Tony Dungy: Giants ‘look like they quit’ in loss to Rams

The New York Giants were blown out by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, 51-17. Following the game, former NFL head coach Tony Dungy said that he thought the Giants quit in the loss.

“They did look like they quit,” Dungy said. “But they’ve been dysfunctional the whole way through -- players getting suspended, not being able to play, punts blocked, breakdowns, a lack of hustle … this was embarrassing [on Sunday]."

Following the loss, Giants head coach Ben McAdoo spoke about his team's effort.

“No. The team didn’t quit,” he said after the game. “They were playing hard.”

The worst play of the game came on a third-and-33 for the Rams that resulted in a 54-yard touchdown from Jared Goff to Robert Woods. Goff hit Woods on a short slant and he took it all the way through the Rams defense for the score. NBC Analyst Rodney Harrison agreed with Dungy that the Giants quit, especially on this play.

“This is unbelievable. They’re playing a prevent [defense], and all they have to do is just tackle this guy,” fellow NBC analyst Rodney Harrison said. “Look at Eli Apple. He wants no part of it. He flat out quit.”

ESPN Analyst Ryan Clark thinks the effort comes from an organizational problem.

“When you get like this, when you get like you’re not an NFL football team, that people hang 50 points on you, that’s an issue,” ESPN analyst Ryan Clark said. “That’s a whole organization issue, not that we had a bad day. Professional athletes can’t let this happen. Professional coaches can’t let this happen. I’m not saying this is the first team it has ever happened to. But now this points to some many larger issues than we’re just not a good football team and that players just aren’t playing well.”

The Giants are now off to a 1-7 start. Clark attributes that to a lack of respect in the Giants locker room for McAdoo.

“When you don’t respect your coach, players will quit on you. I believe the Giants just flat out quit,” Harrison said. “You can’t come in as a coach and say, ‘It’s my way or the highway,’ because players will not respond. In this league you have to earn your respect. Tony Dungy earned his respect. Bill Belichick earned his respect. [McAdoo] has to do the same thing. He can’t come in and try to bully these guys. These guys are young, they’re rich, and they’re not going to listen to a coach trying to bully his way around."