Giants Make Right Decision by Letting Go of Perry Fewell

It took New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin nine days to evaluate the performance of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, a man whom Coughlin had vigorously defended at his year-end press conference.

In the end, however, Coughlin decided that a change was necessary, and he informed Fewell as well as longtime defensive assistant Peter Giunta that they will not be retained for 2015.

“No one person is responsible for what happened in this year,” Coughlin said in a team-issued statement.

“That has to be loud and clear. If there is any one person responsible, it is me. It is not Perry Fewell. It is not Peter Giunta. Both of them are outstanding football coaches in their own way.

“The simple fact of the matter is in the circumstance that we find ourselves, change is necessary. That may not be the most eloquent way of saying it, but that is what I am confronted with.

“The hope always is invigoration. You are going to stimulate. It is with great deliberation over a lengthy period of time throughout a thorough investigation and evaluation of what went on that I came to the conclusion that change was necessary.”

The Right Call

Coughlin’s decision to go in another direction certainly was the right decision, even though Fewell’s defense was slammed hard by injuries.

Credit: Statmilk

New York lost corners Prince Amukamara, Walter Thurmond and Trumaine McBride; linebackers Jacquian Williams and Jon Beason; and defensive ends Robert Ayers Jr. and Mathias Kiwanuka to season-ending injuries.

Meanwhile, other key starters such as cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins were slowed down by injuries as well.

Still, in an analysis written last month, there were far too many instances—even before the injuries started to occur—where the defense gave up a big play, the result of confusion by the players not being certain what to do.

It was also noted that the complexity of Fewell’s defense, which might not have fit what the players were seeing on the field, might have been more of a problem than anyone was willing to admit:

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Given the injuries that have hit the defense, Fewell has admitted in the past to having simplified things a bit in order to help bring the new players brought in up to speed.

When things are simple to where players don’t have to spend as much time thinking, they can play faster. When they play faster, they make plays. When they make plays, they win.

Is the complexity of the defense the reason why young players like defensive end Damontre Moore, defensive tackle Jay Bromley and safety Nat Berhe haven’t seen as much time by now? 

Has the defense's complexity been part of the reason why defensive end Robert Ayers, prior to his season-ending injury, couldn’t surpass Mathias Kiwanuka in the starting lineup?

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Under Fewell, the Giants defense finished in the top 10 overall in just two of his five seasons at the helm, in 2010 (seventh) and 2013 (10th).

In 2011, the Giants’ last Super Bowl championship, the defense finished 22nd overall, 19th against the run, 24th against the pass and 20th in scoring.

This year, the Giants defense, which at one point in the season was the league’s worst ranked, fell even further, especially against the run where they were ranked 30th in the league after allowing opponents 135.1 yard per game.

The run defense stats are particularly damning. Under Fewell, that Giants run defense, which finished eighth in 2010, wasn’t been a Top-10 unit since, falling to 19th, 24th, 13th and 30th since.

The inability to stop the run, something that Coughlin demands, allowed opponents to keep the Giants back on their heels, thereby taking away what should have been a strength, and that is their pass rush and coverage.

Inability to Finish

Ironically, it might have been the defense’s inability to finish games, something that team co-owner John Mara alluded to in his year-end press conference that was a major catalyst in the decision to replace Fewell.

“Our defense did not play well this year. There is no secret about that when you finish 29th,” Mara told reporters. “They had opportunities in a lot of games this year to make a key stop at the end of the game, and they didn’t do it.”

He is correct, and one of the most telling stats against Fewell might have been his inability/unwillingness to make in-game adjustments as evidenced by how badly they were outscored in the second half of the games this season.

1st Half Scoring	2nd Half scoring
Giants 211, Opponents 170	Opponents 230, Giants 169

Considering the Giants finished with the league's 13th-best scoring offense, just think how many more games the Giants might have won had the defense been able to do its part in the second half.

What’s Next?

With college all-star games coming up, the Giants will look to get a new defensive coordinator on board as quickly as possible.

Some candidates who might be receiving a call from the Giants include Baltimore Ravens defensive assistant Steve Spagnuolo, Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith, former Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Spagnuolo, Nolan, and Johnson all have ties to the Giants organization. Spagnuolo, who was the defensive coordinator in 2007-2008, contributed to the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl championship.

Nolan served as the Giants defensive coordinator in 1993-1996 under then-head coach Dan Reeves.

Johnson played linebacker for the Giants in the 1986-1992 seasons, contributing to the franchise’s first two Super Bowl championships. He spent the 2000-2013 seasons as a defensive assistant coach under Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the architect of the Giants’ 1986 and 1990 Super Bowl championship defenses.

The other factor, though, that probably needs to be addressed before the Giants jump in to the defensive coordinator search is Coughlin’s contract, which is currently set to expire at the end of the 2015 season.

The Giants have traditionally avoided having a head coach go into the final year of his contract as a “lame duck.” However, Mara, when asked about that in his year-end press conference, said, “That has been our policy in the past, but that is not set in stone.”

It’s a policy that probably needs to continue, as a head coach entering a “lame duck” year could be a deterrent in attracting a quality coordinator. 

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirerand Sports Xchange. All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.