and what could be and what should be is fantastic. We just have to keep him humble and keep him hungry.”
NEXT PAGE - ‘Good day’ for Coughlin after game
Coughlin has a good day after winning a game
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — It’s been a long time since Tom Coughlin had a chance to enjoy the day after a game — a real long time.
Coughlin wasn’t able to put his feet on his desk Monday in the wake of a 36-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. There were game tapes to review, meetings with coaches, front office and medical personnel and the little things that go into being a head coach.
What wasn’t hanging over his head were questions about the Giants’ losing streak. It ended at seven on Sunday.
There were no questions about what he said to the team to boost their moral or even ones about his own future as the Giants’ coach with the team (4-9) not making the playoffs for a third straight season.
There was good news, too. Eli Manning seemingly came out of the game healthy.
“Monday’s are hectic, probably a more difficult day for a head coach more than a lot of days because your emotions don’t go away,” Coughlin said.
“The build-up to the game, the game itself, the emotions, win or lose, the emotions are certainly different. The next day when you lose is an extremely difficult day because you have all of these emotions on top of the facts of the day before, and you are striving to make the corrections and pull people together and understand why you didn’t win, etc., etc., etc.”
The Giants’ win was their first since the opening weekend in October.
“When you win, it reinforces what you are doing and it does make for a better day,” Coughlin said.
If there was any concern after the game, it was Manning’s health. He wasn’t sacked in the game and didn’t seem to hurt himself. However, the 33-year-old seemed to spend more time than normal in the trainer’s room after the game having his shoulder examined.
Coughlin said his belief was that Manning was sore and was icing his shoulder as a precaution. Since the players were off Monday, Manning would not be back in the building until Tuesday.
“He will start out in the weight room and if he needs to stop in the training room, he will do that,” Coughlin said. “It is normally just maintenance for him. I am not speaking out of turn, I don’t know a lot about anything else. No one seems to be overly concerned.”
The other positive for the Giants was the play of their young players, particularly the rookies.
First-round draft pick Odell Beckham Jr. had 11 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. Second-round pick Weston Richburg had a solid game at left guard, while third-round pick Jay Bromley was in the rotation in the defensive line.
Fourth-round pick Andre Williams ran for a career-best 131 yards, including a 50-yard TD run, and fifth-round choice Devon Kennard came from his linebacker spot to record his second straight game with two sacks.
“In order to advance this team, these young guys have got to get great experience and they are starting to get it,” Coughlin said.
Second-year defensive end Damontre Moore also made the most of his expanded playing time, getting two of the team’s eight sacks.
