FIRST things first: Jim Fassel guaranteed nothing late Monday night. What he wanted to say is he challenged his team in the aftermath of a 28-16 loss to the Vikings, putting the pressure on to win all remaining six games. It only sounded as if he was assuring the Giants of running the table when he stated they needed to win them all and would in fact do just that.
“I didn’t mean it as a guarantee; if it was said like that, it’s my fault,” Fassel said yesterday. “When I guarantee something, I’ll tell you, ‘I guarantee this.’ “
He’s not about to stick his neck that far out on the line, not like he did a year ago when he had no job security and the day before Thanksgiving issued his “this team is going to the playoffs” decree. Fassel would have been foolish to go that route a second time, as these Giants have shown him little to make anyone confident they will string together anything other than uneven performances that lead to more miserable results.
Still flush late Monday with the burden of defeat weighing on him, Fassel also said the Giants, heading into Sunday’s rugged game against the Raiders, needed to win every game to make it into the playoffs. Yesterday, he backed off that claim as well.
“Anything less than five out of six, I think we’re not going to make it,” he said.
There it is, Fassel’s latest guarantee: We can lose one.
“It’s bad, I mean, it’s bad, but I believe in these guys,” defensive tackle Keith Hamilton said. “You think we’re scared of the Raiders?”
They should be scared of themselves. After the Raiders, the Giants have the Cowboys, Cardinals and Seahawks, meaning they could fatten up even if they take a loss to Oakland and be 8-6 for the stretch run as they put their season on the line in Philadelphia on Dec. 30. At the moment, the Giants have the eighth-best record in the conference and soon enough could rise to sixth or drop to 11th.
The situation doesn’t have to be dire, but it sure seems to be with a team that has been troubled all season. Their offense has yet to put together one complete game, and the line protecting Kerry Collins looks worn and tattered. Their defense is tough but inexperienced in the secondary and Jason Sehorn is making too many glaring mistakes.
“Hey, listen, I’m not coaching as well, Kerry’s not playing as well, [offensive coordinator] Sean Payton’s not as bright as he was a year ago, you name it, that’s where it is,” Fassel said.
Just as Fassel discovered no magic formula last season, he did not turn dumb this time around. But something isn’t clicking, as familiar mistakes in the red zone surface at an alarming rate.
Armed with a new four-year contract, Fassel is secure enough to say, “At some point in time, I say there’s not much else I can do. You’ve got to catch that ball [listening, Joe Jurevicius?], you’ve got to knock that ball down [hear that, Shaun Williams?], you’ve got to block that guy [that means you, entire offensive line].
The Giants can no longer be favored to make the playoffs, much less overtake the Eagles (6-3) in the NFC East. Their outlook is grim and gloomy. They might suddenly leave their sloppy ways behind and make a closing run. But that falls into the category of wishful thinking.
The Raiders this weekend could administer a lesson the Giants will find difficult to accept: This isn’t their year.
“I’ll be honest with you, Oakland’s playing as good as anybody in the league and that doesn’t bother me,” Fassel said. “We’ve got to make a stand and play well. Are we capable of getting on a roll? Yeah, but we can’t keep talking about it; it’s now, it’s got to happen.”
Now, but more likely never, for the Giants.
