Giant Mistake

Does anyone remember what Tom Coughlin's status was with the New York Giants 16 months ago. I bet Tiki Barber does. Barber had retired and was running his beaming white mouthful of teeth about his former boss and his downfalls. The team was in disarray and the Big Apple media, well, need I say more. But suddenly the G-Men righted their ship and the rest as they say is history and Coughlin was anointed a genius for getting his team a ring.

But yesterday it may have been his decision late in the 2nd quarter that cost his team a shot at a repeat.

With score 7-5 Eagles, the clock winding down with 1:45 to go in the half and the Giants in scoring position facing a 4th and 1 on the Eagle 17, Coughlin sent out the field goal team to take the lead. The kick was good, 8-7 Giants.

Now while taking the lead at any point is hard to argue, this decision in my mind was an easy one to make at the time, he should have gone for it. First off, you are at home so there is no crowd noise to contend with. Next, you have 6'4", 264 Brandon Jacobs, you'd think he can get the job done for 1 yard. Third, with the weather conditins on Sunday, who knows when you might get a chance like this again. Finally, it IS the playoffs! It's do or die, and by playing it so safe Coughlin sent a number of messages to his team, none bigger than the fact that all 11 players on offence now thought that their coach had no confidence in them.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman of FOX both applauded the decision to kick the three points at the same time I was saying this will bite the Giants right in the butt.

Instead of giving Big Blue momentum, it showed the Eagles that they could stop Eli and his boys. The sense of fear was in the air when Donovan McNabb drove 67 yards in 1:20 to set up a Philly field goal that gave the Boys from Brothery Love the lead, 10-8. Talk about demoralizing!

The Giants scored only 3 more points the rest of the way. And coincidentally their fragile offensive psyche was stuffed on two 4th and 1 tries by an Eagles defence that was given all the confidence in the world by Coughlin's second quarter decision.

I wonder if Tiki Barber is smiling today?