New York Giants vs. Tennessee Titans: Complete Week 14 Preview for New York

The New York Giants are back at it again this weekend, still looking for their first win since Oct. 5. The Giants will have a decent shot to pick up their fourth victory of the season against the Tennessee Titans on the road on Sunday—if they can hold a lead.

Last week, the Giants watched a 21-3 lead melt away in the second half, as the horrid Jacksonville Jaguars stormed back to win the game, 25-24. That loss should serve as a reminder that no game is a "gimme" for these struggling Giants (3-9).

The Titans (2-10) must be taken seriously.

This, New York's second consecutive interconference conflict, will be only the 10th meeting ever between these two teams. The all-time series is tied at five wins apiece, but New York hasn't won since Nov. 21, 1994, when the Tennessee franchise was still in Houston and known as the Oilers.

Continue reading for the latest news, injury updates, matchups to watch and more.

Week 13 Recap

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New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars. 1 p.m. EST, Nov. 30, 2014. 

First Quarter

No Scoring—Most of the first quarter is consumed by the Giants' second drive of the game, which begins at the 9:48 mark and stretches into the second quarter.

Giants 0, Jaguars 0

Second Quarter

14:57—New York finalizes a 19-play, 91-yard drive on the first play of the second quarter, as running back Rashad Jennings crashes in from two yards out.

11:27—The Giants put together back-to-back scoring drives, the second one capped with a three-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Preston Parker.

6:30—It's complete domination at this point, as Jennings weaves through the Jaguars defense for a 17-yard score. Jacksonville is hardly putting up a fight.

2:03—The Jaguars show their first signs of life, scoring a 28-yard field goal and forcing a Giants punt before halftime.

Giants 21, Jaguars 3 (half)

Third Quarter

11:13—Disaster strikes on New York's first drive of the second half, when Manning fumbles the ball into the end zone and Jacksonville's J.T. Thomas pounces on it for a touchdown.

1:55—The Jaguars cash in their first big offensive play of the game, as rookie wide receiver Marqise Lee gets behind New York's defense for a 30-yard touchdown from Blake Bortles.

Giants 21, Jaguars 16

Fourth Quarter

12:56—Jacksonville turns another Giants fumble into six points, grabbing its first lead of the game. This time, tight end Larry Donnell coughed the ball up.

3:26—New York limps its way into field-goal range to take a temporary lead on a Josh Brown 33-yarder. He missed from 43 earlier in the game.

0:28—The Jaguars successfully execute the two-minute drill, thanks to some option runs that caught the Giants off-guard throughout the second half.

Jaguars 25, Giants 24

News and Notes

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Tom Coughlin may actually have to go

New Yorkers have been calling for Tom Coughlin to lose his job for the better part of 10 years, with only a couple of brief hiatuses following the Super Bowl runs of 2007 and 2011.

This year, however, the calls for his firing are louder and realer than ever—to the point where it might actually happen. After all, Coughlin's Giants are about to miss their fifth postseason in six years.

After ranking the Jaguars loss as New York's third-worst of the Coughlin era, New York Daily News beat writer Ralph Vacchiano admitted the Super Bowl-winning head coach's time may be up. Gary Myers, a columnist for the same newspaper, has already suggested a list of potential replacements.

While the fanbase may be running out of patience with Coughlin, those within the organization are reluctant to give up hope. Recently, injured wide receiver Victor Cruz (h/t NJ.com) and team co-owner Steve Tisch (h/t New York Post) offered their support for the embattled head coach.

Coughlin accepts "full responsibility" for the current disaster but wants his team to ignore the speculation about his job, according to Tom Pedulla of The New York Times.

Jerry Reese can't avoid blame for Giant mess

For some teams, the general manager is a common scapegoat. You don't have to look very far to find the New York Jets, who have been run into the ground by incompetent GM John Idzik.

The Giants aren't one of those teams, but they're becoming one.

Jerry Reese has long avoided criticism. In fact, only recently have Giants fans admitted he's fallible. This Facebook page called "In Reese We Trust" has nearly 10,000 "likes," as if the Giants GM is some sort of offseason demigod.

Fans are finally figuring out the root of New York's troubles and pointing the finger of blame at Reese. This week, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News said the GM has assembled a "flawed team." Curt Macysyn of CBS New York highlighted the Giants' failed drafts, and Paul Schwartz of the New York Post wrote about them losing their way with a $110 million spending spree in free agency.

Reese will be under more scrutiny than ever before this offseason.

Antrel Rolle can still play, but will he stay in New York?

One Giant who is consistently good even when the Giants are consistently bad is safety Antrel Rolle. Signed before the 2010 season, he has intercepted 14 passes as a Giant, including a career-high six picks last year. Twice he was named to the Pro Bowl.

However, with Rolle looking for a new contract and the Giants looking to rebuild, he's no lock to be playing in New York next season.

That's not the only tough decision the team must make this offseason. Here's a list of all 18 impending unrestricted free agents, courtesy of Spotrac.com:

• S Antrel Rolle
• DE Jason Pierre-Paul
• CB Walter Thurmond III
• OL Adam Snyder
• S Stevie Brown
• LB Jacquian Williams
• LB Spencer Paysinger
• FB Henry Hynoski
• S Quintin Demps
• WR Jerrel Jernigan
• OL James Brewer
• DT Mike Patterson
• WR Kevin Ogletree
• RG John Jerry
• CB Zack Bowman
• TE Daniel Fells
• CB Chykie Brown
• LB Terrell Manning

It'd be nice to see a reliable contributor like Rolle return, but, as you can see, it may be time to say goodbye to several longtime Giants.

Quote of the Week

From Mike Lupica's Thursday column in the New York Daily News:

"

Maybe the Giants will show some fire the rest of the way, against teams as bad as they are. But in the relevant part of this season, they have been as much of a joke as the Jets. The Jets had their butt fumble game once. A thousand years ago, the Giants hit bottom when Herm Edwards picked up Joe Pisarcik’s fumble and ran it in for a touchdown at old Giants Stadium. Last Sunday felt like that to old Giants fans. This has all gotten much too old, much too soon, after Eli-to-Manningham in Indianapolis.

"

Injury Report

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Here's the Giants' injury report for Week 14, courtesy of NFL.com:

Player	Injury	Practice	Game
T James Brewer	Concussion	DNP	--
LB Mark Herzlich	Concussion	DNP	--
RB Rashad Jennings	Ankle	DNP	--
T Justin Pugh	Quad	Full	--
DT Cullen Jenkins	Calf	Limited	--
LB Jameel McClain	Knee	Limited	--
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	Back/Shoulder	Limited	--
LB Jacquian Williams	Concussion	Limited	--

*Added to injured reserve this week: DE Mathias Kiwanuka, DE Robert Ayers, OL Adam Snyder, OL Geoff Schwartz and LB Terrell Manning.

The Giants have completely come apart after blowing a three-score, halftime lead against the one-win Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend. Above all other factors, injuries are most to blame for New York's troubles in 2014.

This week, the Giants added five players to injured reserve, bringing the season total up to 20 hobbled players. Most of the IR members are veterans, so unheralded players like undrafted rookie Kerry Wynn are getting run at defensive end and other positions in the final four games of the season.

The Giants allowed a third player this season, Mark Herzlich, to continue on-field action after he had suffered a concussion. Ultimately, it is on the player to report his symptoms immediately, but New York must do something to curb this current brain-bruising epidemic.

Justin Pugh vows to be back at right tackle this week, providing a hint of relief along the O-line, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

Matchups to Watch and X-Factor

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Damontre Moore vs. Michael Oher

With Mathias Kiwanuka and Robert Ayers Jr. moved to injured reserve this week, the Giants have no other option at left defensive end than to start second-year man Damontre Moore. The former third-round selection has mostly ridden the bench as a rotational pass-rusher since New York drafted him.

Moore will probably go head-to-head with tackle Michael Oher, a former Baltimore Raven and the inspiration behind The Blind Side book and movie. With the Titans, Oher protects the right side rather than the left.

Oher is dealing with a toe injury, so Tennessee may ask backup right tackle Byron Stingily to block the speedy Moore on Sunday. Either way, Moore says he's "ready to step up," regardless of who's lined up across from him, per Giants.com.

Rashad Jennings vs. Titans Run Defense

When healthy, Rashad Jennings has been one of New York's grittiest contributors. Fighting his way back from a knee injury, the starting running back has gradually re-established himself in the Giants offense. Last week, he gained 91 yards and two touchdowns on the ground before injuring his ankle.

In Week 14, the Giants will face the NFL's worst run defense. Tennessee allows an average of 141.5 rushing yards per game, so Jennings will have a good shot to record his second 100-yard outing of the season this Sunday.

That's if he's even able to play, though. Jennings didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, due to his ankle injury, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. If the starter is unable to go, it's on his backup, Andre Williams, to carry the load. The rookie was unspectacular while filling in for Jennings earlier this season.

Preston Parker vs. Titans' Kick Coverage

The Giants need a spark, and maybe they'll get one on special teams. New York's return units are far from lethal, but kick returner Preston Parker might give Big Blue the boost it so desperately needs.

Parker is probably the most effective kick returner New York has fielded since David Wilson. He averages 23.6 yards per return with a season long of 38. A couple of times, Parker has looked like he was on the verge of breaking a much longer return.

The Titans' kick coverage unit allows the league's sixth-highest average kick return (26.0) and is one of only six units to surrender a touchdown this season. A well-timed return by Parker could provide New York with a valuable momentum swing against Tennessee.

Giants X-Factor of the Week: Tom Coughlin

All the talk is about Tom Coughlin's coaching future and not about whether his Giants can win this game. With the disappointment of last week's meltdown still fresh, you can count on Coughlin to be focused on the Titans and nothing else. Can he will an overwhelming performance from his undermanned squad this weekend?

Predictions

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Here you go—Boilard's Bullet-Point Predictions for Week 14:

• 2. Defensive end Damontre Moore will lead the team with at least two sacks.
• 40-plus. Rookie running back Andre Williams will record the game's longest carry, ripping off a run longer than 40 yards.
• 9. New York will trail by two scores (at least nine points) at some point in the game.
• 5. Rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will catch five passes in the first quarter before the Titans begin to key on him.
• 60 percent. The Giants will convert on at least 60 percent of their third downs and trips to the red zone.
• Score. Preston Parker will find the end zone, either on a return or on a reception.
• Stuffed. Rookie linebacker Devon Kennard will lead the team in tackles for a loss. 

Don't forget to include your own predictions, including final score, in the comment section below.

My prediction: Giants 26, Titans 19

Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.