The New York Giants' season is officially over. Their lifeless, "pathetic", 23-0 shutout at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks last weekend put the final nail in the coffin and had Giants fans turning their gaze towards next season.
Ask a fan what he or she thinks the Giants can do to turn things around next season and there's a very good chance that the first thing they'll say is 'fire Kevin Gilbride'. It might not be as simplistic as that, but 'fixing' the Giants starts with the coaching staff - and they should clear house.
Tom Coughlin's past achievements speak for themselves and he has done a great job of keeping the Giants competitive in spite of their many flaws, but I think Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has a point when he says that Coughlin has done everything he can for the organisation. Firing him isn't an option - he has earned the right to call time on his career whenever he wants - but this season might be the one to retire after. Conversely if the Giants are going to rebuild, having Coughlin steer the ship wouldn't be a bad idea.
Regardless, the majority of the coaches beneath him need to go; his coordinators - Kevin Gilbride, Perry Fewell and Tom Quinn - have been repeatedly out-coached this season and the Giants will not be contenders if they retain them. Gilbride has enjoyed consistent success in New York, but the Giants' offensive production has regressed in recent years with a difficult-to-execute but easily-defended scheme.
Even so, there is only so much a coach can do - and much of the Giants' struggles this year have been down to the personnel on the field. Many are - through no fault of their own - just not good enough, and some (Hakeem Nicks) have all the talent in the world but aren't playing at a level expected of them.
The good news is that there are a number of young players - including Jason Pierre Paul, Victor Cruz, Prince Amukamara, Linval Joseph, John Conner, Justin Pugh, Rueben Randle, Damontre Moore, Will Hill and Jacquian Williams - around whom Jerry Reese can build a contender.
Much of the Giants' struggles have come from a sizeable number of ineffective veteran starters. If we're 'fixing' the team, guys like Chris Snee, David Diehl, David Baas, Mathias Kiwanuka, Brandon Jacobs and Corey Webster will be finished in New York and others - like Justin Tuck, Kevin Boothe, Mike Patterson and Trumaine McBride - have some value (somewhere close to veteran's minimum) but their days are numbered. Short-term contracts will see important locker room leaders like Tuck help ease the transition, but salary cap restrictions mean that Antrel Rolle would, despite his superlative play this season, be leaving the team.
Without Rolle, and with an offensive line in desperate need of repair, it is vitally important the Giants spend the money they do have (expected to be somewhere around $28 million) wisely in free agency. So who do they go after? The interior offensive line has been a liability all season, and I think Jerry Reese needs to make a move for some underrated talents to fix it - Brian De La Puente (centre, New Orleans Saints) and Jon Asamoah (guard, Kansas City Chiefs) are the stand-out linemen on offer. Prince Amukamara is developing into the player the Giants hoped he would be, but the Giants should turn to the 49ers' underrated cornerback Tarell Brown to help him out.
A lot of fans and pundits are making the point that the past achievements of many Giants players and coaches means that the organisation should resist change in the hope that they once again deliver a championship. This school of thought overlooks the fact that what once worked for the Giants no longer does. The Colts, after a radical overhaul following their disastrous 2011 campaign, made the playoffs in 2012 and 2013. The Chiefs, after posting a 2-14 record in 2012, are 11-4 in 2013. These teams, along with other contenders such as the Seahawks, 49ers, Eagles and Dolphins, experienced major personnel overhauls within the last three years and prove that - in today's NFL - you have to adapt or die.
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