The Giants are like the nagging relative you have to face during the holiday. You know what’s coming and you have to figure out how to deal with it.
The Giants know their end of the season is coming Sunday at Met Life, since switched to a nationally televised 4:25 start against Philadelphia, who needs the win the win to capture the anemic NFC “Least,” I mean the NFC East.
Big Blue also know that sweeping changes could begin as early as late Sunday night. The obvious one would be head coach Pat Shurmur, whose future at best is about as clear as a Meadowlands swamp.
His players never gave up during their horrific nine-game losing streak and rebounded with impressive showings against Miami and Washington, the latter in which the Giants’ defense surrendered two 14-point leads against the Skins’.
Shurmur and offensive coordinator David Shula appear to have a good relationship with quarterback Daniel Jones, who has shown enough to verify his stance as the team’s next franchise quarterback as Eli Manning exits.
An impressive showing against the Eagles Sunday cerntainly will work in his favor, but there still is a long shopping list of negatives against Shurmur that could land him a seat on the Black Monday coaches’ carousel. If Shurmur survives, defensive coordinator James Bettcher is certain to get the ax.
Saquon Barkley and Jones are here to stay as the team’s centerpieces on their way back to respectability. There also are enough other young players who can make their final mark this year against the Eagles to help build the new core.