5 takeaways from Tom Coughlin’s first presser since draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars shocked their fanbase by holding a press conference for executive Vice President of football operations Tom Coughlin, who has never spoken to the media in the regular season. He made it clear that the Jags have zero excuses …

Here are some takeaways we came away with in listening to the 13 minute presser:

Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

The point of the presser may have been to rally the fans more than to explain their issues

It initially looked as though the front office heard the fans’ cry to hear from someone in the front office about the Jags’ issues, but in the end, that wasn’t the case. While Coughlin did offer some thoughts on the team’s issues, it wasn’t much. Instead, he spoke to rally the fans, attempting to convince them that there is still a chance for a winning season.

Coughlin never addresses the media during the regular season, prompting reporters to ask if he was told or asked to have his presser. He insisted that wasn’t the case, but when considering the presser didn’t offer much insight into the team’s struggles, fans can’t help but think the opposite.

Only time will tell if the fans show up for the Jags’ next three home games, but it would be hard to blame them if they didn’t. Sure, Coughlin was right when he said the team has a chance for a winning season, but their performance in the last three games makes it difficult to see the Jags having a drastic turnaround.

Simply put, deploying Coughlin to rally support and optimism likely isn’t going to work as it would’ve in 2017. What will work is Khan putting a winning product on the field. and it’s hard to have faith that his current front office and coaching staff can do that.

Pages: 12345

Report: Giants would be interested in Jason Garrett if fired by Cowboys

The New York Giants would reportedly be interested in hiring Jason Garrett as their next head coach if he’s fired by the Dallas Cowboys.

The New York Giants appear committed to Pat Shurmur as their head coach in 2020, but that could change if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones were to fire Jason Garrett at season’s end.

Garrett has often been connected to the Giants in one way or another, and we ever pondered the possibility of him becoming their next head coach earlier this year. However, what began as mindless speculation suddenly has a little smoke brewing.

NFL Network inside Ian Rapoport reports that the Giants would have interest in Garrett if he were to be fired and that Garrett’s desired destination would be — you guessed it — New York.

From @NFLGameDay: Could the #Giants be a landing spot for #Cowboys coach Jason Garrett if Dallas moves on from him? A look at one situation to keep watching… 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/GVdqWXmewd

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 24, 2019

“My understanding is that the Giants have emerged as a real and legitimate potential landing spot for Garrett,” Rapoport said. “First of all, it’s his preferred destination if he can’t stick with the Cowboys. And second, back in 2014, the Giants were trying to decide should they fire Tom Coughlin. My understand is they would have fired Coughlin if they could get Jason Garrett. Instead, he signed an extension and the Giants held onto Coughlin.”

Of course, a series of dominoes would have to fall in order for Garrett to land in New York, including the termination of Shurmur, who just recently appeared to receive a vote of confidence.

Still, if the Giants continue to struggle down the stretch despite a noticeably softer schedule and Garrett does become available, co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch may pounce after waiting for a half decade. However, knowing that, Jerry Jones may be less inclined to send Garrett out the door.

[lawrence-related id=633365,633356,633342]

Giants’ Daniel Jones won’t use Tiki Barber’s method to cure fumbling woes

New York Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones needs to cure his fumbling woes, but he won’t take a page out of Tiki Barber’s book to do it.

[jwplayer CyWAa1YN-ThvAeFxT]

New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones leads the NFL in fumbles lost with nine this season. Week after week, the team and Jones talk about how they plan on tightening up on ball security but we haven’t seen any of whatever those methods are working so far.

When Tom Coughlin took over as head coach of the Giants in 2004, he had a chronic fumbler in the fold in running back Tiki Barber and did what prep school and college coaches do to fumblers — he made Barber hold a football practically round the clock until he stopped fumbling.

On Wednesday, Jones was asked if that drill could help him, he believes it will not.

“I haven’t done that, and I’m not sure I will,” he told reporters.

And Jones probably shouldn’t. Barber was a running back and ball security is different for the most part, except when Jones decided to tuck the ball under and make a run for it.

Coughlin’s solution for Barber was for him to hold the ball “high and tight,” perpendicular to the ground where tacklers could not get a decent shot at it. Jones can’t really do that as his fumbles mainly have come while attempting to throw the football.

“Yeah, I think for me, it’s in the pocket a lot and keeping two hands on the ball in the pocket. So, whether we’re doing drills in practice, whether we’re doing seven on seven or anything like that, I need to continue to focus on that,” he said.

Jones has a long way to go to break or set any team records. Eli Manning has 124 fumbles in his career and Phil Simms has 93. The Giants’ single season mark for fumbles is 23, set by Kerry Collins in 2001.

[lawrence-related id=633093,633069,633049]

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.

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.

Pages: 1234567