Four Super Bowls and nearly 46 years ago — almost to the day — the New York Giants unintentionally laid the foundation for the Bill Parcells years, and later, the Tom Coughlin years. Our NFL Week 12 recap of the Giants’ latest loss shows just how far the mighty have fallen.
Known as the “Miracle in the Meadowlands,” New York had a 17-12 lead, and less than one minute remaining in the game. Quarterback Joe Pisarcik attempted a handoff instead of taking a knee in victory formation. They fumbled the exchange, and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Herm Edwards snatched the ball. He ran for a touchdown for the win.
The Lowest Point in Franchise History — Until Now
It was the nadir for a once-exemplary organization that was a founding father of the NFL, contended for championships annually, and was the starting point for coaching luminaries Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry.
That moment eventually led to the league compelling warring owners Wellington Mara and his nephew Tim to hire longtime league man George Young to resuscitate the dead body.
By 1981, they were in the playoffs. In 1986 they won the Super Bowl under Parcells. They won a second in 1990. For the next two decades, they were contenders more often than not, winning two more under Coughlin who beat New England Patriots coach and former Parcells lieutenant Bill Belichick both times.
Times have changed.
Current Status: An Undeniable Disaster
There were lean years here and there, but the league and fans could be confident that they were short-term and the organization would quickly regain its footing.
However, years of missteps, impatience, and objective stupidity have atrophied the organization to the point where players must be overpaid to consider signing with them. It’s fait accompli that University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders tells the QB-hungry Giants not to draft his son/QB Shedeur in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Week 12 loss to Tampa Bay was more than a 30-7 whitewashing. It was one team brutally beating and taunting the other as evidenced by Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield celebrating a touchdown, punctuated by using Giants QB Tommy DeVito’s Italian pinched fingers sign.
Compounding matters was Eagles star and Giants castoff Saquon Barkley bolstering his case for league MVP with 255 yards rushing and 47 yards receiving in a 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
That’s 302 total yards, for those counting.
Another former Giant, Xavier McKinney, had an interception for Green Bay in its win over San Francisco. He leads the league with seven picks.
The way things are going, expect recently discarded quarterback Daniel Jones to start somewhere — and win — in two weeks.
What Now?
Giants fans have gone beyond frustration and anger. They’re apathetic. And that is far worse.
Earlier this season, owner John Mara intimated that general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll would likely return in 2025.
However, with each embarrassing, non-competitive loss, that looks increasingly unlikely. Schoen’s Hard Knocks-recorded comments about Barkley are indefensible in general. After the season Barkley has had, how can Mara justify retaining his GM?
This loss surpasses an NFL Week 12 recap and encapsulates a decade for the Giants.
Who wants the job?
Does Mara turn to Belichick who wants to coach, loves the Giants to the point that the notoriously stoic legend gets emotional when talking about his time there as an assistant, and would bring instant credibility?
Regardless, they cannot move forward this way. The remaining question is whether they can find someone, anyone who can do what Young did in cleaning up a mess.
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