Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!
The day is January 22, 2018. On this day, the New York Giants made a decision that would see them to seven total wins over 29 games. What happened on that day? They hired Pat Shurmur, former Cleveland Browns head coach, and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator.
When the move happened, some were excited about the potential of Shurmur grooming a young quarterback that was inevitably in the Giants’ future and helping Eli Manning reach his potential after years of mediocrity. For the most part, Shurmur has done a good job helping rookie passer Daniel Jones develop, despite a severe fumbling issue.
Jones has taken risks downfield, fought through tough matchups against top defenses like the New England Patriots, and pulled out two consecutive wins to start his young career. Everything we’ve seen from Jones has been positive in terms of progression and optimism. However, Shurmur has been a terrible coach in every other facet of the game.
A lack of time management skills and poor personnel decisions have hurt the Giants’ chances of winning every week. These mistakes have been evident in every facet, but is that enough to fire Shurmur, especially when considering his influence and relationship with Jones?
There’s no proof John Mara and Steve Tisch are looking to fire Shurmur, but the reality is, even if he turns Jones into one of the best passers in the NFL, if he cannot manage the team appropriately during live-games, there’s nothing Jones can do to win. Fighting against his own head coach’s time management issues and play calling is a battle Jones cannot win. Factor in the complete mismanagement of Saquon Barkley in both the run and pass game, and Shurmur has undoubtedly blown a few craniums this season.
Nonetheless–
Your top news of the day:
Dan Benton – Giants’ Saquon Barkley details the always unique Philadelphia experience
Alexander Wilson – New York Giants: Ron Rivera ready for new challenge, Pat Shurmur knows he’s fighting for job
Michael Eisen – Jones taking it day by day, hopes to heal quickly
Art Stapleton – NY Giants: The fallout and impact of Eli Manning’s anticipated return as starter
Pat Leonard – Daniel Jones’ ankle sprain can’t be the real reason Eli Manning is playing on Monday night (Kinda a joke)