Mere hour after reports surfaced that the New York Giants would be interested in hiring Jason Garrett if he’s not retained by the Dallas Cowboys, Pat Shurmur watched his team drop their seventh consecutive game, falling to 2-9 on the season.
The latest loss also dropped Shurmur’s overall record to 17-43, which is among the worst in the history of the NFL (min. 60 games).
Despite the losing culture, the losing attitude and the losing record, Giants players remain very much in Shurmur’s corner, shouldering the blame and passing the buck when it comes to the coaching staff.
“We keep fighting,” one starter told NJ Advance Media. “We’re only a play or two away every week. You can’t pin that on the coaches.”
Several other players also defended Shurmur, saying poor execution is what’s to blame for their futility, not the game plan, play-calling or coaching.
“I feel like we should have won that game,” said another starter. “There’s nothing you can point to and say ‘we lost because of the scheme.’ As players, as a team, we just have to make more plays.”
It’s admirable for Giants players to stand by their coach (unlike the Ben McAdoo situation), but there’s no denying that Shurmur & Co. are just as much to blame as anyone else.
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