PHILADELPHIA – The Giants ran Jim Fassel out of town yesterday. They didn’t block and they didn’t tackle and they didn’t play smart or tough and they didn’t play with fire or desperation or swagger and they basically looked like a team that can’t wait for the season to end. They don’t have to wait any longer.There is no more season. It’s over. It’s over for them and it’s over for him.
When the Giants report to training camp next summer, they’ll be singing the praises of Tom Coughlin. Or Bill Cowher, should he become available.
A hurting Fassel, wheeling his luggage through a somber lockerroom after Eagles 28, Giants 10, stopped to get the medical update on some of his battered players from Dr. Russell Warren. Then he continued on his way out, walking blankly towards the Campus Coach Bus to Nowhere. Behind Fassel stood a blackboard, on which some dreamer, in red magic marker against a white background, detailed the GameDay itinerary and plotted the coming of the latest, greatest miracle: 1:02 p.m.: Fly Around and Have Fun Whipping Their [Butt]!
The Fassel Era unofficially ended when his lousy team could not get a lousy yard with four cracks at the Eagle goal-line. It ended on fourth down when Fassel tried to get that lousy yard with a lousy play – a hopeless sweep right for Tiki Barber that lost two yards when Carlos Emmons knocked fullback Jim Finn backwards.
“We weren’t really moving them off the line very well,” Fassel said. “I thought if I put Tiki back in there they’d be thinking pass.” They weren’t.
“We needed to cut off that edge and hopefully get me on-on-one with the safety,” Barber said. They didn’t.
Here’s a big reason why Fassel disdained the field goal – he didn’t trust his defense! Here’s the reason why Fassel disdained a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter and punted – he didn’t trust his field goal kicker!
Michael Strahan and Co. could not get near Donovan McNabb (24-30, 314 yards, 2 TDs). Big Blue covered Brian Westbrook (9-48-1 TD rushing, 5-60-2 TDs receiving) as if he were a leper. With Jeremy Shockey out and Tim Carter knocked out and Ike Hilliard hobbled, the blitz-happy Eagles took Amani Toomer (6-57) away and Kerry Collins ran a helter-skelter operation. His go-to guy was rookie David Tyree (5-106), who caught the 48-yard prayer that set up first-and-gall.
Fassel expected Collins (25-44, 268 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) to be an elite quarterback this season. There are times when he would be better off having Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch protect him. He’s too busy throwing off his back foot, hearing footsteps, trying to survive, to be the battlefield commander.
“Kerry’s a byproduct of the whole thing,” Fassel said. “The quarterback is subject to everybody else doing their job. He needs help. Kerry can’t do it all.”
Collins swears he hasn’t lost any confidence.
“When you start getting hit, you start second-guessing your security out there,” Barber said. “We’ve seen that a couple of times out of Kerry but he has a legitimate reason; he wants to get the ball off and sometimes he feels like you gotta rush it.”
Here is how the Giants played football yesterday: On the first play from scrimmage, Rivers gets a 15-yard penalty for a crackback block. Delvin Joyce interferes with a fair catch. Luke Petitgout holds to set up second-and-30. Dhani Jones draws a 23-yard pass interference in the fourth quarter. Nine penalties last week. Eleven more this week. That’s on Fassel.
“I think it has a lot to do with inexperienced players,” Barber said. “Maybe some guys not taking it serious right now.” More than a few.
“We have talent and potential. Those are dirty words in sports, because they don’t mean anything unless you realize that potential and that talent,” Barber said.
That’s on the captain of the ship. “We better right the ship pretty quick,” Collins said.
The Good Ship Fassel is sunk.