MUSIC CITY MELTDOWN

For those who’ve worked so hard to purge the memories of the Giants’ inexplicable playoff loss to San Francisco four years ago, we urge you to contact your counselor in the wake of Sunday’s implosion in Nashville. Just as the Candlestick Collapse marked of the end of Jim Fassel, the Music City Meltdown officially places Tom Coughlin in similar lame duck status. In barbecue parlance, you can stick a fork in Tom Coughlin…he’s done.

The recent weeks have been a trying time for the Giants. Words such as “dysfunctional” and “tumultuous” have been popular ways to describe life for Big Blue. To exacerbate matters, Tiki Barber – also in lame duck status, but by his own choice – made another public outcry regarding Tom Coughlin’s lack of coaching acumen. So back to basics the Giants went; by passing to Jeremy Shockey early and often, giving Tiki Barber more carries, and finally providing Brandon Jacobs opportunities beyond short yardage situations. It was about time, as for weeks those hailing in Giantdom have all but sent smoke signals urging Big Blue to get back to fundamentals. And what do you know, by midway through the second quarter the Giants had a 21-0 lead. Sure Tiki Barber would have to eat a little crow for what he said, but so what, if that’s what it took to put the pedestrian play against Chicago and Jacksonville behind them, all was forgiven. It seemed to work. For at least the first half, the Giants hadn’t played so convincingly since shellacking Dallas on October 23rd. It wouldn’t be until the fourth quarter that Vince Young would resemble Jeff Garcia from the same aforementioned game everyone wants to forget.

For most of the game, the Giants moved the ball with positive rushing yardage and simple pass routes to move the chains. It may not have been the most loaded highlight reel, but for this banged-up ramshackle bunch, it was good medicine. And then, just like in the loss to Chicago a two weeks ago, a single play seismically shifted the momentum away from the Giants. That play, of course, was early in the fourth quarter where on 2nd and 4, Eli Manning flared a pass to Plaxico Burress on simple sideline route. Why in the world the Giants had to get cute when they should have kept running the ball in order to chew up the clock is beyond anyone’s logic. Then again, questionable play calling has been subject to debate all season long. Manning’s pass was a little overthrown, but certainly catchable if Burress gave it his all. Instead Burress gave up on the route, enabling “Pacman” Jones to make his first of two interceptions. Did Burress attempt to tackle Jones? Impede his runback? Try to knock him out of bounds? No, thus allowing Jones to return the inception for 26 additional yards and put the ball in Giants’ territory. The first tremors were being felt.

For Vince Young, this was his defining day as a rookie quarterback. Many were doubtful if Vince Young would cut in the NFL, thinking that his phenomenal performance in the Rose Bowl last January artificially boosted his stock. He still had his senior year in front of him at Texas, and, well, wasn’t he another one of those “running quarterbacks” anyway? After all, the jury was out on Michael Vick, the prototypical running quarterback, who last week was dubbed a “coach killer”. The last thing Tennessee needed was a quarterback juxtaposed to a “coach killer”. Add in the fact that Vince Young had his Wunderlik score (an 8, I believe) publicized in the same manner as JFK, Jr. failing the bar exam, and voila, Matt Leinart was soon saying bonjour Nashville. As for those running quarterbacks, they’re just useless aren’t they? Especially when it’s 4th and 10 and they’re about to be sacked by Mathias Kiwanuka.

Now for those of you who are still shell-shocked and have blocked out this play, here’s the quick recap. With 2:44 remaining in the game, Tennessee is faced with a 4th and 10 while trailing the Giants 21-14. The implications of this play are pretty basic: prevent the Titans from advancing the ball ten yards and the game is over. Young drops back to pass; he remains cool in the pocket – very cool, in fact – but can’t find an open receiver. Mathias Kiwanuka, who up this moment has had stellar rookie year, has Vince Young wrapped up. For all intents and purposes, Vince Young should have been sacked the same way Mookie Wilson should have grounded out to Bill Buckner in the ’86 World Series. Yet, incredulously, Kiwanuka lets Vince Young go. Perhaps Kiwanuka thought Young passed the ball and didn’t want to draw a roughing penalty. Fine, but if that were the case, Kiwanuka would have heard a whistle. Certainly he had to know what was going on. “It’s a fraction of a second, you have to make a decision and I made the wrong one”, Kiwanuka said. One has to wonder if such a mistake will be tagged to Kiwanuka’s career the same way Scott Norwood has never lived down missing that kick in Super Bowl XXV. In any case Young got the ten yards he needed, plus nine more. They would soon tie up the game a few plays later.

With less than a minute to go, the Giants had one final possession. In all likelihood they’d have to deal with being headed into overtime unless they got a miracle kick return for a touchdown. Just kneel on the ball, regroup, and accept that they squandered a 21-point lead but still can win in OT. They’ll take their shots about making this game exponentially harder than it needed to be, but in the NFL a win is win. They’ll still take it, the heck with the tabloids.

This, however, is not how the remaining 23 seconds would shake out. Rather than go into overtime with a few minutes to rest and focus, the Giants attempted to force the issue. After completing a nine-yard pass to David Tyree, Manning made horrible off-balance pass that was picked-off for the second time by “Pacman” Jones. “We basically gave it away at the end with the interception,” Tiki Barber said. “The only thing you don’t want to do is turn the ball over and that’s unfortunately what we did.” Indeed they did. Two plays later Tennessee was in range to kick the game winning field goal and won 24-21.

“We’re going to be sick about this one forever,” coach Coughlin said. After being decimated by injuries for the last month, the Giants are now sick as well. As for Coughlin, he too will be remembered for this loss forever. Stick a fork in him, he’s done.