It’s 1978 over again.
A aircraft flying over MetLife Stadium Sunday morning carried a banner with a scathing message for Giants co-owner John Mara:
“MR MARA ENOUGH – PLZ FIX THIS DUMPSTER FIRE,” the black letters learn throughout the sky.
Then the Giants misplaced their eighth straight, 14-11, to a horrible New Orleans Saints workforce that already fired its head coach.
They fell on a last-second subject purpose block by Saints defensive lineman Bryan Bresee.
“I ain’t paid for the plane,” rookie receiver Malik Nabers stated.
Mara noticed fan unrest of this magnitude 46 years in the past, on Dec. 10, 1978, when a fan flew a rented aircraft over the sphere throughout a win over the St. Louis Cardinals with an indication that learn:
“15 Years of Lousy Football….We’ve Had Enough.”
Followers protested and burned tickets within the Giants Stadium parking zone again then. On Sunday, fan wore paper luggage over their heads within the stands that learn “2-10 Sell the team” and “One Giant Mistake” and “Saquon was here.”
The defeat dropped Joe Schoen’s and Brian Daboll’s workforce to 2-11 this season and 0-7 at residence.
The aircraft might get them fired on Monday.
To not point out 12 penalties and the Giants’ dependable means to continually shoot themselves within the foot.
“That’s just football,” Nabers stated of the fixed errors. “That’s just the New York Giants this year.”
Corridor of Famer Terry Bradshaw stated on FOX’s halftime present that it’s time for the Giants to tear all of it down.
“The Giants, they’re just a bad football team,” Bradshaw stated. “They’ve just got to reload, unload it and start over.”
That’s what occurred the final time somebody flew a aircraft over MetLife Stadium to disgrace the Giants for his or her dysfunction.
The 1978 aircraft preceded what Mara as soon as known as “no question the low point in the history of the franchise.”
The Giants fired coach John McVay and ended Andy Robustelli’s tenure as director of operations. After which Mara’s father, Wellington, and John’s cousin, Tim Mara, held an notorious dueling press convention on Feb. 8, 1979, that put their bitter dynamic on show.
The eventual consequence was NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle’s appointment of George Younger because the Giants’ first true common supervisor, a step-in that helped flip across the misplaced franchise. (It really occurred on the behind-the-scenes behest of Wellington, who knew that Tim wouldn’t settle for Younger if he knew he was Wellington’s most well-liked candidate).
This comparability clearly places Schoen and Daboll in regrettable firm, however it’s the place they belong. It’s laborious to think about them returning for a fourth season, in the event that they even make it previous Monday morning.
It additionally begs the query of whether or not Mara and the Tisch households once more want exterior assist from the NFL or in any other case to show this round — or whether or not they may be capable of do it themselves.
Schoen put one of many worst rosters in Giants historical past on the sphere Sunday. This was a preseason depth chart. A lot of the Giants’ key gamers have tapped out or gone down with accidents.
Daboll, who took over the offensive play-calling this season, is working the lowest-scoring offense in soccer at 14.9 factors per recreation and 10.1 factors per recreation at residence.
Unbelievably, the Giants offense had beginning subject place close to or throughout midfield 5 instances within the first half and scored a complete of three factors earlier than halftime.
And regardless of a late surge by Drew Lock with loads of teammates down with accidents all through the sport, Daboll’s Giants positive sufficient dedicated a false begin penalty and let Graham Gano’s subject purpose try get blocked for one more loss.
When Daboll was requested in regards to the aircraft flying overhead postgame, his reply was terse:
“We’ve won two games,” he stated. “So I’m not happy either.”
Requested what his argument can be for staying the course, Daboll crumpled his stat sheet and reiterated his level.
“I’m disappointed we have two wins,” he stated. “So we’re just going to keep on grinding it out and try to keep developing these young players and get ready to play a great team next week.”
Does it embarrass Daboll that the aircraft flew over the stadium on this gameday?
“I’m just disappointed that we lost this game,” he stated.
Nabers performed by a hip flexor. Tyrone Tracy Jr. scored a fourth quarter dashing landing.
Undrafted defensive sort out Casey Rogers blocked a Saints subject purpose try. Tre Hawkins recorded the primary interception by a Giants defensive again this season, their second as a workforce and their first since rookie linebacker Darius Muasau’s in Week 1.
Lock needed to get X-rays and has extra assessments coming Monday after taking a number of enormous hits.
“If there’s no grass stains on this jersey, I’d feel like I didn’t do anything,” Lock stated with a smile.
There are not any silver linings right here, although. The Giants are paper bag dangerous of their one hundredth season in franchise historical past.
They’re ‘Sell the team’ and ‘fix this dumpster fire’ dangerous.
They’ve been issued an edict by the followers to wash home and begin over.
And on Monday morning, that’s precisely what Mara and the Tisch household should do.
Initially Printed: December 8, 2024 at 4:44 PM EST
