Tom Coughlin Needs To Keep His Job

Well, the Giants’ collapse is all but complete.  With yesterday’s 45-17 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field, it will take a whole string of events for Big Blue to back in to the playoffs.  There is certainly plenty of blame to go around, but lay off Tom Coughlin.

Following a loss in what was a “win and you’re in” scenario, the series of events necessary for the Giants to get into the playoffs has gotten longer and more convoluted.  First of all, they MUST win next Sunday when they play at the Redskins. If they don’t win, it doesn’t matter, they’re out.  In addition to a win, Green Bay must lose to Chicago, OR New Orleans must lose BOTH of their remaining games.

With names like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Jim Harbough looming in the shadows, presumably considering their options for NFL jobs next season, it has become very easy to point the finger of blame at Giants’ coach Tom Coughlin.  Granted, the team has melted down in a way that has become all too familiar to Giants fans over the past few years, but the old ball coach deserves to at least coach out the rest of his contract (one more year, following this one).

This is Coughlin’s 7^th season in New York, and his overall record is 64-47, with four playoff appearances, two division titles and, oh yea, remember that Super Bowl?  Coughlin has a career head-coaching record of 132-107, making the playoffs 8 times in 15 years.   The Giants’ collapse this year has hinged on many things that are beyond the head coach’s control.  He has a quarterback who throws way too many bad interceptions.  He has one running back who can’t hold on to the ball, and another who didn’t really bring it until about week 5.  He should have a premier wide receiver who is, instead, sitting in prison with a hole in his leg.  He has a kicker who can’t kick the freakin’ ball out of bounds when his only responsibility was to KICK THE FREAKIN’ BALL OUT OF BOUNDS!

No one would say that the Giants haven’t been a disappointment over the past two seasons, but it would be shortsighted to place the blame on Coughlin to the point where it would cost him his job.  Just remember, that same Bill Cowher, who everyone is so excited about the possibility of, didn’t win his first Super Bowl in Pittsburgh until his 14^th year.