The New York Giants and their fans never thought they’d ever return to the dark period known as the Wilderness Years (1964-80), but here we all are staring up at the rest the rest of the league for six of the past seven seasons.
Since 2011, the Giants have qualified for the postseason just once — 2016 — and only four players remain from that team that was one-and-done against the Green Bay Packers that year in the playoffs (also know as the Boat Trip Game).
That’s been it. The Giants only make meaningful news these days in the offseason, usually around the NFL Draft because they have been picking high.
This new period of losing has changed the narrative and direction of a proud and productive operation that has qualified for the Super Bowl five times and won it four since 1986.
As the years barrel on, those days of prosperity get further and further away in the rear-view mirror.
The worst four-year stretch in franchise history started in 1973, when the Giants went 2-11-1, signaling the end of Alex Webster’s five-season stay as head coach. They went 2-12 in 1974 for Bill Arnsparger, 5-9 in 1975 and 3-11 in 1976, with Arnsparger fired during the season and replaced by John McVay. That four-year record was an unsightly 12-43-1 and came during the tail end of the enduringly bad stretch of 17 consecutive seasons failing to make the playoffs.
The pitiful product put on the field this season means the Giants will miss out on the playoffs seven of the past eight years. The 3-13 record in 2017 cost Ben McAdoo his head-coaching job merely 29 games into his tenure. Pat Shurmur went 5-11 in his debut season with the Giants and he is 2-9 heading into Sunday’s game against the Packers. The three-year record of 10-33 is the worst in franchise history after hitting the pits from 1973-76.
This trip into the Wilderness is more trying for fans because the league has made it easier for teams to escape futility through the salary cap and free agency, a balanced schedule and compensatory draft picks for teams who lose players in free agency.
Back in the 60s and 70s, there was none of that. You built through the draft, made a few trades and hoped for the best. The Giants weren’t very good at doing either.
Their first foray into obscurity was made worse by the fact the Giants dragged their fans to watch the mess at four “home” stadiums across three different states. At least this time around, they’re doing all their losing in one place.
When they will find the next clearing is unknown. General manager Dave Gettleman has been unconventional is his handling of player personnel and may not take the road well-traveled in his attempt to get the Giants back to prominence.
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