Giants-Bears Matchup Should Tell All About Judge Future in New York

The New York Giants’ tumultuous season has hit a bar so unbelievably low that even the optimists in the room have started to acknowledge the dismal gravity of the situation. 

Saquon Barkley was one such member of the organization seeing the faint light, or at least exhibiting that he was. On the way back to the locker room following his team’s latest brutal loss, 34-10, to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday, in which he finished with a measly 15 carries for 32 yards, Barkley was seen walking through the tunnel with his head down, shaking in utter disbelief for the outing his team just gave from a stone’s throw down the New Jersey turnpike.

With each week that passes, it feels like Giants fans are leaving with the same reaction and constantly asking themselves if things can get any worse with this team. The answer from Sunday’s pitiful performance was it definitely can and that was most displayed by the effort of the paltry offense. 

Former Bills practice squad member Jake Fromm got the start at quarterback amid calls for the opportunity but proved he was far from ready for the moment as he played two and a half quarters and went 6-of-17 for 25 (yes, you’re reading that right) yards passing and an interception. After Mike Glennon replaced Fromm, the story never changed with his 17 completions for 93 yards and another interception, except for one garbage time touchdown pass to Evan Engram to ensure the Giants didn’t leave the game below double-digit points. 

Both the running and passing games were as abysmal as they’ve been for most of the season, The Giants had five different players, including Barkley, run the football, only to account for what was a season-low 84 total yards. In the air, rookie Kadarius Toney returned from injury and led the receivers with four receptions for 28 yards on 9 targets but for the next five best receivers not one scrapped more than 22 yards. For Kenny Golladay, the Giants’ $72 million ball catcher, it was his sixteenth week in New York without knotting a touchdown to his resume, furthering the reality of him being the biggest failure from the Giants’ recent offseason acquisitions. 

Put all these things together in what the Giants’ seventh consecutive loss in the city of Brotherly Love and their fourth straight in the last five games this season, it’s not incomprehensible for the Giants’ runningback to react the way he did as his team fell to 4-11 and out of playoff contention. Even the royal jester of the silver linings–head coach Joe Judge–knew it was time to stop feeding “the foundational positives” to a fan base tired of hearing about them during his postgame pressers.

“Offensively, nothing was really good enough today,” Judge said after being asked if the Giants quarterback play could be tearing down the rest of the offense. “We gotta make sure we come back to work, give ourselves a chance, and we gotta capitalize on the opportunities that are in front of us.”

Over the past two seasons since Judge took the helm in January 2020, absolutely nothing has come close to being good enough for the Giants and the expectations that come with their history of being a prestigious professional football club. The Giants are now 10-21 under his tenure and have solidified their ninth losing season in the last decade and their fifth consecutive double-digit loss year since 2016. 

Behind the scenes, the organizational turmoil that has plagued the franchise since its 2011 Super Bowl title has only persisted. There have been internal disputes and implicit finger-pointing between Judge and assistants on his coaching staff as the team has continued to fail, leading to more firings on the Giants’ growing list. 

In November 2020, the Giants fired former offensive line coach Marc Colombo following a nasty verbal dispute with the head coach over the hiring of consultant Dave DeGuglielmo, landing the first blotch on Judge’s timeline with the team. Then, this past November, Judge seemingly became fed up with the scheme and play calling of his offense, led then by Jason Garrett, and chose him as the scapegoat to be sent off after 26 games. 

Of course, nobody could forget the altercation between Judge and former receiver Kelvin Benjamin over the summer over the latter’s inability to maintain team-proposed physical fitness entering training camp. That led to Benjamin’s release and some harsh words for the Giants coach that reverberated around the league. 

Working in arms with general manager Dave Gettleman, who already has had four years himself to fix the gaping holes in the Giants roster and is expected to be out at the end of the season, the effort to fortify the team and make it competitive every Sunday has been the partnership’s biggest failure and has resulted in nothing more than the value of a bag of chips and a free medium soda when it comes to improving the product on the field.

Among their handful of draft picks, only left tackle Andrew Thomas has panned out to be a reliable piece for the future. Thomas has been the best pass blocker on the Giants’ ever-feeble front, allowing just one sack in his last 462 passing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Some of the other picks have dealt with injuries, so the jury is still out on them. 

The Giants have once again fallen victim to their previous mistake of trying to solve all of their problems with free agency, overspending on pricey veterans who’ve failed to put hefty contracts where their game is. The most notable is Golladay who the Giants signed after Golladay had two 1,000+ seasons with Detroit. In 12 games with the Giants, Golladay has 34 receptions and 499 yards on 70 targets which shockingly leads all Giants receivers approaching Week 17. 

Speaking of the product on the field, the numbers have been simply horrific. The Giants offense averages 16.5 points per game this season, however in their last stretch of games that number has been down to 11.8, one of the worst in the NFL in that span. They’re averaging under 100 yards rushing per contest (95.9) with much of that having to do with the deteriorating offensive line providing no room for the ball carriers to find holes and break open downfield, something that was Barkley’s prowess back in pre-injury 2018. 

Whether by passing the ball (222.4 yards per game) or taking on the ground, the Giants can’t figure out how to make anything happen inside the redzone. Throughout this season, the Giants have owned the worst redzone scoring rate at around 41%, a number that continues to drop lower with each appearance they settle for another Graham Gano field goal or go scoreless. In the last three games (all losses), the offense has scored a touchdown just three times out of nine appearances inside the 20-yard line, all of which came in garbage time. 

Most notably among their weaknesses, the Giants have been outscored by opponents 65-0 in the final two minutes of either half this season. Despite the defense doing a tremendous job at stalling opponents late in a half to maintain a competitive score in many of the Giants games, it’s been the miserable offense that has soiled all their big opportunities to make something of a two-minute drive and help their cause for a win. 

To top it all off, there’s been little to no accountability displayed by anyone among the Giants leadership circle. Co-owner and CEO John Mara has stood silent as the calls for wide scale change grow louder by the day and as the fan base loses amiability with the head coach. So far his lone appearances have been at special ceremonies honoring the jersey retirements of previous franchise great, whose winning histories feel like part of what is now the lore of Giants success. Not even in those moments remembering the blissful years of his organization was Mara well received for the mediocrity he now presides over. 

Gettleman hasn’t made an appearance in front of the media since the offseason. It’s fair to assume his biggest concern at this moment is figuring out what he is going to do in retirement once his disgraceful exit from the organization arrives at the end of the season. 

For Judge, the second-year coach has relied heavily on his coachspeak playbook to be his media survival guide to each worsening loss in the 2021 season. The Judge who in one breath sounded like he’s taking responsibility for his team’s weekly failures using cliches like “the fish rots from the head” is the same Judge that in the next has tried to sell the fan base a laughable bill of goods centered around “the foundation” and his “vision” coming together. 

For all the preaching he gave at his introductory press conference about bringing back pride to the area and showcasing a blue-collar mentality that the hardworking fans could appreciate, Judge has done very little to help his case in getting the fans to cozy up to another season of his leadership.

As it stands right now that is the expectation of the Giants organization moving into 2022. According to a recent report by ESPN, league sources say the Giants plan to retain Judge and quarterback Daniel Jones together for a third season. Reasons cited include the organization’s belief that both men deserve the opportunity to demonstrate their talents next season. 

The Giants likely feel the way they do regarding Judge and Jones because of the challenges each has faced within the past year. The most obvious of these has been the grueling injuries that have impacted the skilled positions on a weekly basis . Jones has been left without his full arsenal of weapons to throw to for all but one game, and that has also affected how the front office evaluates Jones, who is eligible for either a fifth year opt-in or contract extension once the season ends.

Another factor weighing on the Giants mind with Jones’ contract status is the risk of his durability on the field. With the neck strain he suffered in Week 12 that has sidelined and now quieted his season, Jones will have missed a total of 10 games in his first three seasons to injuries. The No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft finished the year with a 64.3% completion rate while throwing for 2,428 yards, 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 11 starts. 

While it may be fair for Jones to be given one more shot at proving himself behind a more qualified offensive line, having a showing like Sunday’s adds another complicated layer to the discussion of Judge and the rest of the coaching staff’s future. 

The Giants have made it clear they want to avoid firing another coach in rapid fire succession after two years, as that is not part of their “Giant Way”. They’ve maintained that they believe in the culture and vision Judge brings to the franchise and that the players have rallied around it.

However, many league insiders have said they believe it would take a complete collapse in the final stretch of the season for Judge to feel some honest heat for his job security. The Giants have two games remaining on their schedule and they have not won since Nov. 28th when they beat the Eagles at home 13-7 behind their defensive unit shutting down Hurts and forcing him to throw three interceptions. Lose the next two weeks and the situation will have come to fruition. 

There’s also the reality that Judge has become the latest public enemy of the New York market, whom Giants ownership has become prone to listening to from time to time. The fan base seemingly holds nearly as much power as Mara does in regards to enacting change these days. If the team goes further south before the last whistle sounds, Mara may be forced to decide between defending the Giant Way or watching his organization crumble even further from the stands at MetLife Stadium. 

Before any final decision is made, the Giants ought to give Judge one more test to prove he’s worth the continued investment. That ultimate examination should come Sunday afternoon when the Giants enter Soldier Field to face another team hanging around in their same struggling stratosphere. 

In Week 17, the Giants travel to the Windy City to face Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears (5-10) in a game with so much significance for the visiting team. The Giants visit Chicago having possession of the Bears’ 2022 first-round pick from their trade back in April’s draft that helped the Bears land Fields with the No. 11 pick. 

Current standings show the Giants’ two picks slated at No. 5 and No. 8, respectively, meaning they find themselves in a win-win situation where either of those picks could improve. A win for New York would bump their Chicago pick higher to make for possible back-to-back picks early in the first round, while on the other side a loss would also possibly up their own pick. 

The Giants are clearly coming into the matchup with a winner’s mentality, as Joe Judge pointed out, hence the former situation will likely be the one the team longs for when the game is finished. 

Players like Barkey certainly want to return with a strong effort. For the runningback, Sunday marks his first game back at Soldier Field since he tore his ACL in the Giants loss there back in Week 2 of the 2020 season. After 15 months of grueling rehab and fighting to get back into his prior groove, Barkley is ready to face his past while savoring whatever is left of the present season with his teammates. 

“No,” he said bluntly when asked about the thought of sitting out the last two games, including Chicago, for health purposes. 

The importance of the Giants’ (4-11) latest matchup is one that transcends beyond the draft scenarios and player histories. The Giants find themselves facing a Bears’ team that is amidst their own highly disappointing season, chopped full of miserable performances and relentless obstacles. Losers of three of their last five, the struggles that have plagued the Bears’ season are somewhat synonymous to those of New York’s—rotating quarterback play, bottom-barrel scoring outputs, porous defense (at times), and costly injuries. 

And for greater similarities, so do the Bears have a head coach who’s sitting in hot water at the present moment after multiple seasons of lackluster results. That said, Sunday’s matchup should serve as the grand test for Judge, his adversary, Matt Nagy, and their players to prove their worth in representing their respective franchises long-term. In terms of the Giants, they need to take charge of even the smallest advantages they have if they want to see more years of Judge and the present group in New York. 

While the Giants are riding into Chicago having used three different quarterbacks in a season in 29 years, things are picture perfect with the Bears’ quarterbacks either. It’s been a constant battle each week, sometimes due to outside factors, to decide which quarterback will start—veteran Andy Dalton or the Ohio State rookie in Fields. 

Nagy elected to play the experienced Dalton in the first two games of the season, in which the former Bengal quarterback led Chicago to a 1-1 start. Since then Dalton has only played in four games, usually in relief of Fields who has dealt with his own ailments this season. 

After becoming the starter in late September, Fields began his career by winning two of his first three games. However, with the Bears’ schedule being one of the harder ones in the league, the No. 11 pick in 2020 has mostly struggled to put up consistent numbers and lead his team to victories. In his 12 games played, Fields has 159 completions for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and ten interceptions

What makes Fields so special despite his age is his incredible arm strength. The former Buckeye owns the team’s longest pass of the season with 64.9 yards and averages about 7 yards per throw, meaning he is at his best when he can quickly push the offense down the field which is something the Giants have seen from other quarterbacks this season. Fields is also ranked second in team rushing this season as well, averaging almost 6 yards per rush and scoring two rushing touchdowns. 

The Bears have had to rely a lot on Field’s abilities to uplift their less than productive offense group in many of their games. Currently, the Bears average 17.7 points per game while rallying 185.3 yards passing and 122.7 from the ground. 

Through sixteen games, 108 of their first downs converted have come from running the ball and Field’s legs have been a key factor in that operation, helping Chicago successfully convert on 45% of its 4th down attempts. In addition, Fields accounts for an average of 190.8 of the Bears’s passing yards, meaning shut his presence down, as the Giants defense has against some young, mobile quarterbacks this season, and the Bears have no aerial attack. 

Defensively, where the Bears can be exposed is with the passing game to which they give up an average of 223.2 yards per game to opponents. That’s right at the Giants’ average for passing yards gained yet a number  they’ve struggled to come close to in recent weeks. With a banged-up offensive weaponry and weak offensive line, it’s fair to predict an uphill battle towards torching the Bears defense for 250 yards for Glennon or Fromm. Still, if the Giants execute sharply–tag team quarterback duo or not–and limit the short drives and bad turnovers they can make it easier to march downfield through the secondary and score points at a rate they haven’t seen recently. 

In what may be a meaningless game to many, for both teams it’s one of their last chances to steal a win before the end of the season against a bearable opponent. More importantly for Judge and the Giants, it may be their last opportunity to back his case for the head coaching job against a team they should be able to beat. 

Judge has used up all the cards in his excuse-making deck. His beleaguered assistant coaches are now out the door after being blamed initially for the team’s failures. The new scheme changes implemented have not been working since Freddie Kitchens took over the offense. Every team has been dealing with injuries and you can’t rely on the defense to save you every given Sunday. 

The time has arrived for the coach to ditch the coachspeak, get his team to execute for an entire 60 minutes, and show he’s not just another rotten apple to fall from the Bill Bellichick coaching tree. 

While all likelihood is Judge will be around East Rutherford next season, as the reports suggest, he can’t afford to bank on Mara’s unwillingness to change the Giant Way to keep him protected. No head coach is ever guaranteed the world in the NFL, and even greater is the reality in New York.