Giant Doubts
Eli Manning received a roar of cheers during pregame introductions, but after that, New York Giants fans didnt have much to cheer about. For the second straight week, the Giants defense was whipped like an unruly stepchild, and [New York fell at home] to the Green Bay Packers 35-13.
Manning, [whose status was in question] all week after suffering a shoulder sprain last Sunday, started and played admirably, completing 16-of-29 passes for 211 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The rest of the team apparently thought the game started at 4 p.m. instead of 1 p.m., however. I think we are a better football team than we have shown, head coach Tom Coughlin said. Obviously, I dont have any real grounds for saying that; its just a belief. I do believe we are all in it together, and I do believe that we are all embarrassed.
They should be embarrassed. The defense surrendered 368 yards to a usually anemic Packers offense and allowed Green Bay to covert 6-of-11 third-down opportunities. They also racked up unforced mistake after unforced mistake. Jeremy Shockey was called for a delay penalty (spiking the ball) after picking up a first-down at the Green Bay 16 late in the first half with the game still tied. He then dropped the next pass at the Green Bay 3, resulting in a 48-yard field goal. Later, Amani Toomer halted a drive with a taunting penalty inside the red zone.
The Giants now sit at 0-2 for the first time since 1996, the year they fired Dan Reeves. Long-story short: If Coughlin was on the hot-seat before the season began, his seat must feel like the deep depths of an active volcano now.