The New York Giants fell to 2-5 on the season with a 27-21 loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Pat Shurmur may not be the guy
I am no alone in this sentiment and I wish felt different. Shurmur is a very nice guy, and you know what they say about nice guys. The team does not appear to be playing with any sense of urgency at the moment, and when they come out of tunnel every week, they are expecting the worst.
That’s not a winning culture. Accepting losing is a losing culture.
Shumur is a seasoned football man but being a head coach is not a skill every seasoned football man possesses. It seems he could be in over his head. There are many head coaches who call their own plays, so that isn’t his problem. The choice of plays that he is calling is.
This is a young team that needs direction and I don’t see them getting much. The offense is still too predictable, even with the mobile Jones under center and the defense is very pedestrian.
They are 2-5 for a reason. This is just one of them.
Daniel Jones is regressing
After a smashing debut against Tampa Bay (23-of-36, 336 yards, 2 TDs, 112.7 passer rating), Jones has been steadily sliding downward. Yes, he’s playing tougher defenses and has been without most of his weapons the past few weeks, but he is showing way too many cracks in his game.
Ball security, ill-advised passes and reading defenses have all been issues. In time, he will overcome that, but until then the Giants are a bad team with a rookie quarterback who at times cannot get out of his own way. It is showing in the results as the Giants have lost three straight.
This is where coaching comes in to settle him down and the rest of the team steps up to help Jones help himself. Unfortunately, neither is happening at the moment.
Evan Engram is a frustrating player to watch
Engram is a very talented player who is a mismatch nightmare for defenses. That is, when he is healthy and utilized properly. Again, after a blazing start, Engram hurt his knee and Sunday against Arizona dropped an easy reception that harked back to his rookie season, when he led the league in drops.
To add insult to injury against Arizona, Engram got poked in the eye by Terrell Suggs. He also got beaten by Chandler Jones for a sack.
Being part of the fantasy football community, I have heard all of the pros and cons about Engram’s game. Everyone loves the good EE, but those times don’t seem to last very long.
