The New York Giants suffered another tough loss on Sunday night with a blowout against the Minnesota Vikings and that has raised questions about the future of head coach Tom Coughlin. Quarterback Eli Manning and other players expressed support for Coughlin after the loss to the Vikings, which put the Giants at 6-9 on the season.
The Giants were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night when the Redskins won the NFC East division title and that resulted in an ugly loss on Sunday. The team was blown out 49-17 and by the end of the game Eli Manning was on the sidelines along with some other Giants starters. Some have suggested that for Coughlin to keep his job, the Giants would have to finish strong, but that clearly was not the case on Sunday night.
Coughlin has seemingly been on the chopping block after each of the past few seasons, but the Giants have opted to keep him as head coach. The Giants have been very close to winning games this season and while that could be a bad reflection on the coaching staff, it also showed that the team has some potential. Odell Beckham has emerged as one of the best players in football and if the team has a solid offseason, a quick turnaround is not out of the question. But that could be tough to do if the team makes a coaching change.
Coughlin was asked about his job status after the game and said: "I am not worried about that. It will all take care of itself. I do not coach worrying about that," according to the New York Post.
The team may want to make a change now, but the most prudent decision might be to keep the coach in place. The Giants have been going through a major roster overhaul over the past couple seasons and with offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo likely not ready to take over, the team might be better off keeping Coughlin. The team could keep continuity with Coughlin and Eli Manning for another year and see how things go next season and if doesn't work out in 2016, the team could make a move at that point.
With the way the Giants have played at the end of games this season it might be hard to envision Coughlin sticking around, but the Giants don't usually make decisions based on headlines and what some groups of fans are asking for. The team has a major choice to make here, as Coughlin has shown that he can lead the team to a Super Bowl and that he has a great relationship with Eli Manning and many other players.
While no one would fault the Giants for making the move after missing the playoffs yet again, for another year the right decision might be to stand pat. Odell Beckham will return from his one game suspension in Week 17 and that will be welcome for the Giants, as they showed on Sunday night they need him on the field.