New York Giants

More of the same from these burly New York Giants

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Maybe the times were changing. Maybe $200 million would not have been spent in vain. Maybe the New York Giants could rise above the sound and fury and break out of this perpetual slump. But maybe, it would be the same old Giants. Glitzy free agent acquisitions and all may be the reason why they find themselves embarrassingly outplayed in a prime time game.

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) drops a pass during the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The narrative is the same as GMen HQ Experts discussed last week. Would the collapse in Week 3 against the Washington Redskins be an omen for another hapless, forgettable, mind-numbing season? There are holes and deficiencies all over this team, but the most prominent must be addressed first. And that is the quarterback, Eli Manning.

The stats and records get rolled out every time this guy steps on the field. Yes, he is an iron man and yes he has been remarkably unremarkable in his dozen years in the league. But the glimmer on those two Lombardi trophies is dimming quickly. For all involved, it might be best for Manning to give it one more year after this one and call it quits. For Odell Beckham, who can’t seem to make it obvious enough he wants the ball.

It does not take a legendary Giants player to state what is becoming writing on the wall.

[The Giants] can’t allow [Beckham] to just get up and say, ‘I’m going to be who I am. I’m going to do what I want to do.’ No, you’re part of a team, buddy.”

Bekcham may need to hear this advice from a legendary Giants great, however.

For Ben McAdoo, who needs an Aaron Rodgers prototype to validate his promotion. And for the team as a whole. The majority of which were not even in the league the last time the Giants sniffed the playoffs.

The Giants need a Vladimir Putin. Such an analogous leader for the Giants would instill a sense that they have a chance no matter the opponent. The past four years, this has not been the case. It is almost a foregone conclusion that the Giants lose games like they did to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Lackadaisical effort, incompetent play, lackluster play calling, and a lack of assertiveness that is a telltale sign of a team with no confidence. The offense had one screen play break open for 70 yards, after three quarters of near futility, only to have the defense cede another touchdown 5 minutes later.

The whole organization has been in free fall the past four years. The only thing keeping them afloat right now are 80 years of organizational stability, and a quarterback who is not a complete invalid. These are the Jacksonville Jaguars with a little more history and two incredible post season runs in the past 10 years.

The desperation and lack of fortitude has been highlighted on GMen HQ. Two years is a rebuild in the modern NFL; four years of non-improvement and massive overhauls is the sign of an organization in free fall. If the “proven” 2-time Super Bowl MVP can not lead this team, it is time to find a new leader. If the overhauled defense still has issues with an average quarterback like Sam Bradford, then there must be deeper changes made to the structure of the organization. Losing to mediocre quarterbacks is nothing new to these Giants though; the past few years have seen the Giants get thoroughly handled by the likes of Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford (multiple times), and Drew Stanton.

On Monday night, the Vikings fielded back up tackles on BOTH the right and left sides. Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre Paul put as much pressure on Sam Bradford as a toddler does throwing a punch.

The Giants had no sacks. The Giants are at the very bottom in this stat alone. To borrow from hockey terminology, they committed a “hat trick” of problems. .They did not force a turnover, for one. Second, they missed key tackles. Third, they committed penalties that not only extended drives but led directly to points. Vernon and Pierre Paul, despite their relatively low production, still see the highest percentage of snaps of any defensive players on the team. In fact, the two of them see more snaps than Von Miller, Everson Griffen, and every other defensive end that has more sacks than the two of them combined.

Is this Steve Spagnuolo utilizing his unstoppable forces into the ground? Not quite, although by the time week eight gets here, both ends could find themselves on injured reserve. No, they see so much time because the reserves, who don’t really need mention, have much less to offer even than the two starters. The same starters, who demand over $60 million in guaranteed money, but combined have only two sacks on the season. It really is something to behold. As an organization just four years removed from a Super Bowl victory, finding themselves, to borrow another term, in a “pigskin recession.”

Firing Tom Coughlin was the first call to action; then, they followed the New York Yankee scouting principle of scouting free agents in times of desperation instead of developing younger players. Then they failed to find an answer in outfitting Eli with weapons all over the field. No answer could be found in extending the same defensive coordinator that shut down the calculating mind of Bill Bellichik albeit 10 years ago. But they still tried. The answer is not an easy one to accept as true. But with this much calamity, dysfunction and ineptitude, one answer remains which is blowing up the whole operation. A new general manager is not the answer; the players on the field are the problem. The cast offs who can’t tackle, can’t stay on the field, and come to the Giants looking for success as opposed to breeding success.

These players that come here have to realize that the Giants are not a good football team. They have not been good for a while and it may be a while before they are good again. Ownership has refused to accept that this team needs a rebuild, but the players that are brought here can not succumb to the belief that Manning or the “Giant’s aura” will bring success. That aura is gone; anyone watching the games can see that.

The defense has more give than a tissue and the offense is more interested in not making a mistake than in making plays. The trepidation and uncertainty with the offense is perhaps the most jarring aspect of this team. When faced with an imposing defense, like Minnesota’s, it appears that the Giant’s roll over; opting to dump the ball off to running backs and tight ends and leaving the “best wide receiver trio” in the league to run around the field as distractions. The Giants have no identity, as an offense or defense. They don’t run to set up the pass or pass to set the run. They don’t create turnovers or big plays on defense, and the special teams only compound the problems.

There is always reserved excitement heading into the season and especially with the Giants. Fans have been spoiled with how successful the team has been, and perhaps ownership has taken advantage of that. Taken advantage of the fact that a terrible product can be put on the field year in and year out, without any real backlash from the fans, and worse, from the players themselves. The players still talk about “Giant’s pride” and now spout off about McAdoo’s new mantra; discipline, poise, sound football. Great inspirational quotes for a poster, but empty words when the team plays as poorly as it does.

The problem doesn’t rest with McAdoo. But he has an obligation to create his own success and take control of his team when they have no intention to do so. If the Giants don’t want more of the same, they must have accept divine judgment in the coming days. This current iteration of the Giants, only two weeks removed from a 2-0 start, already have the feel of another unsuccessful season.