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The 2003 NY Giants

Sean : 7/7/2020 6:57 pm
I remember heading into that season expectations were VERY high. The Giants had spent the prior offseason overhauling their Special Teams including signing Brian Mitchell.

William Joseph was drafted to bulk up the defensive line. Ernie Accorsi spent the offseason loading up in areas where the team let them down in the collapse at SF.

The offense finished very strong in 2002, the team ended the regular season winning 4 straight and was up 38-14 on the Niners in the wild card round.

The offense was poised for a big year with Collins, Tiki, Toomer & Shockey all in the fold.

I remember that summer having some controversy as it was Parcells first year in Dallas & Shockey had fired off some offensive insults his way. With the Eagles coming off a NFC title loss, Dallas hiring Parcells & the Giants with high expectations, it made for what was expected to be an exciting year in the division.

What were your expectations in August of 2003?
Sean - great post  
Drewcon40 : 7/7/2020 7:17 pm : link
This year was definitely a turning point or maybe a better word is “bridge” to the Coughlin/Eli era. Week two against the Dallas Cowboys was such a disappointing loss. I believe, without looking it up, but we did manage to get some wins after the Dallas loss, including an OT win against the Jets.

I actually thought 13-3 in August 2003.
High.  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 7/7/2020 7:26 pm : link
Similar to how I felt in August 2017.

Both seasons sucked. Hard.
I was pretty optimistic  
bluepepper : 7/7/2020 7:39 pm : link
but tempered because 1) Jim Fassel was the kind of coach who didn't deliver on high expectations and 2) we lost two starters on the right side of our OL and the replacements as of August were Tam Hopkins and Ian Allen (Yikes!)
On the flip side, if '03 doesn't go like it does,  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 7/7/2020 7:42 pm : link
we don't end up with TC or Eli so, in hindsight, I'm glad how '03 played out, though it was hell in the moment.

Didn't like everyone get injured in '03?  
Leg of Theismann : 7/7/2020 7:55 pm : link
I remember some fans disagreeing with the Fassel firing saying like a majority of the starters got hurt that year but I don't remember too well now.
LOT  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 7/7/2020 7:57 pm : link
If I remember correctly, as the season went south, a lot of guys started ending up on the injury report. Not that unusual.
RE: High.  
SGMen : 7/7/2020 7:58 pm : link
In comment 14930063 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:
Quote:
Similar to how I felt in August 2017.

Both seasons sucked. Hard.
Well stated. 2017 goes down as one of the most disappointing years in my Giants lifetime. 2003 is a close second cause expectations for success were there.

As for 2020, with no real pre-season & a new system and a lot of young players I am sold on our having a very rough year, starting 0-4 for just about sure given we play all "veteran" system teams.
I never even thought about the fact (until now)  
Leg of Theismann : 7/7/2020 8:00 pm : link
That my top 3 most hated Giants' losses of ALL TIME are all Fassel losses: 2002 WC game, Super Bowl XXXV, and 1997 WC game. I know the 2010 loss to the Eagles was really bad but for some reason I actually remember having a strange sense of calm after that game and it didn't affect me nearly as bad as those 3 I just mentioned.... maybe because 1) I was older and 2) 2007 run had happened fairly recently
RE: LOT  
Leg of Theismann : 7/7/2020 8:01 pm : link
In comment 14930089 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:
Quote:
If I remember correctly, as the season went south, a lot of guys started ending up on the injury report. Not that unusual.


Ah yeah that sounds right.
agree  
mpinmaine : 7/7/2020 8:11 pm : link
leg of thiesman
I recall being a pretty...  
Ryan : 7/7/2020 9:07 pm : link
...apprehensive that some of the '02 team was smoke and mirrors; specifically with the lines.

Fassel tinkered with the passing game and getting the ball out quick and we were largely unable to get tough yards on the ground when needed (short yardage, RZ, protecting a lead). They exacerbated that by trying to replace Whittle and Rosenthal (who were no great shakes) with fucking Ian Allen and Tam Hopkins.

Same on the DL. No pass rush outside of Strahan which was clearly evident in the SF game. I believe Kenny Holmes had a meniscus issue that held him back and Hamilton had a fork in his back (coming off an achilles?). Joseph seemed to be a falling star and rumored to be soft - predicted top 5 at the outset of the college season then seemed to be the last of a fairly deep DL class when the draft came. Osi was completely green.

Just a lot of risk when you have holes that big on both lines. Ended up being moot with the overwhelming wave on injuries. Calling up guys like Ikr Charlton and Kato Serwanga to start at CB by year's end.
Very low  
Big Blue '56 : 7/8/2020 6:44 am : link
after the inexplicable playoff meltdown.
The second half  
Lines of Scrimmage : 7/8/2020 7:35 am : link
of 2002 Fassel had figured out how to create matchup problems with Toomer and Shockey. They were destroying Cover 2 defenses.

I remember the NY Post had a back page before the 2003 season with a NYTD Blue headline and expectations were sky high...........8 months later TC was named Head Coach and Collins was gone.
we've seen some teams quit  
Enzo : 7/8/2020 11:04 am : link
down the stretch but 2003 might have been the worst. I remember beating the Jets in OT on Marathon Sunday and beating the Rams on opening day on a brutally hot day. Other than that, it was a bunch of bad losses (Westbrook, Quincy Carter). I also remember getting killed by the Falcons who started the immortal Kurt Kittner. And of course the Joe Horn game. It was time for Fassel to go.

Like some of our recent teams, we had guys getting major playing time on the offensive line that simply were not good players (Ian Allen, Lucier, Bober).
That week 2loss to Dallas on MNF  
LTIsTheGreatest : 7/8/2020 11:15 am : link
was a real downer. Set the tone for the rest of the season. Had a big rally in the second half to take the lead with 11 seconds left only to let the ensuing kickoff go out of bounds, giving the Cowboys possession at the 40. We all know what happened after.
Bad Year  
lax counsel : 7/8/2020 4:08 pm : link
But definitely a year that was needed to get the franchise back to the championship level. A number of good things were done in the the proceeding offseason to get back to that level.
I had the pleasure of first...  
BillKo : 7/8/2020 4:11 pm : link
...attending the Buffalo game in December. Believe Tommer caught a long TD for an early lead that just disintegrated.

But then the Washington game was something out of a dream.

Stadium nearly empty.......parking lot was like a nuclear wasteland......windy, empty. And two bad teams.

The collapse was like an avalanche  
Greg from LI : 7/8/2020 5:03 pm : link
They had a bunch of legit injuries, lost several games in a row, and then they just collectively gave up as a team.
The 2003 team started 2-4  
Sean : 7/8/2020 5:45 pm : link
Very tough divisional losses at home to Dallas & Philly - both games could have been won. On the flip side they survived an early game @Wsh which easily could have been lost.

At 2-4, the Giants saved their season at the time by winning @Minnesota. Followed it up with a win against the Jets to get to 4-4. (4-4 sounds amazing in this era of NYG football btw).

The loss at home to Kurt Kittner the following week ended the season.
Wasn't that Kurt Kittner game the one with the infamous  
Greg from LI : 7/8/2020 5:56 pm : link
"tackling by the helmet" personal foul?
RE: That week 2loss to Dallas on MNF  
LBH15 : 7/8/2020 6:13 pm : link
In comment 14930288 LTIsTheGreatest said:
Quote:
was a real downer. Set the tone for the rest of the season. Had a big rally in the second half to take the lead with 11 seconds left only to let the ensuing kickoff go out of bounds, giving the Cowboys possession at the 40. We all know what happened after.


One of the more moronic losses of all-time.

RE: RE: That week 2loss to Dallas on MNF  
jnoble : 7/8/2020 7:24 pm : link
In comment 14930520 LBH15 said:
Quote:
In comment 14930288 LTIsTheGreatest said:


Quote:


was a real downer. Set the tone for the rest of the season. Had a big rally in the second half to take the lead with 11 seconds left only to let the ensuing kickoff go out of bounds, giving the Cowboys possession at the 40. We all know what happened after.



One of the more moronic losses of all-time.


The team openly quit on Fassel mid season
Special teams was never a strong suit for the Giants under  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 7/8/2020 7:27 pm : link
JF.
ughh 2003  
Giants86 : 7/9/2020 8:57 pm : link
what a messed up season

Loss to the Cowboys because of the kickoff out of bounds
Loss to the Eagles on a punt return. I was livid leaving the stadium
Loss at the Patriots. Outplaying them, Tiki fumbling. Slipped and dropped a TD right in front of me in the end zone.
Just absurd.
Loss vs Atlanta with Kittner as QB. My brother and me left with like 7 minutes to go, so pissed off.
and of course the Joe Horn game in which I traveled to NO for.
Just a ridiculous amount of dumb losses.
Team quit after the Atlanta game.
We lost to Kurt Kittner, Tim Hasselbeck, Jay Fiedler...  
Anakim : 7/9/2020 9:19 pm : link
That heartbreaker against Parcells and the Cowboys

I remember Aaron Brooks tore us a new one and I also remember Jesse Palmer absolutely shitting the bed in the last game of the season. I think it was against Carolina.


But yeah, that season sucked
RE: I was pretty optimistic  
Anakim : 7/9/2020 9:24 pm : link
In comment 14930072 bluepepper said:
Quote:
but tempered because 1) Jim Fassel was the kind of coach who didn't deliver on high expectations and 2) we lost two starters on the right side of our OL and the replacements as of August were Tam Hopkins and Ian Allen (Yikes!)


Ian Allen is arguably the worst O-Lineman the Giants ever had. I mean he made Omameh and Flowers look serviceable.
RE: RE: That week 2loss to Dallas on MNF  
Anakim : 7/9/2020 9:26 pm : link
In comment 14930520 LBH15 said:
Quote:
In comment 14930288 LTIsTheGreatest said:


Quote:


was a real downer. Set the tone for the rest of the season. Had a big rally in the second half to take the lead with 11 seconds left only to let the ensuing kickoff go out of bounds, giving the Cowboys possession at the 40. We all know what happened after.



One of the more moronic losses of all-time.


Bill Parcells running onto the field and celebrating when the FG went through the uprights was just the biggest kick in the balls.
We ended 2002 with Wellington Mara saying that season had a 1985 feel  
Bramton1 : 7/10/2020 1:53 am : link
to it, but I was hoping 2003 would be our 1986. And we start off by beating Kurt Warner's St. Louis Rams. Then there is the big comeback against the Cowboys.

And then Matt Bryant kicked the ball out of bounds. We almost blow a game against the Redskins where we had an 11-point lead late in the game. And then there was that god forsaken Eagles' game.

But those last eight games were a mess. We were hardly competitive in any of them.
RE: RE: I was pretty optimistic  
LBH15 : 7/10/2020 8:48 am : link
In comment 14931015 Anakim said:
Quote:
In comment 14930072 bluepepper said:


Quote:


but tempered because 1) Jim Fassel was the kind of coach who didn't deliver on high expectations and 2) we lost two starters on the right side of our OL and the replacements as of August were Tam Hopkins and Ian Allen (Yikes!)



Ian Allen is arguably the worst O-Lineman the Giants ever had. I mean he made Omameh and Flowers look serviceable.


James Brewer needs consideration here.
I think we beat the Jets that year with 4 seconds remaining in OT  
Mike in Long Beach : 7/10/2020 11:07 am : link
Put us at like 4-3 and I remember thinking we were about to go on a run and we had righted the ship...

We didn't win another game until week 2 of the next season.
What a dissapointing year  
Sonic Youth : 7/10/2020 11:18 am : link
I was 14 so this was early in the part of my Giants fanhood where I remember specific details from seasons. In August, I was wearing a Giants hat and talked to some guy in a grocery store or something who was in a Giants shirt, and we were just like "yep this is our year".

What a fucking joke that was, lol. I also remember being pumped that we shut down the Rams (?) in week 1, saying "OUR DEFENSE IS SO GOOD". Another total fucking joke.

Everyone had huge expectations going into that year.
and yeah  
Sonic Youth : 7/10/2020 11:21 am : link
so many awful losses that year. Dallas is the one that still sticks out to me because it was such an idiotic way to lose. The Eagles punt return was also a shit game to go to. Plus losing to all those awful QBs.

Team really shit the bed that year.
RE: What a dissapointing year  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 7/10/2020 6:25 pm : link
In comment 14931229 Sonic Youth said:
Quote:
I was 14 so this was early in the part of my Giants fanhood where I remember specific details from seasons. In August, I was wearing a Giants hat and talked to some guy in a grocery store or something who was in a Giants shirt, and we were just like "yep this is our year".

What a fucking joke that was, lol. I also remember being pumped that we shut down the Rams (?) in week 1, saying "OUR DEFENSE IS SO GOOD". Another total fucking joke.

Everyone had huge expectations going into that year.


I had the same thoughts after Week 1: Man, this team is going to be damn good...
massive amount of injuries  
xtian : 7/11/2020 4:48 pm : link
i think the entire OL got injured. we had several walk-on Free Agents starting after practicing for 2 days. one of the worst OLs of all time because of it. this was the year seubert had that horrific multiple broken bones leg injury. he was finally able to reclaim a starting position in 2007--thank god!
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