The Giants Wide Receivers Meet Their Fate
So the Giants entered the game with the Chargers with not much hope, basically fighting for worse positioning in the draft. Both teams seasons are over, the question was who would be more likely to crawl to like, 5 wins, and pick #7. It was a depressing affair and no fan really went into that game thinking it would actually mean anything for either team. Somehow the Giants managed to turn a hopeless game into something even worse, as all their receivers died along with any hope of 5 wins.
I’ve never seen what happened on Sunday before happen to any team before, it was like the position was literally cursed that day. The Giants lost their #1, #2, #3, and possibly #4 receivers to injury in the same game. Honestly in the space of like, half a game. Sterling Shepard was the first to die, suffering what looked like an ankle twist. He was being worked on on the sidelines but went into the locker room eventually. Basically two plays after Shepard went down, Brandon Marshall also got a nasty ankle injury. He was carted off. At some point later in the game, backup receiver and punt return man Dwayne Harris left the game with an unspecified foot injury. Then, not too long after doing his best to give the Giants season one last glimmer of hope, Beckham suffers a horrific ankle break and is carted off in tears.
None of the plays were dirty, all were just bad luck. 3 of these players are likely gone for the year. Beckham is out. Harris is out. Marshall seems likely out. Only Shepard will likely be back this season, and who knows if he’ll be 100%. It was a complete decimation of what should be (on paper) one of the better WR corps in the league. The Giants offense went from “Well the line sucks, the running game sucks, Eli is old, but the WRs are good” to “Whelp that’s all over” in the span of 2 hours. If you have Roger Lewis or Evan Engram available in your fantasy leagues, pick ’em up, because they are all Eli has now. Also something called Tavarres King. He caught a touchdown once I think. He’s probably our #3 option now.
With the Giants season already in the toilet it’s not like this affected much outside draft position, but I feel bad for Eli now. He was more or less playing as well as anyone in that situation could have been. Any complaint you can level at Eli this year is more or less the same stuff you could always say about him (inconsistent, makes some boneheaded throws, has a dumb face) in any season. With no run threat whatsoever (until this week against a bad run defense), zero pass protection, and horrible play-calling by greaseball McAdoo, Eli was never going to look great, but now he’ll look even worse. People are going to discuss if the Giants should take a QB and maybe they should, but not because Eli is done yet, only because he’s old. Frankly any QB is going to suck behind this line though, unless the QB is mobile. Even then.
At the start of the season I saw roughly a 7-9 team. Expected the offense to stay bad (it did), expected a slight regression on D (it’s been a little worse than that). After the bad start I saw 5 wins. Now I see maybe 3. They are certainly in the running for #1 pick now. I mean, it’s a bummer, but at least now I can focus on the rest of the NFL and not stress out at all as I enjoy the show. How about them… well shit the Titans died too. How about the…I dunno, Broncos? Rams? The Rams are kinda fun now. It’s still hard to tell which teams are for real good.
Eli walking into practice today:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bo3_JVlCIAAcs6j.jpg
Realistically speaking Dave, how much time do you think Eli has left? He’s not to the level that Peyton reached in his last season, but the regression is pretty clear.
Also, if the Giants get a top pick and draft Darnold or Rosen, do you think there’s any chance they cut Eli? I know that he’s brought the Giants two titles and been the face of the team for the better part of two decades, but if we’re looking at it from the emotionless Belichickian perspective of pure practicality, cutting him can save you $10m, and if you draft a guy like that, you don’t need to be spending $22m on a QB in his twilight years.
2018, no. 2019, yes.
The regression is there but it is not nearly as extreme as people who don’t watch Eli every week seem to think. The regression has been the complete decline of the line and at RB. He’s still more or less the same Eli. I’ve seen no regression in arm strength, he’s literally always made boneheaded throws at least 3 times per game his whole career. The only difference now is he checkdowns a lot more and seems a bit skittish, but those are products of the line and the offense. He has no time to let plays develop and those short passes are kind of McAdoo’s thing. He’s dinked and dunked a lot more since the new offense came in. Since no defense respects the run game and can pressure with a front 4, everyone is mega-covered and Eli has nowhere to go with the ball, hence the checkdowns. Eli is not a detriment to the team yet.
If we do draft a QB I don’t see us cutting Eli, not next year. Likely the year after that. I’d wager they sit the QB to teach him stuff unless Eli severely regresses. I think Eli plays one more full year with the Giants after this one unless the coaching staff gets desperate.
I think some of the people thinking that were due to wishful thinking. Eli seem to be a pretty divisive sports figure if the forums and YT comments sections are enough indications. I wouldn’t be surprised if people still have trouble getting over what happened in 2004 draft day now and then. There’s still people having issues with what Elway did in 1983 (though not as much).
Dallas wasted most of Romos’ career going after receivers instead of giving him adequate protection.
So I was happy to see Giants management reciprocate. It was the polite thing to do.
Maybe you can think of a few jokes based on that.
But seriously though, this year in particular, when they went all in for more receivers I thought. “Solid roster… for Aaron Rodgers”.
Eli can still be effective in this league, but he is not a mobile QB, and he is not particularly good under pressure, so the Giants should have use their resources differently.
Irrespective of what they do with Eli, they must go after OL and RB next year. Because nothing screws a rookie QB like asking him to carry a team without protection and run support.
You know it’s not a good sign when Jerry Reese said that he would address the offensive line issue through undrafted free agents…
It’s like he just didn’t care.
As a ravens fan I’m used to see 3 players suffer season ending injuries in the same game. But I’ve never seen it happen like that to one position group. Almost as bad as the browns losing every single one of their QBs in that one game in the early 2000’s and being forced to play some LB at QB.
“Almost as bad as the browns losing every single one of their QBs in that one game in the early 2000’s and being forced to play some LB at QB.”
The UMD Special, as I like to call it!
The Cleveland Gladiators start a linebacker every week. No biggie
I don’t remember that game. Who was it against? And I remember all the stupid losses, like when they gave up two Hail Marys in 30 seconds to the Bears in 2001.
’00 at Ravens: Couch, Pedersen, Slingin Speurgon Wynn
Thank you kurt Warner. I couldn’t remember for the life of me.
I’m surprised he didn’t say hi to Russ, who was shopping there as well.
Maybe the wildly inconsistent Jags. Lose to the Jets (whom have stopped tanking and are tied with the P*ts), beat the Steelers, Texans and Ravens by a fuckton.
RETURN OF THE CURSED PAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW
If the Giants end up with a top five pick, they should draft Saquon Barkley in the first round and then Josh Allen in the second round, sit him and develop him behind Eli for a couple of years. Then, improve the offensive line with a mix of free agency and draft prospects.
Allen won’t make it pass the top 10. Even in this stacked qb class.
It will be hilarious to me if the Jets end up with the 11th pick and outside of the QB mix while the Giants end up with Darnold.
If its any consolation Tavarres King was a stud at UGA granted that was a few years ago…
“We also sell frozen yogurt, which I call frogurt!”
“That’s good!”
The frogurt is also cursed.
Oh, that’s bad!
side note, you the same jdreyfuss on Dawgs By Nature?
But it comes with your choice of topping!
Yes I am. Was it the screen name or Airman Higgs that gave it away?
That’s good!
cool, recognized the name (I’m the same MBE too, though I’ve been kinda silent over there for a while)
The toppings contain potassium benzoate.
I mean if you’re actually trying to tell which teams are good the Chiefs are the only clear option
funny that after years of laughing at the Chargers losing 4 players a game to injury you witness your team go through the same thing Charger’s fans have dealt with.
Except ringless Rivers still stands for the foreseeable future.
*looks at the Ravens’ injury history since 2013*
Oh, you’re cute.
This may become like the 2003 season, except Eli > Collins but still.
Jerry Reese need to get someone to scout the flower shop because as I said, at this point even a pot of daffodils can block better than Ereck Flowers.
Well we were right about a New York team going 0-16. We just picked the wrong one.
Nope, the Giants aren’t going 0-16.
Even Pete Rose won’t bet on that!
And he bets on anything.
True, but I’d absolutely love to see it happen.
Yeah and screw you 🙂
Which Trent Dilfer jersey is the goat wearing? It looks kind of like the Titans’ color scheme, but I don’t think he ever played for them.
It’s Marcus Mari-Goat-a
“Shut up minimum wage” is the new “Stick to sprots”
Pretty sure that paw is actually just JPP’s hand.
Somewhat related: I’m definitely happy that my Chiefs picked up another W to go 5-0, but the loss of WR Conley (ruptured Achilles, same as what got Eric Berry earlier this season) as well as TE Kelce (concussion) has me a little shaken. I guess years of mediocre to flat-out bad Chiefs teams have primed me to be suspicious of such sustained success.
Considering it was the first NFL game I ever went to, I’m going to start going to Cowboys games just so they get some bad luck.
Poor Dave.
Amused by the pre-paw-purchase self-hanging there, Dave.
I got one of those paws.
I wished for the Browns to win as many games as the Giants….
Here’s a great way to illustrate Tarvarres King’s abilities as a wide receiver:
He got cut by the Panthers during training camp in 2014. He was cut before such talent as Brenton Bersin and Jarett Boykin. He barely lasted longer than Tiquan Underwood.
Don’t expect competence out of him.
Any thoughts about the rumors of Tom Coughlin trading for Eli ??
Who knows, we could find a “second coming” of Odell through free agency or deeper into our depth chart. We could still manage a 9-7 spot if things go our way. It’s a slim chance but it’s possible
Dave…do you go Barkley, Rosen, or Darnold with pick #1?
Hey, I played high school ball with Roger Lewis. What do Giants fans think of him?