For a National Football League franchise that once prided itself on organization, tradition, and “doing things the right way,” the New York Giants certainly are quick to embarrass themselves.
After dropping to 0-4 on the season when Daniel Jones’ final drive fell short with an interception inside the Los Angeles Rams’ red zone on Sunday afternoon, the customary handshake huddle turned into a melee. Giants wide receiver Golden Tate and Rams safety Jalen Ramsey reportedly threw punches as midfield turned into a fracas, though magically, no one knows who threw hands first or what prompted the pitiful display.
So the Giants are left to deal with another frustratingly unproductive loss — the offense has not scored a touchdown in two full games — while dealing with the latest smear on the team’s reputation.
Hypocrisy, thy color is blue.
Prior to the start of the 2019, the Giants traded Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns after their owner, John Mara, seemingly had enough with the star wide receiver’s antics.
Beckham’s outbursts on the sidelines were commonplace, a feud with Josh Norman made headlines, and off-field distractions were the exact inverse of the likes of Eli Manning — the “proper” presentation of the prim-and-proper Giants under the Mara and Steve Tisch.
It was a move that would supposedly change the culture and return the Giants to their old-school ways under former GM Ernie Accorsi.
The problem was that Beckham had shown signs of maturing, doing and saying all the right things after signing a $95 million deal with the Giants. But apparently, it was too little too late for Mara, as he received safety Jabrill Peppers and a pair of draft picks.
Just days later, the Giants brought on Tate to provide a steady, veteran presence to a team suddenly in the throes of a rebuild, though general manager Dave Gettleman implored that “you can win while you build a roster.”
That was a lie. The Giants are nothing more than bottom-feeders behind their clueless general manager and the owner who sent away one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL for pennies on the dollar.
Meanwhile, the Tate move has provided next to nothing for the Giants — the brawl with Ramsey only exacerbating his lack of production.
Behind suspensions and injuries, the 32-year-old has 63 receptions for 779 yards and six touchdowns over 14 games in two years with the team, but the Giants are 2-12 in games he has played in. He’s hardly been a go-to target, too, for the developing second-year quarterback in Jones, who continues to struggle to get much out of an already-shorthanded Giants offense.
While the Giants’ attack went a second-straight game without scoring a touchdown, Beckham went off for three scores — two receiving, one rushing — for the Browns in a 49-38 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He has four touchdowns on the year; one more than the entire New York offense has through four games.
Imagine a receiver like that alongside a young quarterback struggling to find any sort of rhythm behind a shoddy offensive line?
Hindsight is always 20/20, they say, but their actions following Sunday’s loss to the Rams only confirms the trading of Beckham was more personal than anything, and the powers that be aren’t concerned at all about the reputation of the Giants’ brand.
