How the Giants Have Fallen

ROBBINS NEST

By Lenn Robbins, The New York Extra/TheNYExtra.com

It’s official. The Giants can no longer be considered one of those stable, professional, successful franchises that other teams around the league look up to. The firing of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett left no doubt.

It was somewhat of a version of the Bachelor in Big Blue land. Joe Judge was hired as head coach but management and ownership made it clear they really Garrett, a former backup quarterback. Garrett was hired with the hopes that the marriage with Judge would succeed. It didn’t. It was doomed like most Bachelor matches. So there was that.

But this one failed marriage is not to be the sole blame for the Giants, who have exactly one playoff appearance since that magical Super Bowl run in 2011. No, Big Blue has been bottoming out for quite some time now.

The general manager – Dave Gettleman – vowed to build a wall on the offensive line. He hasn’t gotten it done. Apparently, anyone who vows to build a wall in this country fails.

The quarterback of the future, who Gettleman reached for with the No. 6 in the 2019 NFL Draft, has not established himself as a franchise quarterback. The running back he took with the No.2 pick in the 2018 draft, hasn’t been able to stay healthy, which is why RBs shouldn’t be picked that high.

The Giants (3-7) go into their Thanksgiving weekend game against the Eagles (5-6), who seem to have found their franchise quarterback (Jalen Hurts) with the 21st pick in the second round.

And while both teams began the season in rebuild mode, the Giants were expected to be further ahead than the Eagles. Yet here are the Eagles in the hunt for a playoff spot while the Giants are not. And the Eagles have three first-round draft picks next season, compared to two for the Giants.

How disheartening, if not embarrassing, will it be if Jalen Hurts outplays Daniel Jones. How depressing, and Lord we hope this doesn’t happen, if Barkley limps off the field in the first half?

Judge is a standup guy, a Giants guy if you will, or what we once considered a Giants guy. His effort and toughness are unquestioned. Is he a franchise QB? It doesn’t appear so but Jones will be on his third play-caller in three seasons. Nice way to treat the former No.6 pick.

Look, it’s Thanksgiving so we don’t want to pile on any fan base that is already in misery, but the Giants can no longer be mentioned in the same sentence such as franchises like Baltimore, Dallas, Green Bay, New England and Pittsburgh.

Changing offenses coordinates isn’t going to change that.

LIONS +3 over Bears – Win one for the gipper? Lions chairman George McCaskey reportedly addressed the players on Wednesday and assured them that coach Matt Nagy will be fired after the Thanksgiving Day. Is that a good thing? If QB Justin Fields can’t play, the Lions just might pull the flat out upset.

$COWBOYS -7 over Raiders – This is more about the state of the Raiders, who are in a freefall having lost three straight and giving up 76 points, than the Cowboys, who got beat up in KC Sunday night. The Chiefs won both sides of the ball. If Dallas is an NFC contender, it needs to do some serious muscle flexing. CeeDee Lamb (concussion) is expected to play but it won’t matter if that lauded O-Line turns in another pillow fight performance.

Bills -6.0 over SAINTS – Will the real Buffalo Bills please stand up. One week after blasting the Jets they got undressed by the Colts. Looking at their schedule, the 6-4 Bills have benefitted from an easy slate. We hate to pick against a home team on Thanksgiving Day because of the crowd, but Alvin Kamara (knee) will not play. Last chance for the Bills to prove they’re Super?

$TEXANS -2.5 over Jets – The Jets will start Zach Wilson at QB. He missed the last four games with a knee injury. When established stars Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson returned after layoffs they struggled. The Texans are not a good team but they are much better with Tyrod Taylor at QB.

$Eagles -3.5 over GIANTS – Does new play-calling solve the Giants’ woes? No, because they don’t have any elite playmakers until Saquon is 100%. Speaking of QBs, the player (Jalen Hurts) who was beat out at Alabama by Tua Tagovailoa, might be the QB steal of the draft at No. 53.

COLTS +3 over Bucs – Don’t look now but the Colts have won 5-of-6, the only loss coming by three against the Titans. Did the Bucs get on track in that 30-10 uninspiring win over the Giants? Who’s to know. If Vita Vea is cleared, Jonathan Taylor should only score three rushing touchdowns.

$Panthers -2 over DOLPHINS – The Panthers still have something to play for. Christian McCaffrey is back. But Cam Newton is BACK!

Titans +5.5 over PATS – To be clear, we like the Pats. To be clear, although some think Ryan Tannehill is the most important Tennessee player on offense, we think that title belongs to Derrick Henry. This a run-first, play defense team, not a QB driven one. Speaking of QBs, is Mac Jones the bastard child of Bill Belichick.

Steelers +4.5 over BENGALS – Isn’t the AFC North a hoot?! Seems as if every team, except Pittsburgh, has had a least a cup of coffee atop the division. We’ll take any team getting more than three in any divisional game, without a serious caveat.

JAGUARS +2 over Falcons – The Jaguars, according to published reports, are thinking of revamping the offense to make it more Trevor Lawrence-friendly. The Falcons, according to unpublished reports, are still looking for an offense.

Chargers -1.5 over BRONCOS – Mile High is a daunting place to play for the visiting team. But the Chargers are the visiting team every week. That’s what you get for abandoning your fan base. If the Chargers want to be a serious playoff contender, it’s time to win divisional road games.

Rams +2 at PACKERS – Uh-oh, Aaron Rodgers is back to issuing medical updates, now on his broken pinky toe. How can he be trusted? If the Rams are Super Bowl contenders as they believe, no better way to make that statement then by winning in Green Bay.

49ERS -3 over Vikings – If you’ve followed the Vikings over the last few seasons you know that every time they seem to have figured it out, they fall. The 49ers seem to have figured it out – play physical and keep the number of times the QB has to make big plays to a minimum.

RAVENS -4.5 over Browns – So remember how just a few picks above we said we’d take any AFC North getting more than a field goal over a divisional team without a caveat? After last week’s 13-10 win over the lowly Lions, Baker “The Commercial Maker” didn’t speak to reporters and his wife, suggested on social media the Browns need to show as much toughness as her hubby.

Seahawks -2 over WASHINGTON – The Taylor Heinicke Tour continues. The Seahawks are the ones making the cross-country trip and Pete Carroll acknowledged early this week he doesn’t have a playbook for losing because he hasn’t experienced it since his early days in Seattle. Still enough talent to win.

Home team in CAPS

$ Best bets.

Last Week: 7-6; Best Bets: 1-1.

Season, 82-77-3; 9-8.