The locker room culture that Giants general manager Dave Gettleman and coach Pat Shurmur hoped they built over the offseason is about to be put to the test.
Had the Giants beaten the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon, they’d have been a game out of the NFC East division lead. Instead, one of the NFL’s most porous defenses held rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver Golden Tate, tight end Evan Engram and the offense to 14 offensive points in a 27-21 loss.
“It sucks,” Giants right guard Kevin Zeitler said. “Straight up. That’s as plain and blunt as you can say it. It sucked today.”
The Giants (2-5) are two games out of the division lead, with no indication they can make a run at the postseason.
Jones’ development aside, this season is beginning to feel more like the 3-13 debacle in 2017. That season led to the firing of general manager Jerry Reese and coach Ben McAdoo. Shurmur, who slipped to the 10th-losingest coach in NFL history on Sunday, is now 7-15 as the Giants coach.
McAdoo, who went 11-5 and made the playoffs in his first year, was fired when his second season came off the rails. His record at the time he was dismissed was 13-15.
The 2017 season devolved into a turmoil-infested death march that included the suspensions of Eli Apple, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins.
With games against the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and a pair of games against the Eagles, this season could go off the rails. How will the Giants avoid finger-pointing?
“We got a lot of season left,” Giants safety Jabrill Peppers said Sunday. “We just have to band together and execute better on game days.”
But there are only so many times a coach can preach progress -- especially when his play-calling and clock management are questioned. In the end, Shurmur might need Jones to save him.
If Jones -- who has thrown seven interceptions in five starts and lost three fumbles -- continues to regress, it might get harder for the Giants to justify bringing Shurmur back for a third season.
Jones’ quarterback ratings for each of his five starts: 112.7, 78, 65.9, 35.2, 78.6.
Jones’ improvement (or regression) will define the trajectory of the franchise. If Jones and the Giants do not show marked progress over the final nine games of the season, the Giants will be faced with another possible coaching change.
The Jets fired head coach Todd Bowles in part because Sam Darnold did not show the progress they hoped for as a rookie. Arizona fired Steve Wilkes and dumped quarterback Josh Rosen in favor of head coach Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. The Rams fired Jeff Fisher for screwing up Jared Goff’s development.
If Shurmur is unable to keep the Giants’ locker room together and get Jones headed in the right direction, especially if there are more Sundays like the loss to the Cardinals, Shurmur might not be able to avoid his predecessor’s fate.
Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoNFL
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