With 2:24 left to play in the Giants' win against the Redskins yesterday, word came through coach Tom Coughlin's headset that Green Bay had defeated the Bears and that the Giants' season was officially over. The Giants missed the playoffs for the second time in as many years, but their record (10-6, better than the playoff-bound 7-9 Seahawks) was still admirable enough for owner John Mara to immediately put an end to the rampant speculation that Coughlin wouldn't be returning next year for his eighth season as head coach.
"I'm obviously disappointed we didn't make the playoffs," Mara told the Daily News. "Everybody in this locker room is disappointed. But that doesn't mean you blow the whole thing up. He's still the guy we want as our head coach." The truth is that the Giants need Coughlin. He remains one of the toughest coaches in the league, and he's beloved by his players, who fought hard for him to the bitter end. Hopefully the end won't come so quickly next season.
