Who Is To Blame For All The Giants’ Current Woes?

The New York Giants are staring at a potential fifth-straight losing season.

At 2-5, they would need at least seven wins to guarantee a winning season.

However, that’s easier said than done, considering their slew of injuries coming into Week 8 of the 2021 NFL season.

Wide receivers Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard, and Kenny Golladay are all questionable for their game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney all suited up and in stretch lines prior to today’s Giants practice. Time to prep for Kansas City. pic.twitter.com/dF9O8bsK53

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) October 27, 2021

Saquon Barkley and Andrew Thomas might not suit up as well.

Worse, safety Jabrill Peppers will be on injured reserve due to an issue on his right leg.

Looking at the big picture, the Giants had one of the biggest collapses by any NFL team in recent memory.

They’ve only had two winning seasons after winning Super Bowl XLVI.

Super Bowl XLVI 10th Anniversary Merch

Shop now 🛒 : https://t.co/y8xTpv7kCH pic.twitter.com/jACWtfwwmq

— New York Giants (@Giants) October 20, 2021

During that stretch, their only playoff game was a 38-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2016.

Team ownership played a big part in the team’s downfall because they kept living in the past without adjusting the roster.

Likewise, the coaches they hired during this drought fizzled under pressure.

But there’s one man who inflicted much damage to the organization in recent times.

Fire Dave Gettleman

Dave Gettleman joined the Giants in 2018 and knew that Eli Manning’s career would be over soon.

Despite this knowledge, he went on to select Barkley with the second overall pick.

At that time, Barkley was a hot commodity after an impressive run at Penn State.

But drafting a running back that high is a high-risk, high-reward move.

The Giants & Carolina Panthers both required rebuilds after Dave Gettleman used a top 10 draft pick on a running back as the teams’ GM in back to back years.

Christian McCaffrey & Saquon Barkley are talented. They’re also out Sunday and (recently) often: https://t.co/OlrMPbDoFq pic.twitter.com/oOlntOxxRq

— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) October 22, 2021

You’re better off if they pan out, but their performance depends on their offensive line as well.

Likewise, the NFL is a pass-happy league, making the quarterback the essential player on the team.

Some intriguing play-callers were available when they were on the clock, like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

Instead, they bolstered their run game, and Barkley proved that they made the right decision.

Unfortunately, injuries are threatening an early end to his career.

Saquon Barkley's ankle injury will keep him off the field for the Giants until Week 9. 🤕 pic.twitter.com/dazUdDEWwF

— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) October 24, 2021

He can still play after recovering from another knee issue, but he’s a shell of his former self.

Imagine how different the Giants’ situation would be if they had either Allen or Jackson.

Sadly, Gettleman realized the need for a quarterback a year later by selecting Daniel Jones.

The former Duke standout took over from Manning, who had an abrupt end to a successful career.

The new Helmet Catch. @Daniel_Jones10

(@VISA Play of the Week) pic.twitter.com/nlfhvGQWxi

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2021

Three years into his NFL career, Jones is yet to prove that he belongs in the pros.

Looking at his draft class, though, the talent level at quarterback is shallow because no one panned out other than Kyler Murray.

Hiring The Wrong People

Gettleman hired Pat Shurmur to replace interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo.

However, he lasted only two seasons after a 9-23 record.

After which, he hired Joe Judge, who can’t seem to get the Giants going.

He went 6-10 his first season and continued to preach that they are working on long-term improvement.

But their recent performance leans toward a potential firing.

Keeping Jones on the field despite a big lead by the Los Angeles Rams should be the final straw that he has no idea to run the team.

Who can forget the time Dave Gettleman reinforcing his belief on running the football because he saw an NBC graphic showing the Top 4 rushing teams making the playoffs while the Top 4 passing teams missing the playoffs in 2019.

That only happened once since 1970. #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/AEr7iiJ7aD

— WBG84 (@WBG84) October 20, 2021

Yet if he gets fired, team owner John Mara must kick out Gettleman as well to turn the Giants’ fortunes around.