Tom Coughlin is not happy with a New York Giants offense that made wholesale personnel changes, and brought in an innovative offensive coordinator from Green Bay.
Despite guarantees from Eli Manning and Victor Cruz that everything will be fine, Coughlin told the New York Post that “the Giants offense better get it together, or else.”
“They better,’’ Coughlin said, and then issued a warning about possibly increasing the playing time for his starters in the final preseason game against the Patriots.
“It’s not written in stone about what you do in the last preseason game either,’’ Coughlin said. “The idea is to come out of this having your team prepared throughout the course of these games so that when you head into the regular season you’re ready to go. We still got some work to do along those lines.’’
In 11 series covering three preseason games, Manning and the starters have had five three and outs. been forced off the field after only three plays five times. Eight of the 11 series ended with a punt, one ended on a lost fumble by Manning.
The bad offensive production is an eerie reminder of how poor the offense has been the past couple of years.
“We’ve had in the last years what would have to be looked at as unproductive preseasons or unproductive games in preseason and yet we still been able to come out and play well, early on even, offensively in the regular season,’’ Coughlin said. “Now is that the case here? I don’t know that. We’re gonna have to see how that goes. It is a concern? Sure it’s a concern.’’