Bob Donnan USA TODAY Sports
I admit it, I’m a guy who reached a little too early for David Wilson on draft day. I’ve felt the sting and the pain of his fumblitis driving him back into head coach Tom Coughlin’s dog house. It hasn’t helped that the New York Giants are off to their worst start since they started 0-3 in 1996.
While we could break down the team’s woes through the looking glass of Coughlin’s foibles, what really matters is that most Wilson owners are looking to sell the guy off or drop him altogether.
Personally, I’m writing off the Giants’ Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers as being a product of poor game planning during a very tough stretch in the Coughlin’s life after the loss of his brother. You could also pick your nose and wipe it on Eli Manning’s shirt without much complaint.
For most of the game the, Giants were trying to throw themselves out of a hole. Despite all the passing plays being called, Wilson still played 25 snaps to Da’Rell Scott’s 21. In those 25 snaps, he touched the ball 11 times for 39 yards. He would have had even more had a 17-yard touchdown run not been called back because of a sloppy holding penalty.
Had it not been for that penalty, Wilson would have put up 12 carries for 56 yards and score with a 4.66 yards per carry average. In a game where the team was getting blown out, those are actually decent numbers. What’s more important is that Wilson looked more developed. He was able to keep the ball intelligently protected while also not leaving yards on the field by being guarded.
The Giants are a team that always has the ability to reflect and grow. Coach Coughlin may suffer from hubris early in a season, but he always reflects on his mistakes and makes the right adjustments. On the surface, it might not look like Wilson is on the rise, but I think this is the beginning of his way back towards becoming a quality no. 2 running back.
If you own Wilson, I think you should hold onto him and let that silver lining develop over the next couple of weeks. If you don’t have him and you hear the guy who owns him belly aching, I say toss him a low-ball trade offer, stash Wilson and wait to see what happens.
Eric Beuning is a Fantasy Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericbeuning or add him to your network on Google.
