On the Outside Looking In

The Giants 42-7 feasting of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday was bittersweet. Just moments after the thrilling win the Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions making the Giants 2012-13 playoff hopes non-existent. It's very possible that the potential of this team was not truly sought. Several close games and several head scratchers have left Giants fans puzzled and wondering about the "what could have been?"

A big problem with the Giants this year was clearly the mentality that even though the Giants put themselves yet again in another must win situation after starting 6-2, they would likely get it together when they had to. Well, something of such significance can never be assumed. You could potentially call that the Giants Super Bowl hangover. The schedule for the Giants was the toughest in the NFL, and the last Super Bowl winning team to win a playoff game the next year was the Patriots in 2005. Perhaps the Giants were a little too relaxed heading into some seriously pivotal games towards the end of the season.

Not to mention the teams actual health. Even though the Eagles are a lesser team, seeing wide receiver Reuben Randle and running back David Wilson thrive implies that they were more healthy than banged up veterans Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw. Perhaps there wasn't enough faith in the young players for the previous more important games, or maybe Coughlin allowed the veterans to make the decisions for themselves. Regardless on a more positive note, it seems Randle and Wilson are going to have a serious impact on the Giants offensive future.

But alas comes the real focus: the Giants future. Dwelling on the close games or the no-shows this season is a pointless exercise. The moral of the story however, is talent doesn't make you a better football team. You have to earn it. Something the Giants did last season and arguably took for granted throughout the second half of this season. But breaking down the x's and o's, the missed field goals, and the pivotal plays that could have turned an entire season around, is a torturous thing to do as a fan.

This team will come back hungry. There's no question. That being said, there's plenty to address on the doorstep of a huge off season for the Giants. The Giants free agent list right now is lengthy, and that doesn't even include the fact that Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Antrel Rolle are all free agents following the end of the 2013 season. Jerry Reese deserves respect and faith from the big blue nation, but he's got his work cut out for him. It goes without saying that Victor Cruz is pretty much a guaranteed resigning, along with Stevie Brown who is another restricted free agent. But Giants fans may have to understand that it's possible the Giants choose to part ways with defensive end, Osi Umenyiora, linebacker Chase Blackburn, and Safety Kenny Phillips. All are due for a revamped contract and the Giants may have their free agent priorities for this year set, along with next years. Reese understand the Giants can't go on a spending spree, and Reese is very talented at upgrading a roster through the draft. Losing Blackburn could potentially really weaken our linebacker core, and our already struggling run stop defense, but as the days unfold we'll see what happens.

After the free agency frenzy is addressed, the Giants focus for next season should quite simply be the battle upfront. After a couple injuries, the offensive line could not run block or pass protect with any consistency. It was a huge reason for the offenses significantly erratic play. Offensive linemen are a must, the Giants have done fairly well at renting aged players like Sean Locklear for temporary added depth, but it should be time for the Giants to consider getting a young reliable offensive lineman that can be here for a long time. As for the other side of the ball, it's the same thing. The Giants run stopping statistics were a joke. Giants football is won in the trenches, they need to upgrade the battle upfront on both sides of the ball.

That being said, in the likely parting of Osi Umenyiora, Giants fans are questioning the ability of defensive captain Justin Tuck. Tuck is going into a contract year and has made it clear he wants to be around for a, "long time." Tuck has battled through shoulder injuries for several years now, but he always has seemed to have a knack for coming through when it matters the most. A couple of his best games came in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI. The man knows what it takes to get to the promise land, and he knows how to win in the promise land. If Tuck says he will be ready next year, as fans we should believe every second of it. Justin Tuck deserves our respect as fans. He will be back with a vengeance next season.

Eli Manning's recent quotes in the press about this, "being a disappointment," are more than just an obvious truth from a classic Eli Manning interview. But it's an understanding that things are likely changing for the Giants roster. Eli Manning is 32 years old now, and while there's no question he's still in his prime, he understands that he can never know what will happen to the players around him as the years roll by. So a wasted opportunity is not just a, "oh we'll get them next year," it's likely the last time several players will have the honor of suiting up in the Giants blue. Frankly, Eli Manning understands it's an honor to be a Giant, and doesn't take his fortunate situation for granted. Eli truly cares about the players around them and wants to win for them probably more significantly than he wants to win for himself. It's team first, team last, team always.

The team concept is often one preached by head coach Tom Coughlin, who is going to be 67 soon and is the oldest coach in the NFL. Coughlin, Fewell, and Gilbride all received their fair shares of criticism this season from Giants fans, because frankly the fans didn't want to believe that the team was this unprepared for games like Cincinatti, Atlanta, and Baltimore. When a team struggles coaches deserve criticism, but fans may not understand the Giants collapse was just as much the players fault as it was the coaches. It's 50/50 every time. And in a competitive market like the NFL's that resulted in 7 head coaches being fired just days after the NFL regular season ended, fans have to remember that this coaching staff the Giants have is one of the finest out there. They had some blunders this season, and sometimes the situational play calling was enough to rip anyone's hair out, but all of these men deserve to be back with the Giants next season. The biggest criticism the coaches should hear is the fact that they didn't adjust their gameplans to the amount of injuries this team had. When your depth changes, so should your plan. But with this do or die formula the Giants have also won two Super Bowls, so losing is painful but maybe it's worth it for the rings and parades Coughlin has been able to bring home for Big Blue.

So in the wake of a disappointing conclusion as defending champs, and a pivotal off season that will determine our future competitiveness as a football club, remember that it is an honor to be a Giants fan. That was clear when the Giants franchise invited all members of Sandy Hook Elementary School to come to the Giants Eagles game and walk on the field and shake all the players hands. It was clear when the Giants allowed Adam Lambert, a young fan fighting a battle against cancer, in the locker room before a huge game against Green Bay. It was also clear when Victor Cruz took a trip to Connecticut to hang out with the Pinto family, in the wake of their horrible suffering that poor family has had to endure following the loss of their son. Quite frankly, a lot of Giants are just decent people.

Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning, and Justin Tuck are three good reasons to be proud of this team. For fans that sell their tickets before the Eagles game, want Tom Coughlin fired, and basically look for any excuse to be negative while being a Giants fan, shame on you. These people deserve more respect than that. Sometimes when fans constantly view the Giants through the media they forget that they're people working as hard as they can so that while we eat chicken wings and they win we can somehow associate that as our own personal memory. If it weren't for this teams tenacious fight, constant endurance of criticism, and utter ability to do whatever they can to win, our memories as fans would cease to exist. The point is, for everyone involved in football, watching, playing, coaching on any level, it's quite simply about enjoying it. Now, losing is never enjoyable, but being appreciative of football is something that all fans should sit back and recognize, even in the midst of a seasons collapse.

Being a Giants fan is a great thing that allows people to create memories and relationships while partaking in a tradition that's close to 100 years old. No matter what that tradition is going to keep going, and that is an encouraging thought. So why look back and think about the, "what could have been," when fans can remember the great times with family and friends watching the team we love.

The Giants will be back next year and it will be a great season.
No matter what.

(This video does a good job of capturing how fun it can be to be a Giants fan)









For me personally, the memories I've already had as a Giants fan are enough to last a lifetime, and yet it keeps getting better every single year. I have been very blessed with family members and friends who are passionate Giants fans. I have been even more fortunate to have the frequent opportunity to join my family in several great Giants games in the Meadowlands. It's an indescribable feeling to see your heroes take the field and it's even better when they get a win. But at the end of the day it's not always the memories you witness, it's the memories you create with family and friends. Enjoy being a Giants fan every second of every day because it's an honor.


So alas, this will be the final blog about the New York Giants 2012 season, but I plan for this blog to be like fine wine and get better with age. Thanks to all frequent, new, or rare readers, it's a tremendous feeling for me personally when people want to read what I have to say. To be honest, being a big Giants fan friends and family often ask me what my thoughts are about a game, play or whatever, and I have so many it's impossible to just say it there on the spot. This blog has been a tremendous experience to get my thoughts out and allow me to even develop a new perspective as a fan. So if you care about that, gosh I really don't know how to thank you enough.

Big Blue forever.