With two games left in the NFL season, Hakeem Nicks has yet to record a touchdown. For a player in a crucial contract season, this is essentially disastrous. While blame can certainly be placed on multiple players for the New York Giants, the offense is not there and Nicks is playing a large part in that. While head coach Tom Coughlin questions the unit's effort, Nicks disagrees.
The Giants were shut out in one of their worst performances of the season. Eli Manning's game was headlined by interceptions as Nicks only saw five passes tossed his way. Two were intercepted. Coughlin simply described the overall performance as "pathetic."
"There's no way to sugar coat it, it was a pathetic offensive performance," Tom Coughlin said, via NJ.com. "We didn't block anybody, we didn't make any plays, we didn't create any opportunities for ourselves. I told the players who prepared and gave great effort that I appreciate what they did; I told those that were obvious they had not that I felt sorry for them, because they're missing the whole point."
The 23-0 beatdown by the Seattle Seahawks was certainly not well received. The Giants racked up just 181 net yards on offense on just 53 plays. They had just 25 yards rushing and only two plays went for 20 yards or more. Nicks believes it was not so much of an effort issue as it was the fact that the Seahawks defense is just really good.
"Offensively, it was a tough one for us," said Nicks. "I wouldn't use the word pathetic. I think every man ... if you lace your cleats up as a professional, I have too much respect for the guys in this locker room to say it was pathetic. Was it a lack of effort on certain plays? It could have been. We just have to go and critique ourselves, watch the film and try to bounce back. It's football. If you want to win, you want to win. If you're a competitor, you're a competitor. I know both of those qualify in my book for myself. I just have to keep on pushing. Keep on pushing. Take everything for what it is."
In two weeks, Nicks will have to start thinking about his future. In the offseason, it was believed that Nicks could command a top-dollar deal, possibly larger than the one Victor Cruz signed to remain with the Giants. However, after this season that might be hard to come by. All signs point to things being over in New York, but plenty of teams will remain interested, just not at the price Nicks wants.
