Big Blue View
Ridge Kennedy asks: I saw Antonio Pierce’s name come up in the the article about a possible replacement DC. A midseason change seems unlikely to me, but . . . I wonder about finding some role for Pierce in the organization.
I always had a very favorable impression of him as a player and person. What kind of guy was he in your experience? With experience in other organizations and his exposure to the media world now, is he someone the Giants should be thinking about getting on board in a leadership role or some sort.
What do you think?
Ed says: Ridge, I suppose that you could bring Pierce on as a defensive consultant. That type of role is usually reserved for coaches who have already been defensive coordinators at the NFL level, which Pierce has not done. If the Giants do replace Bowen at some point during the season, it would almost certainly be with an internal interim coach for the rest of the season.
I never dealt with Pierce, so I can’t speak to the rest of the question.
Bob Donnelly asks: Many BBV readers have been watching Giants football for a half century or more.
Over that time we have watched the Giants snatch defeat from the jaws of victory many times.
Some of those fiascos are more memorable than others, like the Pisarcik fumble now known as the Miracle in the Meadowlands. In your view would Sunday’s performance in Denver rank as one of the five worst Giants blunders you have seen?
Ed says: The Fumble. The Matt Dodge Game. The Trey Junkin Game. This one is right there. For me, the most similar game is the Junkin Game, the 2002 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Blowing a 38-14 second-half lead with a placekicking nightmare — that time by a backup long snapper rather than a backup kicker — playing a big role.
Doug Mollin asks: What advice do you have for Giant fans after that kind of loss? I mean, teams with that lead were 1,602 – 0 prior to Sunday. How do you keep your cool and keep your optimism going?
Ed says: Doug, you look at the fact that the Giants put 34 points on the Eagles and 32 on the Broncos (which should have been 35). Those are two of the best defenses in the league, and the Giants scored five touchdowns in back-to-back weeks. Without Malik Nabers. And without an NFL placekicker. They have their quarterback. I don’t think there is a team in the league right now that can look at the Giants and think “easy win.” We know that hasn’t always been the case for the last decade or so.
Sunday was terrible. The last 10-12 years have been mostly terrible. There are a lot of signs that the future is NOT going to be terrible. Some changes still need to be made, but there is a lot already in place to feel good...
