Tag: Pat Shurmur

Report: Giants chose Pat Shurmur over Jim Schwartz due to control demands

The New York Giants reportedly chose Pat Shurmur over Jim Schwartz due to Schwartz’s demand for personnel control.

If you want to be the head coach of the New York Giants, that will be the extent of your job. Some great football minds have walked out the door and shied away from East Rutherford because they wanted full control.

That is ultimately what led the Giants to choose Pat Shurmur over Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head coaching position after the 2017 season.

Schwartz was the defensive mastermind behind the Eagles’ Super Bowl run that led to Philly’s first NFL championship since 1960. He was in the mix for the Giants’ head coaching job, but there was that one catch that kept him from getting it.

He wanted more of a say in the choosing of personnel, and when it comes to the Giants, coaches don’t have much equity in the process. They never have.

That’s what ultimately led to Bill Parcells’ departure in 1991 when he clashed with then-general manager George Young. Parcells had other reasons for leaving, but ultimately it was over control, an issue he had in several of his next few destinations as well.

“If they want to cook the dinner, they should at least let you shop for the groceries,” Parcells would go on to say after he left New England as head coach in 1997.

From NJ Advance Media:

Under (Schwartz’s) operation, the Eagles’ defense has ranked 4th, 5th, 15th and, in 2019 thus far, 9th in defensive DVOA, according to Football Outsiders.

Ultimately, though, there was at least one sticking point for any potential Giants-Schwartz marriage — control.

Per the Philadelphia Inquirer, Schwartz told the Giants that he required “personnel authority” if he was going to be their coach.

That is not going to happen, especially as long as Dave Gettleman is in the house. The Giants have maintained the traditional GM/coach organizational structure they’ve been using since Young was hired to straighten out the franchise in 1979.

Shurmur was chosen as the coach because he does not have as much of a desire to dabble in the scouting and personnel end of the business, although he claims he is a part of many of the decisions.

Shurmur has been doing a lot of the legwork for Gettleman, who has had health issues. Shurmur has been very visible at rookie pro days and other workouts and has been joined by a consortium of Giants’ scouts as well as Chris Mara, senior vice president of player personnel.

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Giants’ brass content on leaving fans confused and in the dark

The New York Giants are mired in another embarrassing season and seem to have no qualms about leaving fans in the dark.

Usually during the bye week, we hear from either the owner or the general manager of the New York Giants. This week, we have heard nothing from CEO John Mara or his football czar, Dave Gettleman.

Some say it’s no big deal but others — present company included — believe there is a depression of sorts seeping into the team’s mentality. They are in the middle of their sixth losing season in seven years and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

They are a poorly coached team devoid of talent at key positions and have been playing this season with more rookies and inexperienced players than the handbook on “how to run a franchise” recommends.

The least the fans deserve is to have management come out and speak to them. They are already being asked to sit through this miserable season, so it would go a long way for Mara or Gettleman to come out of hiding and reassure the faithful that they are going down the right path.

Gettleman has never held a presser at the bye. Not here or in Carolina. It’s not the way he does things. But the Giants always did. Gettleman’s predecessors, Jerry Reese, Ernie Accorsi and George Young always took time out to give a ‘state of the team” update.

From George Willis of the New York Post:

We should have heard from Dave Gettleman this week. We should have heard from the leader of this storied NFL franchise about what he thinks about a 2-8 record and a six-game losing streak. We should hear from Gettleman what has gone wrong and what, if anything, he thinks is going right.

Instead we have heard nothing. Nothing from Gettleman. Nothing from co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch. Nothing from any decision makers other than Shurmur, the embattled head coach, who is left on his own to fend off the critics.

At 2-8 and the direction of the franchise in question, Gettleman needs to break tradition and answer some questions. The team he is “rebuilding” is an abject failure and his hand-picked head coach is floundering.

Gettleman has been right about a few things. He can hang his hat on his draft classes and signings such as wide receiver Golden Tate. He can crow about cutting ties with Odell Beckham Jr. and Landon Collins, two stars who have basically vanished from the NFL landscape.

We would like to know management’s thoughts on the coaching staff, Daniel Jones’ progress, Saquon Barkley’s injury, the mindset behind the Leonard Williams’ trade, DeAndre Baker’s struggles and much more.

But we’re not getting that. Instead, we get a angry John Mara blowing by reporters in the hallway too miffed to stop to make a statement. We get Gettleman avoiding the media because Mike Francesa called the Giants a “clown show” back in the spring. Shurmur is left to diplomatically dance around the key questions with either guarded speech or complete refusal to divulge any information.

This is not the Giant way. But then again, neither are back-to-back-to-back double-digit loss seasons. No one likes to admit their plan is failing, that they made mistakes and might have to start over.

That is the mindset in the media and throughout the fan base. The fear is that Gettleman messed this thing up and his three-year plan could now be a six-year one.

This is New York, though. Nothing happens in a vacuum here. If they want to keep the fans in the dark, they’re going to find themselves in the same situation as the Los Angeles Chargers — playing their home games in front of a crowd dominated by the visiting team’s fans.

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7 candidates to replace Giants coach Pat Shurmur

The New York Giants are unlikely to fire head coach Pat Shurmur, but if they do, here are seven candidates to replace him.

The New York Giants have no plans to fire coach Pat Shurmur this year or at any point during the offseason, meaning that his job could be safe through 2020.

Of course, Giants ownership let similar information leak when it came to former coach Ben McAdoo, and we all know how that ended up playing out.

So while it’s unlikely the Giants move on from Shurmur over the next calendar year, there’s no denying he’s put himself firmly on the hot seat. Accordingly, we’re here to examine seven candidates who could eventually replace him.

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Coughlin

Yep. We’re starting out in controversial fashion, but let’s not pretend that forcing Coughlin to step down wasn’t the first in a long string of poor decisions that led these Giants to where they are today. The real question would be whether or not Coughlin would want to come back to New York. Or, at this point, whether he even desires a return to the sideline at all.

Bottom line: The Giants need an old-school disciplinarian leading the way because the whole player-friendly thing is clearly not working.

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Giants’ Pat Shurmur predictably named a coach who could be gone in 2020

New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur has been named a coach who would be fired by 2020.

Is New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur on the hot seat? As justifiable as that position would be, by all accounts, the team has no plans to terminate him in 2019 or at any point during the upcoming offseason.

Still, Shurmur’s Giants have vastly under-performed, even when taking into account the team’s roster turnover and league-leading rookie usage, which is highlighted by quarterback Daniel Jones.

As such, Shurmur is a popular name when it comes to discussing which head coaches could get the boot by 2020. In fact, Bleacher Report has him right near the top of their list of coaches who could be sent packing.

The wheels fell off for New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, rolled into a ditch and exploded.

In fact, that might not be a strong enough description of how things have gone for the 2-8 Giants.

Shurmur’s team has now lost six games in a row. To make matters even worse, those two wins came against downtrodden Washington and Tampa Bay teams.

The Giants don’t do much of anything well. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has thrown 15 touchdowns but has been sacked 32 times. Star running back Saquon Barkley just rushed for a single yard on 13 attempts against the Jets on Sunday. The defense gives up 28.9 points per game, the third-worst mark in the league.

While the Giants front office can’t escape blame for its questionable roster construction, this isn’t what anyone envisioned when Shurmur arrived in January 2018 to help turn around a three-win team. At this rate, the Giants will be lucky to match their 5-11 record from last season.

Giants ownership is very clearly frustrated with yet another losing season, which could be seen on John Mara’s face as he stormed out of MetLife Stadium following a humiliating loss to the New York Jets last season.

Still, the Giants’ locker room is less chaotic than it has been in the recent past and it’s clear players are not quitting on their coach. As a result, Mara and Steve Tisch may be (and appear to be) willing to give Shurmur a longer, but limited leash than they had given Ben McAdoo previously.

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Bye week blues: What can Giants fans look forward to following the break?

What can New York Giants fans expect to see over the final seven weeks of the regular season and into the offseason?

The New York Giants have racked up a 2-8 record after 10 games, which is one game worse than they were at this time last season. With six games remaining, is there anything left for Giant fans to look forward to?

The answer is… not really. There will be some talk about draft position (they are currently third overall) and their schedule is not really a friendly one, so as November morphs into December, Giant fans will likely be tuning out as another losing season comes and goes.

Here is a quick snapshot of where the Giants are at right now and some other thoughts that I know many of you are thinking.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The last six games

The Giants open up the final leg of the season in Chicago against the disappointing Bears, but that means nothing. The strength or weakness of their opponents matters not to a team that is poorly prepared, poorly coached and lacks discipline and direction. The Giants must learn not to beat themselves first before concentrating on beating another NFL team.

They have little to no shot to win either game against the surging Eagles — a team they’ve only beaten once since 2014 — and if they manage to win the game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers there should be an investigation.

The only two games they could win are the ones against Washington (who they beat already) and Miami, a team who is said to be tanking but has been competitive in doing so.

That equals 4-12, folks. That’s a record that gets people fired in this league.

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Pat Shurmur will continue calling plays for Giants

Pat Shurmur held an impromptu press conference on Tuesday, telling reporters that he will continue calling plays for the New York Giants.

The New York Giants enter their Week 11 bye with a 2-8 record and are currently mired in one of the worst stretches in franchise history, but despite that, there will be no changes — very literally no changes.

Despite clamoring from an extremely frustrated fan base, the Giants do not intend to fire head coach Pat Shurmur, who has also made it abundantly clear that he’s not going to fire anyone on his staff.

Moreover, Shurmur refuses to give up play-calling duties — a consistent gripe for anyone who watches this team on a weekly basis.

In other words, the Giants will return in Week 12 sporting the exact same coaching staff, the exact same schemes, the exact same play-calling and, for the most part, the exact same personnel.

This is what Big Blue is going to roll with negative results be damned. The collective unit is stubborn as a mule and can’t seem to grasp why things are going wrong and in the literal definition of insanity, continue to do the same thing expecting a different result.

Should the Giants continue to bomb out on the back of a head coach who refuses to change a thing, then perhaps Shurmur’s job security becomes a little less secure going into the offseason. After all, an essential willingness to continue to lose without any change will not be something co-owner John Mara and Steve Tisch view in a positive light.

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Report: Giants have no plans to fire Pat Shurmur

The New York Giants reportedly have no plans to fire head coach Pat Shurmur or force a coaching staff shakeup.

Following a 34-27 loss to the New York Jets in Week 10, New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said he did not envision making any coaching staff changes during the bye week, which is something he doubled-down on during a Monday afternoon conference call.

“Having slept on it, no, I am not going to make any coaching changes,” Shurmur told reporters. “It’s important that we coach and play better, period. In terms of coaching changes during the season, I think you have to look at each one independently. Some situations they help, others they don’t.”

Although Shurmur made sure his staff knows they are safe, there’s still a belief that he could soon meet the firing squad. However, if he’s been given that indication (or anything to the contrary), he’s not spilling the beans.

“Obviously, we are less than 24 hours out from the game, this is the second time you’ve asked me this question in less than 24 hours,” Shurmur said when asked about meeting with owners. “If I would’ve had that conversation, it’s not obviously something that I would share publicly.”

While no one at the Giants will publicly address Shurmur’s job status, they are apparently talking about it in private. And unsurprisingly, Shurmur is in no danger of being fired in-season, reports Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.

A team source confirmed, though, that there were no immediate plans for ownership to either fire Shurmur or to force any staff shakeup in the wake of the Giants’ 2-9 record – at least until the end of the season.

. . .

It’s much more likely, the source said, that the Giants will revisit Bettcher’s status after the season, especially if the rookies and young players don’t show signs of improvement in the final five games.

As for Shurmur, he seems safe for now too, and very likely into next season as well. Giants GM Dave Gettleman seems to believe the franchise is headed in the right direction and he has always been one of Shurmur’s biggest supporters. And though the final call will belong to co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, Gettleman is obviously a powerful ally for a head coach to have.

For those who have followed the Giants for decades, this shouldn’t even cause a batted eye. Firing Ben McAdoo in-season was the exception to the rule and not the rule itself — Mara has never been shy about his desire to avoid repeated shakeups.

If the Giants lose out, that could obviously sway the opinion of ownership, but even at 2-8 entering the bye week, Dave Gettleman, Pat Shurmur, James Bettcher and Mike Shula are all safe and staying put.

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3 takeaways from Giants’ Week 10 loss to Jets

Here are three takeaways from the New York Giants’ Week 10 loss to the New York Jets, which dropped Big Blue to 2-8.

The New York Giants fell to the New York Jets, 34-27, on Sunday dropping their record to 2-8 on the season.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Although it is warranted, no one will be fired

Losing to the Jets a team that couldn’t get out of its own way for the first eight games gave fans a sinking feeling and left them wondering if this coaching staff is the right one for the team to move forward with. Head coach Pat Shurmur was asked about the state of the team.

“The state?” he’s asked. “We are disappointed we haven’t been able to win a game for six, right? That’s the way it works. We’re disappointed that we didn’t win this game. That’s where it’s at. The state of the team, that’s where we’re at.”

Losing to a lesser team leads to all type of questions, but the Giants, even though CEO John Mara was visibly angry over the loss, won’t be doing anything drastic — yet.

Shurmur said after the game that there will be no staff changes.

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Giants brace for change following humiliating loss to Jets

Following a humiliating loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, the New York Giants are bracing for change entering the bye week.

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The New York Giants knew that a Week 10 game against the New York Jets was considered a must-win by many, so after coming up short in a 34-27 loss, they recognize that change could be on the horizon.

“I just worry about what I can control. We all know this league is a business and winning is everything in this league. When you don’t win, everything starts to look different. I’m worried about going out there each and every week and putting the best football I can on tape, do whatever I can to help my team win,” safety Jabrill Peppers told reporters.

Although he’s remained relatively confident in his job status leading up to Sunday, head coach Pat Shurmur sounded completely defeated after the Jets loss and appeared to accept the reality that his employment was no longer a sure thing.

“My concern is putting a team on the field that’s going to win a football game — that’s my concern. It’s always a one-week concern getting ready to play the next opponent and put a winning performance on the field. That’s my concern,” Shurmur said after the game.

Shurmur acknowledged that there would likely be some bye week evaluations with team ownership, but made it clear the media would hear absolutely none of those details.

“Well, obviously, anything that I speak about behind the scenes would be behind the scenes stuff. I wouldn’t share any of that with you, especially at this point,” Shurmur said.

Like Shurmur, superstar running back Saquon Barkley also looked and sounded defeated following the loss, uncharacteristically providing misdirected answers or quick one-liners.

“Only the thing I can focus on is coming in and being the player for my team. Just focused on this bye week, it’s a week where it gives everyone a chance to get healthier, not only myself but the whole team. We get to reflect on our season so far and try to be a better team than we were in the first half,” Barkley said.

It’s clear the Giants expect some change, but how might that manifest itself? Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are unlikely to fire Shurmur, and Shurmur has already stated that Mike Shula and James Bettcher are safe, so what now?

We’ll all find out together over the next 7-10 days.

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