E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he was one of only three sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls until the past few. Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

WHO IS AT FAULT FOR THE 2-7 RECORD?
TAKE YOUR PICK

By Dave Klein
It's time for some difficult questions, even if they don't have immediate answers.

And it's also time - perhaps long past time - for the powers that (should) be to start to make major changes.

Is it GM Joe Schoen's fault for allowing running back Saquon Barkley to skip off to the Eagles? He negotiated (or refused to negotiate) the contract that Barkley wanted so badly, and at the moment he is threatening to become the NFC's Offensive Player of the Year.

He has gained 925 yards thus far, trailing only Baltimore's Derrick Henry (1,052), but the Ravens have played one more game. And the NFL is making him a film clip hero, or didn't you see the back-flip that he engineered against Jacksonville? Everybody else did.

And isn't head coach Brian Daboll at fault for continuing to start quarterback Daniel Jones? He's acceptable at times, but prone to ridiculous errors that wind up costing games. On the other hand, all Daboll has behind him are Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito - and isn't that Schoen's fault?

You can use the excuse that Jones doesn't get the protection while trying to launch a pass, but he doesn't pick the players or conduct the draft. That's Schoen, with Daboll's help.

So the Giants' record is a hideous 2-7, and they are scheduled to fly to Germany for a Sunday game against the Carolina Panthers, who are also 2-7. This is a game the Giants can win - make that should win - but who can feel safe predicting that? They are currently 4½-point favorites, so circle the date on your calendar because that probably won't happen the rest of the season.

Well, while Saquon has become the favorite of highlight film clips - did you catch his back-flip against Jacksonville? - the Giants appear to have discovered a budding star in Tyrone Tracy, their fifth-round pick. But he's a rookie, fellas, and so much can still happen.

Someone suggested, after the embarrassing loss to Washington last Sunday, that perhaps the relative youth on the team is acting as a drawback. Daboll "sort of" agreed.

"Yeah, we continue to have our rookie meetings, "he said, "and the coaches continue to emphasize the things that we need to do to be in the right mindset, practice with the right habits, prepare with the right habits and ultimately go out there.

"Again, there's going to be some things that happen throughout a game, particularly for young guys, that you're going to have to go ahead and coach up. And we need to do that. We need to continue to do that. They've had some good spots here in the last few weeks of improving.

"And then there are things that happen with any young player that you've got to continue to correct and make sure that they're in the right head space. I like our rookie class. I think they are mature. They work really hard. And we're just trying to keep cleaning it up."

Well, the replacement for Barkley appears to be rookie Tyrone Tracy, the fifth-round draft choice from Purdue, who currently has amassed 442 yards as the emerging starter - with games of 145 (vs. Pittsburgh) and 129 (vs. Seattle) to create an average yards per carry figure of 4.97.

The only downside to all this is that Schoen signed veteran running back Devin Singletary, who was released by Houston in March thus far has contributed 283 yards in 70 carries (most of them early in the season).

Clearly, Singletary is earning more than the rookie Tracy but appears to have lost his starting status.

So Schoen gets credit for his draft, which has added not only Tracy to the team but wide receiver Malik Nabers, safety Tyler Nubin, tight end Theo Johnson and cornerback Dru Phillips, the first five picks and all contributing.

It's a sticky situation, trying to separate blame and credit, but with a 2-7 record and consistent brain lapses on the field, it is clear that something must be done.

Sunday in Munich would be a good time - and a possible one - to start the comeback.

Questions? Comments?
Send it over to davesklein@aol.com

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