Throwback Thursday: Giants down Dolphins at Wembley in 2007

In the latest Giants Wire Throwback Thursday, we go back in time to 2007 when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in London.

One of the more forgettable football games in NFL history is likely the one played between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins on October 28, 2007. The Giants won a battle of attrition, 13-10, in the first ever regular season NFL game played outside of North America.

On the rain-soaked pitch of London’s iconic Wembley Stadium, Tom Coughlin’s 5-2 Giants faced off against the 0-7 Dolphins with Cam Cameron at the helm. The conditions were awful and well below NFL standards. The turf was loose and muddy and unfit for play but the game commenced regardless.

The Giants scored the first 13 points, all in the first half. Two Lawrence Tynes field goals sandwiched an Eli Manning 10-yard touchdown run. So, yes, an unorthodox game for sure.

The Dolphins managed to get on the board in the third with Jay Feely’s 21-yard field goal. Neither team would score again until just after the two-minute warning when Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon found Ted Ginn Jr. for a 21-yard touchdown.

The Dolphins’ onside kick attempt failed, and when Manning knelt three times to run out the clock to end the game, the local audience booed. Apparently, they did not understand what they were seeing was the norm.

The game was a success for the league’s first foray into the London market. The attendance was reported at 81,176 and both teams were pleased they made the trip across the pond.

“Our team was very proud to be here in London,” Coughlin said after the game. “The people have been wonderful to us. The stadium is beautiful…It was a difficult game for us. We thought we were in pretty good shape defensively for a long time…But nevertheless, on the last drive [for them] to score in those situations was a shocker to me.”

“I can’t imagine a game being put together better than this. The hospitality was like none I’ve ever seen,” said Cameron. “As it relates to the game, I told our guys you can’t make that many mistakes, especially in the scoring zone. We weren’t able to overcome those mistakes.”

It was a strange game for the Giants. Manning only completed eight of his 22 passing attempts for 59 yards. The Giants won the game on the ground behind Brandon Jacobs’ 131 yards on 23 carries. Reuben Droughns gained another 27 yards on eight attempts.

The Giants, of course, would go on the win the Super Bowl that season while the Dolphins would only win one game the entire season.

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Flashback Friday: Eagles end Giants’ dream of repeating in 2008

In the latest Giants Wire Flashback Friday, we look at a 2008 heart-breaker when the Philadelphia Eagles ended the New York Giants’ season.

In 2008, the New York Giants were flying high after knocking off the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. They were the best team in football and showed it by winning 11 of their first 12 games.

The Giants appeared to be unstoppable, and poised to make a run to repeat as champions. Then, the bizarre happened. They either peaked too early or were derailed by an off-field incident as they lost three of their last four games and the game they won was an overtime win.

On November 28, before their Week 13 win over Washington, star wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York night club. He was not only lost for the season but was criminally charged. The distraction was too much for the Giants to overcome.

The Giants had played well enough to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs and were pitted against the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round at Giants Stadium. Philly had beaten the Giants at the Meadowlands a few weeks earlier.

The game had an ominous feeling. Although the Giants were favored by four points, the sixth-seeded Eagles got the better of the play. It was a low-scoring affair that saw the Giants go up, 11-10, early in the third quarter, then lose the lead for good and could not muster any type of offense mount a comeback.

The Eagles won, 23-11, the first NFL game to ever end with that final score and the Giants’ season was over just like that. What a waste.

“I am very, very disappointed,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “I am sorry to see the season come to an end. There is remorse for opportunities lost.”

Quarterback Eli Manning also lamented about the missed opportunity.

“It all comes down to what you do in the playoffs. That makes your season a good one or a disappointment,” Manning said. “This is a disappointment. We felt this was a special team that could go far. The defense played outstanding today and gave us opportunities. Offensively, we didn’t do our job. We didn’t score enough points.”

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Report: Jags ‘likely’ to go through a coaching change after 2019

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo doesn’t know if it will be before the season, but believes the Jags are heading towards a coaching change.

The Jacksonville Jaguars season has been a big-time failure and the fans aren’t happy. Jags owner Shad Khan likely isn’t happy with the results he’s seen either as the Jags are on a four-game skid in which they’ve been outscored 129-47 and have looked like a dumpster fire organization along the way.

Due to all of the aforementioned issues, many have suspected changes are coming. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo seems to believe that those changes could definitely include acquiring a new head coach after stating that the Jags are “likely” to move on from Doug Marrone, who has been the Jags’ coach for almost three full seasons now.

“If you’re asking me if it is going to be before Week 17, I honestly have no idea. It’s gonna depend on what happens in these next couple of games here,” Garafolo said Tuesday afternoon. “But I think everyone is looking at this situation saying it’s a likely coaching change in Jacksonville.”

It’s worth noting that Garafolo was the source to break the news of Doug Marrone being hired by the Jags under Gus Bradley, so it appears he knows his stuff when it comes to the veteran head coach. It’s also worth noting Garafolo stated that Marrone could make a case to stay by finishing the season strong and showing he can win with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

The news is pretty much what most fans were expecting, however, when looking at how the Jags have looked over the last two years. In fact, since going to the AFC Championship the Jags are 9-19, which isn’t a good look —even when looking past 2018, which was a year full of key injuries for the Jags.

I think Marrone is a good coach but there may be varying opinions on him in the locker room because executive vice president of football operations, Tom Coughlin, has seemingly gotten involved with issues that the coach should more so control. A prime example is the Jalen Ramsey situation.

Speaking of Coughlin, Garafolo didn’t really offer any news about his job security or that of general manager Dave Caldwell, though he did say the front office wants to see how the season plays out. However, a half-measure by Khan wouldn’t be wise. Ultimately, he’d still be keeping two people who have played a key part in the organization’s mistakes of the past. There is also the fact that no head coach that’s worth having will want Coughlin hovering over him while he does his job.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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