Revisiting the Mistake That Should Cost Tom Coughlin His Job

Tom Coughlin should be fired for benching Warner and putting in a rookie in the heart of a playoff chase.As a long-time critic of starting rookie quarterbacks on playoff-caliber teams, my stance on Tom Coughlin’s decision was bias from the start.

For that reason, I feel compelled to start www.tomcoughlinisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanywayto befired .com.

Without a doubt, Coughlin’s decision was the absolute worst decision every made by a pro head football coach. The only two stupider decisions made by coaches on any level were when Woody Hays punched an opposing player and when P.J. Carlisimo said, “You know what, I think I’ll yell at Latrell.” Those two both cost their coaches their jobs; the first directly and the second indirectly. Coughlin should lose his job over his mistake.

If I were Wellington Mara, I’d fire Tom Coughlin right now. I would not hesitate. He would have basically told me, “Fuck you. I want to get some rest this January.”

And worst of all, there is no going back. Benching Eli Manning is so bad a sin that even a Jew would have to go to confession if he did it (I’m Jewish, I can say that). I’m not saying Ryan Leif would have been good, but benching him in the middle of his rookie season killed any chances of success. They were 5-4 and in the lead, now the team is 5-7 and dying and the only way to keep Manning alive is to keep playing him. Of course, that will kill the team.

If you bring a rookie into the starting role (other than for temporarily replacing an injured starter), you can never bench him again in his rookie season. It killed Tim Couch and it killed Patrick Ramsey. Unless Coughlin wants to fall to 0/2, he should not bench Eli Manning.

Conversely, Michael Vick, Peyton Manning, and Donovan McNabb all started some or all of their rookie seasons. None of them got benched after they earned their starting jobs. They kept the role and they have now become three of the most recognized quarterbacks in the NFL.  Also, none of them became quarterbacks when their team had a conceivable chance of making the playoffs. The Giants were leading the Wild Card when they made the change.

Coughlin is a good game coach and he knows what he is doing, but he has bad Player Relations. He does not communicate well. When he made the change of QBs, his players, other than the two quarterbacks, did not find out from him in the team meeting but rather from a press conference Coughlin gave that afternoon.

So the players hate him, and he committed the worst sin in football, putting a rookie quarterback in over a veteran for a playoff race. Because there is no going back. Because now he is stuck to reap the consequences. Because now January will remain open like his last three years in Jacksonville.

Kurt Warner won the Super Bowl a couple weeks after Coughlin lost his last important game with the Jaguars. They both lost their final important game with the Giants the same day.

Goodbye Kurt Warner from the Giants. Hopefully you can be vindicated in your new home.

Goodbye Tom Coughlin from the NFL. Hopefully retirement will be bliss. At least in Madden 2005 you could bench Eli now and not hurt your team in the long run. Better yet, play the 2001 version and Warner is the best player in football.

My how times have changed.

Fire Tom Coughlin, for the sake of intelligence.

Fire Tom Coughlin, for the sake of stupidity.