The Book on Coughlin

We preempt the regularly scheduled Game Rewind of TENN-NYG to bring you a little more discussion on Tom Coughlin.

Pete has been chronicling the deficiencies of our head coach for quite a while now.  A lot has been happening the past few weeks to the entire team that bears more commenting and discussion.  Go ahead and call us negative, but the problems are right there in front of all of us.

• The Jacobs saga took all of one game to surface.  His words indicated clearly to us that he would be playing for his teammates, but not for the coach.
• Deon Grant called a team meeting last week.
• Antrel Rolle spoke out to the media.
• Rolle’s remarks (whether you liked him speaking out or not) painted a very clear picture of a dysfunctional organization.
• Coughlin says that he warned the players about the chippiness of TENN on Saturday, yet a day later they went wild with 5 personal fouls and 11 penalties anyway.  It means the players have tuned him out and they are not playing for him.
• The team won an ‘Ugly Contest’ in Week 1.
• The team was humiliated in Week 2 and was uncompetitive.  This repeated a pattern from last year, when the team was uncompetitive in FIVE contests.
• Week 3 the team showed effort, was physical, outplayed the opponent but became unglued and lost their poise.
• Ed Valentine (Big Blue View) and this blog don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but when he asks (Tom Coughlin) “Why does Tom Quinn Have A Job?” we agree 100%.
• The Giants are tied for second in turnovers.  Weak discipline.  Weak coaching.

The season is young and this can always turn around, but I doubt it will be anything meaningful or lasting.  Before the season began, I predicted 8-8.  I said 8-8 after Game 1.  I said 8-8 after Game 2.  I still say 8-8 after Game 3.  The Giants play enough garbage (the entire NFL s*cks once you get past the first ~6-7 teams, none of which are in the NFC East) that it can still get to 8 wins while beating enough mediocrity.

I know there are a great many of you that get disappointed when we cast a shadow on an entire season while we are still less than 20% of the way through.  But what other conclusion can you draw?  We drew the same sobering conclusions two weeks ago, yet here we are two weeks later with the same problems.

The best thing that could have happened to the Giants was the Bears WINNING on Monday night.  Now maybe they’ll be fat and happy on 6 days rest travelling on the road, with less emotion, and let down long enough for us to get a win.  Change, while doubtful, is always possible.  That’s why they play the games!

Oh, by the way, what do you think the line should be this coming Sunday night?  Wonder would make the Bears a favorite over the Giants.  I just checked the line, the Giants are laying -4 vs the 3-0 Bears.  Let me get this straight, I have a dysfunctional 1-2 team laying -4 vs the 3-0 Bears?  No one in their right mind should lay 4 pts with this team, yet this is just like Week 1… The Giants will win and cover.  The line makes absolutely ZERO sense to me.  It is a trap.  They are inviting you to make “easy” money and take the 3-0 Bears +4.  That is why it is a trap.  I smell it already, some of the starters will be on specials and they’ll be breathing fire to redeem themselves from the embarrassment of two weeks prior at IND.  The Giants will be 2-2 at the end of the weekend.  And I will still be forecasting 8-8.