Why Tom Coughlin and Rex Ryan Should Be Fired If Both Don't Make the Playoffs

Neither Tom Coughlin nor Rex Ryan has earned their keep this season, as both of New York's NFL teams are currently fighting for their playoff lives. The New York Giants are currently a game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East at 7-7.

And while the New York Jets are currently leading the race for the AFC's second wild-card spot, last Sunday's blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles certainly doesn't bode well for the rest of their season. With the way these two teams have struggled this year, they should both fire their coaches if they don't turn things around and make the playoffs.

The Giants

With all the injuries in the summer, the New York Giants came into the season with low expectations. In spite of that, the Giants started the season red hot, winning six of seven after losing the opener to the Washington Redskins.

But in the latter half of the season, things have really fallen apart. The Giants have lost five of their last six. While they have faced a number of tough opponents in that stretch (the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers), they also lost to the Vince Young-led Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins (again).

This late-season collapse has become sort of a trend for the Giants in recent years. In 2006, they lost six of their last eight. In 2007, they lost two of their last three. In 2008, they lost three of their last four. In 2009, they lost four of their last six. And of course last season, they lost two of their last three and missed the playoffs, thanks in large part to the epic collapse against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Perhaps, as a 65-year-old man, Tom Coughlin runs out of energy by the 17th week. Either way, the way the Giants deteriorate at the end of every season is ridiculous and inexcusable. If the Giants fail to make the playoffs this season, it will be the third straight year they've missed the postseason. I have to imagine that without the Super Bowl ring he won in 2007 after upsetting the New England Patriots, Tom Coughlin would have already been fired.

The Jets

The New York Jets have been painfully inconsistent this season. They beat a solid Dallas Cowboys team in the opener and followed that with a blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then they lost three straight, including an embarrassing Sunday Night game against the Baltimore Ravens where they only had 150 yards of total offense.

Since then, they've had two three-game winning streaks, with bad losses to the New England Patriots and the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos peppered in between. Most recently, the Jets were dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles 45-19, a week after they needed a fourth-quarter explosion to overcome the seemingly hapless Washington Redskins.

This inconsistency is what Rex Ryan's teams have become known for. Last year, the Jets started 9-2 before losing three of their last five and limping into the playoffs. In 2009, the Jets started 3-0, then lost six of seven before winning five of their last six and earning a wild-card spot.

Still, the Jets made it to the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons. The combination of the Jets' streakiness, their inability to win the AFC East and their success in the playoffs seems to indicate that Rex Ryan is not a good team leader. He has the talent to beat anyone, but he can't seem to keep his players focused for every game, which is why they lose to teams like the Broncos.

Verdict

Both Tom Coughlin and Rex Ryan certainly have their upside as coaches. Coughlin has won a Super Bowl, and his only losing season with the Giants was his first in New York. Rex Ryan has been a road warrior the last few years in the playoffs, leading the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances despite not having a single home playoff game in either year.

However, you can't ignore the causes for concern. The Giants haven't made the playoffs since 2008, and they've fallen apart at the end of the regular season in just about every year in the Tom Coughlin era. Other than 2007 (the Super Bowl year), Tom Coughlin has lost every other playoff game he's coached for the Giants.

Rex Ryan's Jets have been horribly inconsistent all three years of his tenure in New York. Despite being one of the most talented teams in the league each season (which has been proven by their playoff success), they have failed to win the AFC East all three years. This has only been excused because of that playoff success. But if the Jets fail to make the playoffs this year, then Ryan will really have nothing positive to build off from this season.

If either of these teams fail to make the playoffs this season, they should start looking for a new head coach. The Giants shouldn't keep Tom Coughlin around just because he had one good run in the playoffs four years ago. And the Jets shouldn't put up with the insufferable Rex Ryan if he isn't going to make good on his promise and bring home the Lombardi Trophy.