Keidel: Hard To Imagine Giants Have Anything Left To Save Coughlin
By Jason Keidel
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Life doesn't get much better for Big Blue.
After blowing a gut-check game to undefeated Carolina, their fifth loss with less than 60 seconds to play, the Giants travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings, who at 9-5 may not have as much talent as the Panthers, but have twice the incentive.
Fortunately for the Giants (6-8), the Vikings aren't nearly as pyrotechnic as the Panthers. Big Blue should see a big dose of Adrian Peterson, who again leads the NFL in carries and rushing yards (1,314).
While putrid against the pass -- the only NFL squad surrendering more than 300 yards per game -- the Giants are a bit more robust against the run, allowing 114.6, which ranks 21st in the league.
The Vikings are 6-0 when Peterson rushes for at least 100 yards, making him job No. 1 for the G-Men. If they couldn't keep Cam Newton under the century mark, then fans are justifiably worried about corralling A.P.
Holding quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in check isn't always a barometer of team success. Indeed, the Vikes are 6-1 when Bridgewater is held to less 200 yards passing, but the Giants would be wise to keep a couple eyes on rookie standout Stephon Diggs, who snagged two TD passes last week.
The Giants have a stalwart wideout of their own. But alas...
Odell Beckham has not only detonated fantasy football rosters on championship Sunday, but the nuclear wideout also put a big dent in Big Blue's playoff plans by being suspended for the Vikings game. Without the second-year, Pro Bowl receiver, the Giants are even more one-dimensional than ever, and must rely on a running game that has been better of late with Rashad Jennings toting the rock, but still isn't any great shakes.
If there is a silver lining, they are Jennings' 107-yard output against the Panthers and Eli Manning's historical penchant for playing big when all is on the line. But even Eli will be hard-pressed to find yardage with the dearth of decent skill players at his flank.
Should the Giants lose -- Vegas has the Vikings as a 6-point favorite -- they will spend yet another January in the Caribbean, on the golf course, or wherever they bury their heads in some warm, winter sand. Their fourth such failure in a row under Tom Coughlin.
Legend was that while the Giants have been known to hibernate for a year or two, fans could always expect a Super Bowl run every fourth season. That myth is all but gone now. Coughlin is now on the wrong side of 70, and with the Beckham disaster under his nose and his watch, there's a growing sense Coughlin has let the team, town, and time pass him by.
No matter your take, there's no excuse for how the coach handled Beckham, or any doubt that Coughlin has lost his legendary grip on this football team. If the inmates don't run the asylum, they certainly have more weekend passes than ever.
And that falls on Coughlin.
And the old coach could, and should, fall if he fails this Sunday.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel
