The Underachieving New York Giants

The Underachieving New York Giants

The New York Giants were a huge disappointment this year. After starting off the season 5-0 many people thought this was their year to win another Super Bowl. Their roster is stocked with talent but yet they underachieved all season long. Entering week 16, the Giants were poised to make the playoffs but it all ended on Sunday as the Carolina Panthers embarrassed them in front of their home crowd. It was a big letdown for Giants fans as they wanted to remember this game as it was their last game in Giants Stadium.

Instead it was a game to forget. The Giants were outplayed and out-coached in all facets of the game and will miss the playoffs for the first time in five years. Tom Coughlin and his coaching staff need to get back to the drawing board and figure out why they played so inconsistent all year and come back next year ready to win again. Brandon Jacobs joined ESPN 1050 in New York with Jody McDonald to talk about what was the toughest thing about losing Sunday, why the team has played inconsistent all season, whether he liked the way that he was used this year, and where the season went wrong for the team.

On what was the toughest thing about losing Sunday:

“Well you know it was ugly.  We didn’t perform well.  The last game in Giants Stadium we could have at least brought home a win for that and not to mention we were playing for the playoffs.  Against a team that wasn’t playing for anything is always tough playing a team like that.  We didn’t come out and get it done.  They wanted it more than we did.  They were only playing for pride at that point.  They came out against us and got it done.  We didn’t play well on any sides of the ball.  We got beat.”

On why the team has played inconsistent all season:

“I have no idea.  We had all the talent in the right places and we have great coaches that put us in the right positions.  It just hasn’t been that we have been playing as well as we are supposed to.  The reason being is that I just don’t know.  We have just not found that edge yet to go out and play well.”

Whether he liked the way that he was used this year:

“We have a lot of talent on this team and if we have to utilize other guys to try to help us win so be it.  Yesterday we got down and went into a three-wide run package which really excluded me.  That is all Ahmad in the three-wide running from shotgun and that is mostly what we were doing in the first quarter on.  I had a little knee injury that was bothering me so just standing up on the sideline it started getting stiff so I just decided to stay out.”

Whether the Giants performed up to the team’s expectations for this season:

“No not at all.  I thought that we could do a lot better than what we are doing.  Maybe a first round bye.  But we just not going to get in now.  The expectations for this team were way high and people set expectations for our football team high because we can achieve those goals and go out and play good football and beat good teams and that is not what we have done this year.”

On where the season went wrong for the team:

“You know if I had that answer it would have been fixed.  I don’t know where the season went wrong and you know I couldn’t tell you.  I could not tell you where it went wrong.  I wish I knew.”