On the day he learned Tom Coughlin had coached his last game with the Giants, an emotional Eli Manning made it clear who was to blame for the disappointing end of his tenure.
“I think he’s done a great job and he definitely has not failed,” Manning said Monday, before news of Coughlin’s departure became official. “I feel that we as players, we failed him by not playing to the level that we could.”
But it was Coughlin who departed following a fourth straight season without a playoff appearance. And the quarterback seemed to be holding back tears as he talked about Coughlin’s final appearance in front of his team Monday morning.
“It is [emotional],” Manning said. “The meeting today, thinking it could be the last one with Coach Coughlin up there was tough.”
After three consecutive losing seasons, the Giants and Coughlin are going in different directions.
“I love Coach Coughlin,” Odell Beckham Jr. said. “He’s always going to be my coach.”
That’s coming from someone who clashed with the coach at times. Beckham’s end-zone celebrations often rubbed Coughlin the wrong way and the wide receiver ended up getting suspended for a game this year after he lost control in a loss to the Panthers and their cornerback Josh Norman.
On Monday, Beckham spoke glowingly of his relationship with Coughlin.
“It’s been great since the day I met him,” Beckham said. “Initially, a younger player would immaturely think Coach is always on you. He’s always on you. Why is he always on you? Initially, I thought it’s because he wanted to be. It was growing up, maturing and learning that it was because he knew what was in you. He wanted to bring the best out. … Along the journey, it’s been great with Coach as far as growing and learning each other and teaching me things, how to be a man.”
The last few years, though, Coughlin and Manning lost the magic that helped win a pair of Super Bowls.
“We didn’t get the job done,” said Manning, who added he didn’t offer his opinion to ownership. “The Maras and Tisches know how I feel about Coach Coughlin and the respect I have for him. … He’s a great coach to play for. I learned so much from him from an early age when I got here til right now.”
