Getty New York Giants head coach Joe Judge.
The New York Giants have already begun to make changes in what is expected to be an organizational purge for the once-storied franchise over the next few months. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was relieved of his duties in November after a comically bad 26-game tenure which included zero 30 point outings. Dave Gettleman is likely next to go. The team’s general manager of four seasons is expected to get his walking papers if he doesn’t decide to step away of his own accord, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
As for head coach Joe Judge, the hot seat has begun to boil some for the 39-year-old head coach in what has proven to be a disappointing second season at the helm. Heading into the year, Judge was widely viewed as a rock for a franchise otherwise mostly engulfed in disarray. However, questionable coaching decisions and lack of on-field progress have made Judge’s staying power in East Rutherford far less certain as we quickly inch towards Black Monday.
Yet, despite a win-loss percentage of just .357% (10-18 record) and what some may describe as potential red flags, NFL insider Peter King expects Judge to return as the Giants’ head coach in 2022.
“I get that Joe Judge likely survives the Giants’ post-season housecleaning that starts with GM Dave Gettleman. I can’t really argue with that,” King wrote in his Week 13 “Football Morning in America” column.
King on Giants ‘Stunning’ Struggles
While King supports Judge being given another opportunity to prove his worth in New York, he couldn’t help but come away a bit baffled by the team’s performance in their Week 13 loss to the Miami Dolphins:
I found myself watching parts of Judge’s 28th game, by which time there should be some familiarity with the system, even among the backups, and wondering why lots of that is lacking. Late in the third quarter at Miami on Sunday, the Giants had the ball and this happened, in succession:
- QB Mike Glennon took a 13-yard sack.
- Giants took a timeout to avoid a delay-of-game penalty.
- Glennon took a seven-yard sack.
- Giants took a delay-of-game penalty.
- Now it was third-and-33. The Giants called a run. Gain of 13.
That cannot happen in an NFL game. And it happened in Judge’s 28th. It’s stunning that it would happen under a no-nonsense fundamentals-preacher like Judge.
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Judge Talks Optimistic Approach
While the Giants continue to inch their way to yet another sub-.500 record — their eighth in nine years — Judge has remained overly optimistic while speaking in the public eye, a feeling that has received some pushback from the New York media. During a Zoom call on Monday, December 7, Judge addressed these concerns with reporters.
“Look, I approach my comments publicly very differently than when I talk to the team behind closed doors,” Judge said. “I’m someone who’s very big on honesty and being very transparent with the team. I talk all the time about the truth is on the tape, so when we talk as a team, we talk every week, regardless of what the result of the previous game was, of things we did well that we can build on and things we have to correct. We go through that very, very bluntly and openly as a team and make sure everyone’s on the same page.”