I’m not sure how many times this bears repeating, but I’ll say it for the umpteenth time: Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur have destroyed the New York Giants.
For the first time in the franchise’s 95-year history, the Giants have not won a football game in the entire months of October or November as their losing streak extended to a dismal seven games on Sunday in a 19-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Giants are now 2-9 on the season while Shurmur’s record as the head coach of the organization in 27 games is now just 7-20 (.259 win percentage).
Only Bill Arnsparger (.250) — who coached from 1974-1976 — has a worse winning percentage in franchise history amongst head coaches who were at the helm for at least 20 games.
Shurmur’s record as a head coach is even worse with a 16-43 with the Cleveland Browns (2011-2012) and Giants.
Sure, he’s had to lead some bad teams. But it’s clear as day — especially now — that Shurmur just isn’t meant to be a head coach in the NFL.
It’s becoming a regular occurrence that his teams are woefully underprepared for winnable games.
By no means is this a .500 football team. Gettleman ensured that by his ridiculous roster moves over the past two years.
But Shurmur’s decision-making and decisions in personnel are just laughable — which is a word that should never be used to describe an organization like the Giants.
Shurmur has held on to a bumbling defensive coordinator in James Bettcher who couldn’t stop a runny nose let alone an NFL offense.
He allowed the Bears to put up over 300 yards of total offense for just the second time this season after the entire week was spent talking about how bad their young quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, is.
Trubisky threw for a season-high 278 yards and a touchdown against the Giants on Sunday after averaging just 176 yards per game over his first nine games.
Bettcher’s defense ranks 29th in the NFL behind a confused secondary and a lackluster pass rush that was supposed to get a boost when Gettleman traded a third and fifth-round draft pick to the Jets for defensive end Leonard Williams.
Williams has seven combined tackles and zero sacks in three games with the Giants.
And Gettleman wants to re-sign him after this season to turn that fifth-round pick into a fourth-rounder?
If only Gettleman showed this kind of loyalty to All-Pro safety Landon Collins, who he let walk to the Washington Redskins.
If only Gettleman showed that kind of loyalty to Olivier Vernon — who he traded to the Browns after a seven-sack season for an offensive lineman in Kevin Zeitler.
Don’t even get me started on Odell Beckham Jr.
Look how much Zeitler has helped the Giants’ offensive line as Saquon Barkley can’t find a millimeter of space to run toward while rookie quarterback Daniel Jones is constantly running for his life.
To further stack the deck, you have Shurmur making ridiculous play calls like running an outside toss play on a 3rd-&-1 against a stout Bears defense on Chicago’s 25-yard-line while leading 7-0 just moments after your kicker missed a field goal.
Barkley — who has not been himself since returning from that high-ankle sprain — didn’t even take two steps before the Bears were on him. It led to a second-straight missed field goal by Aldrick Rosas.
And then there’s Shurmur on the sidelines throwing a hissy fit because his kicker can’t make a field goal.
Pat, you wouldn’t have to rely on him if you called literally any other play.
Even his players aren’t really hiding their feelings anymore on the field.
Following a second interception of Trubisky, the Giants went for it on a 4th-&-4 on Chicago’s 43-yard-line only for Jones to throw a two-yard crossing route to Sterling Shepard. He was immediately tackled and the Giants turned it over on downs while trailing 19-7.
Shepard got up, looked right at the sidelines and shrugged his shoulders along with thousands of other Giants fans at home.
The Giants are a bad football team. But they aren’t this bad.
They shouldn’t be giving up 34 points to the Jets. They shouldn’t be getting beaten by Trubisky. They shouldn’t be averaging 18.5 points per game over their last seven games.
I’m not really sure what else John Mara and Steve Tisch need to see before showing Shurmur the door.
But when the inevitable does happen, they should probably slip Gettleman the pink slip, too, because he didn’t make any of this easier.
