SHUR’ SHOTS
Coach’s hot seat just about burning — & Jones’ growth may be his only hope
WHEN Pat Shurmur pleads his case to ownership, assuming there is a case to plead, he will be asked for his plan for Daniel Jones once the Huggies are removed on Eli Manning’s rookie successor.
Because more than anyone, it is Jones who carries Shurmur’s future in his hands.
And on a day that began with snow coating the field with a white blanket and ended with three Jones interceptions and an eighth straight defeat that leaves the Giants one s hy of the franchise record set in 1976, Shurmur’s grip on his job became more tenuous, at least in the eyes of a disillusioned, disenchanted, disgusted fan base that allowed euphoric cheeseheads chanting “Go Pack Go” to turn the home stadium into LambeauLife.
Shurmur, a 31-13 loser, is on the precipice of a historic ignominy one week from Monday night at the Linc, where a humiliation in front of a prime-time audience would loosen his grip even further.
If Jones doesn’t save him, and save him starting yesterday, he will be Dead Coach Walking
“This is a historically young team,” Shurmur said, “that’s going out there and competing against some really good football teams, and we’ve got to do what we have to do to win games, and I understand that. But they also are developing.
“At some point, we’ll be good enough to win.”
He is 7-21 as HC of the NYG, and that point won’t come anytime soon with a horrific defense that again disgraced the uniform.
Shu rm ur turning to Jones in Week 3 enabled him to make his development of the kid the overriding mission statement to usher in a better and brighter tomorrow.
“People will change what they think of us and me when we win games,” Shurmur said. He says when. Everyone else says if.
Shurmur, who was battling a cough in the postgame, has four games and three years left on his contract and he will have no choice but to replace defensive coordinator James Bettcher, thrown under the bus by Janoris Jenkins for not getting to travel with Davante Adams, as well as surrendering the play-calling to improve his game-day operation, in order to survive.
If Jones can beat the Redskins and Dolphins and get him past Black Monday.
Asked about Shurmur, Jones said: “Everyone’s job is to make sure we’re doing what we can to win games and I understand the way this business works, the way this league works, is you’re expected to win. We all expect that of ourselves.”
The good news for Shurmur was Jones didn’t lose his 11th fumble. The bad news for Shurmur was his accuracy and/or decision-making spoiled a four-game stretch in which he had thrown 11 TDs and only one INT.
Shurmur, of course, pounced on the good news.
“Today, they weren’t fumbles, right?” he said. “These were throws; they weren’t fumbles. He’s gotta keep playing through it and keep learning from every scenario. Unfortunately we’re dealing with some mistakes that you hope you never see it again.” For his sake, that is. “He did make a heckuva lot of really good plays out there today because of who he is, and we gotta just clean up the mistakes,” Shurmur said. Like now. “I feel like I’m making progress,” Jones said. “Obviously there’s still a lot to work on, and I understand that. I feel like I’m improving and the challenge is to continue to do that but do it faster, and play more consistently.”
Jones engineered an 18-play drive that ended in a field goal and threw a nice 18-yard TD to Sterling Shepard. An illegal-formation penalty cost him a 29-yard sideline dart to Darius Slayton.
“I think I was better in the pocket with the ball,” Jones said. “But like you said, the interceptions hurt us.”
Jones toughed out an ankle problem that had to be taped at halftime.
“It’s sore, but that’s part of playing the game,” Jones said. “I’ll be fine.”
Shurmur’s fate very well could be in his hands.
“We practice like we’ re 10-2,” Saquon Barkley said.
Maybe it would be better for Shurmur if they practiced like they were 2-10.