For Giants Fans, There's No Need To Wait Until Monday Morning

It’s easy to be a Monday mourning quarterback.

The ancient Roman’s were undoubtedly questioning the decisions made by their favorite Gladiators in 476 A.D.

Thousands of years later we’re still doing the same and we’ll continue it as long as there are games being played.

That being said, no one at Giants Stadium needed to wait until Monday morning to begin second guessing Kevin Gilbride’s fourth quarter play calling.  

The second Eli Manning turned to hand the ball off to Brandon Jacobs on third and goal on the nine yard line with just over two minutes left in the game, hands flew in the air and baffled looks could be seen on the faces of virtually all 78,741 Giants fans who, up until that point, had been enjoying an unseasonable warm November evening in New Jersey.

This was one of those rare occasions where even if Jacobs had thundered his way into the end zone, most would have still questioned Gilbride’s call; or at least taken a deep breath knowing full well that the Giants just escaped a potentially disastrous situation. 

The reason for Eli Manning’s massive bank account is the Giants’ belief in his ability to perform in situations exactly like the one they faced this evening.

Not turning to Eli on third and goal with the game on the line was the equivalent of Joe Girardi leaving Mariano Rivera in the bullpen in the ninth inning of a World Series game with the Yankees leading by one run.

With more than two minutes left in the game and the Giants leading by just three, it was almost as if Gilbride decided to settle for a field goal and hope that the defense came up with yet another big play. 

Lawrence Tyne’s kick successfully spilt the uprights, the Giants extended their lead to six, and 78,741 fans apprehensively clapped their hands while trying to ignore that nauseous feeling in their stomachs.  

Philip Rivers had more than two minutes left to drive the Chargers down the field, get the ball into the end zone and escape from the Meadowlands with a one point victory—and the Giants inconsistent secondary was all that stood in his way.

Game, set, match.

Rivers capped off an 80-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson with just 21 seconds left in the game.

A few incomplete passes and an Eli Manning sack later and the Giants had officially extended their loosing streak to four games heading into the bye week.

It may be too late to go back on the Eli Manning/Philip Rivers trade that was made on draft day in 2004.  But, is it possible to trade offensive coordinators?