When friends, family, co-workers come up to you with the "Heh, what's wrong with your Giants?" question, how have you been responding? (I assume most / all of us have been receiving that question and we will even more so now that the Giants are 0-5).
Basically there are two types of folks who ask: 1) The jerk big fan of another team who's been looking to needle you for years and 2) the casual fan who is at least semi-honestly surprised and wants some kind of explanation.
For 1) (especially Cowboys, Redskins or Eagles fans), the proper reply is "#$%*@! you, your team can only dream of the success the Giants have had in recent years".
For 2), what have you been saying? Well, we've had a higher than average number of injuries, our GM didn't pay enough attention to our OL and LBs, teams have figured out our game plans ...
Looking for some good, meaningful answers for 2) (I've got 1) covered).
Not really getting into it with non-Giants fans. If pressed, I say, "We had a really good run...it's time to restock the pantry."
this goes to personel from the top down and coaching/planning at tactical levels.
however, there are signs of improvement...you don't throw away the whole dillio during a crisis
watching the replays...its not just the O line.
failing during the season to adjust to imploding o lines. this is not the type of team theory or style to have even a middling O line...a terrible one? blech
I remind them they won a couple of Championships recently and there is still some talent. The'll be back soon enough.
The Carolina game I was digging deep to find any thing good to hang a hat on.
Like I said, there is some talent(great talent)it's just one of those things.
I think by the end of the year we'll see some decent play and kick ourselves for an opportunity lost, because this division should've been easy pickings this year.
Baas
Snee
Diehl
Tuck
Webster
Kiwanuka
Rivers
Rolle
Even if they team was no better than this year's team and was 0-5 without those players, who cares? At least the Giants would be clearing cap room earlier.
Also, Reese go-to move is brining in oft-injured veterans or drafting constantly injured players and hoping they stay healthy. It needs to end.
I would have kept Blackburn and Bennett as well, for what they got paid to leave.
The 2011 Giants had moved forward, largely on the new contributions of Victor Cruz, JPP, Antrel Rolle, William Beatty, and a couple others. Since then, there has been no new growth either from a personnel or coaching innovation standpoint.
This is essentially the 2011 team with 2 years of championship fat, wear and tear, contract issues, and film in other teams' meeting rooms. It's still a Nicks and Cruz game.
basically our problems are 1st down, 2nd down, 3rd down, and 4th down
Too many Aged, Halt and Lame.
but, two biggest issues - Snee and Baas unable to play and unreliable replacements.
And, no pass rush - absent those two problems - Giants, at worst, are 2-3.
we would not be a marginally or more worse team with those players
conversely for 3 or 4 years it looked like we had targeted guards in rounds 2 or 3 only to see them get picked above our spots (failure to see trends, asses value)
keeping players as starters who did not deserve to be so despite the screaming evidence
However, we as giants fans expect an attacking defense, that's a big part of what many, many of us signed up for.
so, the lack of one seems less forgivable,
even in the face of the facts, miscues on offense and a weak o line in a system that needs a great one to win
Austin can't replace any DT on the roster, maybe Rogers. Sash could maybe replace Mundy, but not likely IMO.
The o-line fell apart with the losses of Snee and Baas but what team could handle that unexpectedly after the first week? Most people think Mosley and Brewer are solid backups and almost ready to start. We already rolled the dice at RT with Pugh as a rookie. Beatty is a young LT. You need some vets on the line. I think they expected Baas and Snee to at least play average enough until the replacements were ready. Obviously we disaster hit but your not going to have starting regulars ready to go on any bench in the NFL. Maybe one but not 3.
The Giants have a bad kicker, bad special teams, no pass rush, no offensive line, no pass blocking or run blocking at any position, little understanding of the offense by new/young players, an erratic QB, and poor coaching, execution, and effort.
This team is bad, and needed to a lot of these oft-injured players and older players gone last year or last offseason.
2) "It's David Baas' fault. We paid too much for him, he's always hurt, he sucks and his suckitude spread to the whole OLine and then the rest of the team. This is all his fault, but, well... it's also on us for signing him."
I use #1 mostly