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New York Giants Owner John Mara Right To Put Pressure On Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese

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By @Bigwoolf5

New York Giants, John Mara, Tom Coughlin

Robert Deutsch-USA Today Sports

After finishing the season at 6-10, New York Giants owner John Mara addressed the media on Monday and said he was disappointed with the season but both Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese will be returning for next season. While no changes have been made to the staff yet that may be coming, and Mara made it clear that next season is a win-or-else type of season for both the team’s head coach and general manager.

Since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, the Giants have failed to reach the playoffs in each of the next three seasons. Their record in that time is 22-26 which is understandably unacceptable to a proud and storied franchise.

By all accounts Coughlin still has the same passion for coaching as he did when he was still a young man. The issue is that he works in a results oriented business, and lately he has not been able to get the results that Giants ownership expects. Coughlin has won two Super Bowls with the Giants in his 11 seasons at the helm, and up until this point he has gotten a free pass for missing the playoffs because of those two championships. That free pass has run its course, according to Mara, and it is time for Coughlin to get the team back to being perennial contenders.

The argument could be made that Coughlin has actually done a good job recently with his teams because of the lack of talent he has had on the roster. That’s where the general manager Reese comes in. The Giants do not like to fire GMs, and Reese has benefited greatly from that philosophy because his recent track record with draft picks is not very good.

This year’s team dealt with a lot of injuries and was installing a new offense, so it is understandable that they didn’t make the playoffs. But 6-10 is an unacceptable record for a team with the goal every year to win the Super Bowl. Mara applying pressure for next year comes at just the right time. Looking at the roster on paper this team should be able to make some noise next season.

A rejuvenated Eli Manning throwing the ball to the young superstar Odell Beckham Jr. and a hopefully healthy Victor Cruz should make for a potent offense. Changes will likely be made on the defensive side of the ball, most likely with defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, but getting key guys like Jon Beason and Prince Amukamara back healthy will be huge. If the Giants are able to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul they have a lot of talent on that side of the ball too, and this team, on paper, should be a contender.

Coughlin is a very good coach, maybe one of the best in the league, but this is the NFL. No matter who you are, missing the playoffs in four straight seasons will usually lead to the head coach losing his job. Mara is not wrong to apply pressure for next season. It’s time for the excuses to stop; it’s time for Reese to give Coughlin a team with enough talent that he can bring it to the playoffs and work his magic with once they get there.

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