Written by: Tony “The Prophet” Yantosca
It’s official! The 2017 New York Football Giants are the worst team in Giants’ history, going back to 1925. They have lost 13 games – the most in their history – and hopefully, 14, so they lock in the #2 pick in the 2018 draft.
The other issue from this week was the suspension of Eli Apple. He was Jerry “Reach’s” greatest reach of all as he drafted Apple at least 15-18 picks too early based on draft consensus. Landon Collins called Apple a “cancer.” He was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. That allows the Giants not to pay him his 2017, 2018 and 2019 guaranteed money. That will make it easier to jettison him after the season without getting stuck with a ton of dead cap money.
The Giants also named a new GM, Dave Gettleman. He was run out of Carolina after going to the Super Bowl for the way he handled Josh Norman, who bolted to the Redskins. The Panthers’ owner, Jerry Richardson, did not like the way veterans Olsen and Davis were handled. Couple that with a losing year after the Super Bowl appearance, and he was done.
I was not happy that he got chosen because I think this team needs some new blood. I thought that Louis Riddick was that new blood. Gettleman, having been at the organization for a long time, represents the status quo that kept Jerry Reese and Marc Ross and others in power for way too long. I liked what he did right away by cutting Bobby Hart and firing Marc Ross, VP of Player Evaluation. So, early on, it looks like he is going to get rid of the dead weight and instill a new atmosphere of accountability. Whom he picks for a coach is the real key…..stay tuned.
There is not much to review about last week’s shutout. It was the Larry Fitzgerald show with a backup QB throwing to him. All you need to know about the 2017 Giants started at the 10:13 mark of the 4th quarter. It was a microcosm of the entire season:
First down was an incomplete pass to Sterling Shepard. Second down was an illegal use of hands penalty on Brett Jones, which made it 2nd and 19. Erick Flowers was called for holding, and then it was 2nd and 29. Eli threw to Sharp for a four-yard gain, resulting in 3rd and 25. Jerry’s other big reach of his career, Flowers, was called for holding again on an incomplete pass! It would have been 3rd and 35 but as expected, they declined it and made it 4th and 25.
Looking at this week’s game, the Giants have virtually no chance in this one. The major intangible is that it will be Eli Manning’s final game in a Giants’ uniform. The frozen crowd will be alcoholically fortified and hyped for Eli. The major disappointment for Eli is that he would have been in his 217th game, making that the most of any Giant. However, because McAdoo benched him, he will only have 216 games, tying him with the great Michael Strahan for most games in a Giants’ uniform.
The Giants have 22 players on IR. Eli will have no help because the only two real weapons he has, Shepard and Evan Engram, will be out. Eli will be checking it down to Gallman, who should have well over 100 total yards, and Darkwa. Lewis, who is playing with a bad ankle, will be the only one of Eli’s top-five targets for the year to be standing.
For the Redskins, Kirk Cousins will be playing for his ticket out of town to Denver, Cleveland or somewhere else. The Redskins are who we thought they were, to quote Denny Green. You will get a heavy dose of Jamison Crowder, who had seven catches for 141 yards and a TD in the first game. With the Giants secondary depleted, Cousins will take deep shots to Josh Doctson. Samaje Perrine, who had 100 yards rushing in the last game, gained one sixth of his total yards for the year against the Gmen. Lastly, TE Vernon Davis, who was in the Witness Protection Program in the last game and did nothing, will have a good day, especially without Collins in the lineup.
I am calling this a Redskins comfortable win at 31 to 10, giving the Giants the 2nd draft pick, sending them into maybe their most interesting offseason ever with a quest for a franchise quarterback for the post Eli era.
New York Giants Underground 