Good morning fellow Giants fans, though it is not a particularly good morning. After losing to the Redskins 23-10 on Sunday afternoon with a hapless, gutless performance that exposed many weaknesses and questioned whether or not this team really has playoff potential (a nicely done piece by Ed Valentine at the mother ship). It sure gets old hearing the same "We have to keep fighting" refrain from coach Tom Coughlin and his players when they fail to do that so very often when everything is on the line. And you have to wonder if the axe will fall on TC and his coaching staff if Big Blue fails to reach the postseason again, a very real possibility now......
NY Giants turn in another terrible performance and NY Jets can help end their season Christmas Eve - NY Daily News
It was another disgraceful performance with so much at stake, which has been standard for Tom Coughlin’s Giants in December these last few years. They followed last week’s exhilarating victory in Dallas by not showing up Sunday against the Redskins, who had won just one game in the last two months. If it’s not humiliating enough losing to Rex Grossman twice in one season, the Giants now face the ultimate indignity: The Jets can destroy what’s left of their season.
D'Alessandro: Giants suffer humiliating loss, but hardly a surprise | NJ.com
And even with about 13 minutes still left in the game, it was the final gong for 80,000 people to make their escape so that they could be home in time to watch the Jets humiliate themselves. Manning, meanwhile, threw his hands in the air once, and then stood on the 20-yard-line, staring at the scene of this revolting development — incredulous, rigid, stunned like some zombie who had just been struck a mighty blow across the frontal lobe with a shovel.
Steve Serby on Giants loss to Redskins - NYPOST.com
If this is the shameful way these Giants decide to play football down the stretch, if yesterday was a reflection of how much they care, then they do not deserve to be in the playoffs. If this is the clueless, heartless, uninspired product the Giants give their 12th Man, if the 11 men on the field with their season on the line make the Redskins resemble the best of the Joe Gibbs Era, then Santa should feel compelled to slide down Tom Coughlin’s chimney with a pink slip should Rex Ryan and the Jets embarrass them on Christmas Eve and the Cowboys finish them on New Year’s Day, if they’re not finished already by then.
You know, even that 2008 team that finished 12-4 with a 1-seed in the NFC started out 11-1 before losing three of their last four games, before losing to the Eagles at home--the last time the Giants sniffed the postseason. The latter halves of seasons and in particular, final quarters of seasons, are not kind to Tom Coughlin. And I'm just not sure he's going to survive another campaign if the Giants complete this current collapse.
Giants Fall Flat in Crucial Home Loss to Redskins - NYTimes.com
It was another maddening performance from the Giants (7-7) and it left them on the precipice of irrelevance. Yes, they can still capture the N.F.C. East if they win their last two games, but if they lose to the Jets on Saturday and the Cowboys, who regained their one-game division lead, beat the Eagles, the Giants will be eliminated before they wake up on Christmas morning.
Video: Hakeem Nicks lets touchdown catch bounce off facemask - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
A lot of things went wrong for the New York Giants on Sunday, but you get the sense that if this particular play had turned out differently, Week 15 may not have been as disastrous.
New York Jets put together a horrible performance against the Eagles, setting up a huge game on Christmas Eve. - ESPN New York
So here we go: It's Jets versus Giants next Saturday at MetLife Stadium, a New York-New York showdown (no snickering) with major playoff implications for both teams. It's a must-win for the Giants and a notch below the must-win category for the Jets. Winner gets the dog -- MetLife's Snoopy trophy. Loser gets dogged. Get ready for the Desperation Bowl. Or ... Christmas Eve of Destruction.
New York Giants team report: Ballard suffers sprained knee - NFL - Sporting News
New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard suffered a sprained knee on his only catch of the game, which occurred late in the first half of Sunday’s 23-10 loss to the Washington Redskins. Ballard was able to return briefly for two plays on the Giants’ first offensive series in the third quarter, then took a seat on the bench for the remainder of the game. Afterward, Ballard did not seem to think he was hurt badly, but he will have an MRI Monday to determine the extent of what the Giants are calling a sprained knee.
Giants show difficulty of running 2-minute offense as Redskins' pass rush causes trouble in loss | NJ.com
For those who say the Giants run the 2-minute offense so well they should run it all game long, David Diehl has a reason why it’s not feasible. Diehl had to face Redskins pass rusher Brian Orakpo on every play, thus giving the two-time Pro Bowl selection a bunch of chances to get near Eli Manning.
Personally, I'd still prefer to see the two-minute offense with Manning calling plays. But that's just me.
Giants' rookie Prince Amukamara struggles in loss to Washington Redskins | NJ.com
It’s safe to say, especially after his performance in the Giants’ 23-10 loss to the Washington Redskins, that he hasn’t played up to his and the team’s expectations. Sunday, Amukamara was targeted early and often by Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman, who found success exploiting the rookie. So much so that the coaching staff told Amukamara at halftime that "they were going with a different package" — effectively benching him.
Giants and Eli Manning lose to Redskins - NYPOST.com
As sick as they looked, their postseason chances did not expire. The Giants (7-7), losers of five of their last six games, are now one full game behind the Cowboys (8-6) but still have control of their playoff destiny
Eagles somehow still alive after rout of Jets | Philadelphia Daily News | 12/19/2011
THE EAGLES are alive!! Or maybe, given where they were just a few weeks ago, and everything that still has to happen for them to make the playoffs, "The Eagles are alive??"
Ugh. As if we needed to hear that on Monday morning.
Here are a couple of stats to chew on as well: Redskins 8 of 15 on third down (and 1 of 2 on fourth down); Giants 3 of 9 on third down (and 0 of 1 on fourth down). Giants 8 penalties for 75 yards; Redskins 2 penalties for 48 yards. Jabar Gaffney 6 catches for 85 yards. Jabar Gaffney! Time of possession--Redskins 35 minutes, Giants 25 minutes.
One final note--after biting my wife's head off Sunday during and after the game Sunday, I posed this--maybe it's best if she didn't speak to me while the Giants are on, or at least when the Giants are losing. She thinks that's ridiculous. Does anyone else have an opinion or personal anecdote on this? Meanwhile, I'm going back to try and sleep off this Giant hangover.....