The Giants’ worst-case scenario continued unfolding on an embarrassing Thanksgiving weekend that shoved more of Joe Schoen’s and Brian Daboll’s mistakes back in their faces.
Wink Martindale’s Michigan defense had two interceptions and held Ohio State to 77 rushing yards in the Wolverines’ 13-10 road upset of the Buckeyes.
The Giants’ defense has one interception all season and has allowed an NFL-worst 5.1 rush yards per carry.
Martindale resigned as Giants defensive coordinator last January to escape the dysfunction that remains in his wake.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 107 yards and a game-sealing touchdown in one of the Philadelphia Eagles’ biggest regular season wins in years over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Giants chose Daniel Jones over Barkley, allowed Barkley to sign with their rivals in free agency and since have shut down and released Jones. Now they have neither.
And Barkley is an MVP contender who has a chance to break the NFL rushing record.
The Eagles improved to 10-2 with Sunday’s win in Baltimore. The Giants fell to 2-10 with their seventh straight loss on Thanksgiving to one of the worst Cowboys teams in years.
It doesn’t stop there.
Leonard Williams returned an Aaron Rodgers interception 92 yards for a touchdown in Sunday’s Seattle win in the Jets’ and Giants’ stadium. Williams and fellow former Giant safety Julian Love both keyed the win.
The Giants are missing the talent and leadership of both players on their defense and in the locker room.
It’s about to get worse.
The Saints are coming to New Jersey next Sunday with Alvin Kamara, while Giants DT Dexter Lawrence is out for the year. Then Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are coming to MetLife Stadium off their bye.
And Jackson said after his mom “cussed me out” for not running the ball enough against the Eagles, he’s ready to take it out on New York.
“I’m mad,” Jackson told reporters. “We’re going to get after it. I’m not going to lie to you, we’re going to get after it. I can’t wait for this bye to get on. We got the Giants coming up, I’m ready to go.”
The Giants’ futility still isn’t guaranteeing them the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. The Jaguars (2-10) and Raiders (2-10) would be at picks No. 1 and No. 2 with the Giants at No. 3 if the season ended today.
No worries. If the Jaguars and Raiders win just one more game, the Giants will probably end up back on “top” there.
CLARIFYING ON JONES
FOX analyst Tom Brady, who once worked behind the scenes to try to sign with the Dolphins as a Patriot and Buccaneer, criticized Daniel Jones on the Thanksgiving Day broadcast for requesting his Giants release.
But according to Pro Football Talk, Jones’ request was born out of the Giants’ initial request that he stay home with pay when they first shut him down.
Jones’ first choice was to remain active and to help the other quarterbacks prepare to win games.
When he decided not to stay home, the Giants altered his workout program in order to minimize if not eliminate the possibility of injury, per PFT. He wasn’t going to be throwing at practice, and his lifting program was significantly restricted.
That led to Jones’ playing scout team safety during a walkthrough period at practice and eventually asking for his releases. He is now on the Minnesota Vikings’ roster on a 10-2 team with a QB guru as a head coach in Kevin O’Connell.
