Heading into the preseason finale at New England on Thursday night, the Giants first team has scored 10 points in 12 possessions.
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It certainly is not what everyone expected heading into the season. Manning, Beckham and the Giants will play the Cowboys in Dallas on September 13. Rueben Randle and Preston Parker should see increased action in Cruz’s absence, but neither one did anything significant while he was out past year. Shane Vereen is an awesome toy for the offense.
It just hasn’t clicked – yet.
“If there is a player who can come in and help us, then we are interested”, Coughlin said of Brown who played with the Giants from 2012-14. “We can’t be close anymore”.
Injuries, listless play in the preseason, the same-old, same-old rhetoric from general manager Jerry Reese about playoff potential and from Tom Coughlin blowing a gasket about guys missing practice and from Eli “What Me Worry” Manning.
It all looks so bleak right now, but National Football League summer vision is rarely close to 20-20.
The timing also has been off for the offense. “Start pushing for that Super Bowl”.
Surely, the Giants aren’t humming much of a tune, but when all the tumult and shouting subsides, how exactly are they a greatly diminished team from the one that opened training camp 26 days ago? “Just ready to dominate and get the “W” with the team and go on to the next game”. The pass rush needs him, even if it did generate some pressure Thursday against backup Patriots. “Whatever they do, we’ll see if we can adjust and move the ball”.
Manning has not done that. He had a 52.6 percent completion rate and a 52.4 quarterback rating. That was a one-yard run by Rashad Jennings on the aforementioned 85-yard drive vs. the Jets. “But it’s not going to affect the confidence in any way”. The big question this coming week is the availability of Victor Cruz (strained calf) and middle linebacker Jon Beason (sprained knee).
“I’m still confused on how all that works and what components go into the decisions that are being made back there”, he said. It all sort of gets mashed together until this feels like another inevitable slide into the fall, another rough start to another failed season and the dread of non-contender status by Thanksgiving.
NOTES: Coughlin said he uses the fourth preseason game to watch his fringe players vie for roster spots….
Steve Weatherford won the Giants starting punter job on paper Tuesday afternoon when the team cut Robert Malone.
RB Akeem Hunt (hamstring) was waived/injured by the Giants Tuesday (Sept. 1) and will be placed on reserve/injured if he clears waivers Wednesday.
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On what he’s looking for from newly-acquired Stevie Brown… So did CB Trevin Wade….
