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Ernie Didn't Hold Line

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-giants033568921dec03,0,2262797.story?coll=ny-sports-printNeil Best

December 3, 2003

The novelty of bashing Jim Fassel already has worn off for most fans and journalists, who recognize a moot point when they see one. The players are such an injury-riddled mess there is only so much the survivors can do.

So congratulations, Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, it is your turn in the spotlight.

The switch was flipped by Sunday's implosion by the offensive line, additional evidence that the biggest concern in July remains the biggest concern in December. Is it fair to second-guess Accorsi for his handling of the line?

Yes and no. It is not Accorsi's fault his best blockers, Rich Seubert and Luke Petitgout, are hurt. Nor is it his fault Mike Rosenthal and Jason Whittle left as free agents; Rosenthal was ready for a change of scenery and the Bucs offered Whittle more money than the Giants believed he was worth.

Tight end Dan Campbell, now a Cowboy, also wanted to leave, leaving a blocking void only partially filled by Jeremy Shockey, who might be done for the season because of a knee injury. The Giants yesterday signed tight end Tony McGee, who played nine seasons for the Bengals and parts of two for the Cowboys before being released Oct. 18.

Talented rookie David Diehl, who supplanted Tam Hopkins in camp, would have been fine at right guard with things settled on either side of him, but Ian Allen had a rough start at right tackle, and for several games center Chris Bober wound up at tackle and rookie Wayne Lucier at center.

Now Allen is back at tackle and Bober at center. Lucier switched to left guard, but yesterday he went on injured reserve with a sprained knee.

"I don't second-guess myself," Accorsi said. "I would hope people understand this isn't the line we put together to start with. How did we compile a million yards [earlier in the season] if the line was that bad?"

The question is why Accorsi allowed there to be so little depth. One reason was the available free-agent money, and high draft picks were spent on special teams and the defensive line. Alas, other than punter Jeff Feagles, the special-teams free agents and rookies on the front four have provided little help.

Another reason was the team's faith in line coach Jim McNally to mold young, unheralded players and his preference for such players over veteran potential backups.

In Accorsi's six years, the Giants have used one draft pick in the first two rounds on an offensive lineman (Petitgout, 1999) and have not brought in a big-ticket free agent. They signed three modestly priced veterans before the 2000 season and rode them to a Super Bowl.

Some coaches and players are frustrated the line was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair, but others are more philosophical.

"I can't second-guess, because we thought we had what it would take," running back Tiki Barber said. "Last year when Tam came in, he played great. In camp this year he couldn't remember a play. He couldn't block a fly . . . When the season started, we had a good five and that's it - no depth. Then Rich breaks a leg, Luke is battling back problems and we end up with four new starters. It's tough to play that way."

Accorsi, whose contract runs through next year, is in no danger of losing his job, but he might retire after 2004. It appears he finally will get the chance to help hire a coach, but that will be only the start of a long, busy offseason, one that must be more productive than the last.

"Certainly, I will work to improve [the line]," Accorsi said. "But when you're playing the way we're playing, I'm going to get criticized for a lot of things."

Executive vice president John Mara, who oversees Accorsi and Fassel, said, "You can always look back in hindsight and you wish you had done this or that. Obviously, we made some mistakes and we're paying the price for that now. But going into the season we felt good. We all did."

Man of Steel

Kerry Collins snapped in the third quarter against the Bills, screaming at tackle Jeff Roehl for missing a block. It turned out it wasn't Roehl's fault, but the fact Collins expressed frustration at all was news.

Never before has Collins been under this much pass pressure, and although it is wrecking his statistics and perhaps costing him money in his next contract, he has refused to complain or ask out.

Jim Fassel planned to remove Collins Sunday, but the quarterback wanted to stay in, even after six sacks and facing a 17-point deficit. "It's my team, regardless of how many times I get hit or sacked," he said.

Collins, who has not missed a game because of injury since 1997, mostly has avoided devastating, flush hits. "I've never felt better at this point of a season," he said. "A lot of it is luck. It doesn't hurt that I'm 6-5, 240 pounds."

His attitude is admirable, but if the line does not shore up and more games get out of hand, Fassel owes it to Collins and the team's future to order him off the field, whether he likes it or not.

Biding Their Time

There will be no meetings with prospective coaches before the season ends, as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had with Bill Parcells last December; the Giants do not operate that way. There is not even a formal list of available successors to Jim Fassel in the Giants' offices, although the front office always monitors potential coaches.

That shows due respect for Fassel. But the Giants must move quickly if, as expected, they fire Fassel late this month. There is a long list of potential job openings in the NFL, and there will be competition for top candidates such as Tom Coughlin and Nick Saban.

The Giants are well aware of that, and at the appropriate time will not dawdle.

STORY LINES

LOST AT HOME

It has been 20 years since the Giants, led by struggling rookie coach Bill Parcells, lost six games in a row at home. They can match that Sunday against the Redskins. Since 2000, the Giants are 16-14 at home and 17-13 on the road. Not good. Based on last weekend's crowd, fans are too cold and disgusted to bother booing much anymore, but the empty seats have gotten ownership's attention. Sunday's loser will be alone in last place in the NFC East. If the Giants finish there, there is a good chance that in 2004 they will visit the Cardinals. One candidate to be the next Arizona head coach: Jim Fassel. Interesting.

DICEY IN D.C.

The Redskins are the latest train wreck to pull into Giants Stadium. They have a three-game losing streak and have dropped seven of eight. The Falcons had lost seven in a row and the Bills four straight before they blew out the Giants. When the Giants and 'Skins met Sept. 21, it was for first place. (The Giants won in OT.) Now it is for last. Washington is feisty, losing its past three by a total of eight points and holding a fourth-quarter lead in each. QB Patrick Ramsey hopes to play after sitting last week with a foot injury. He probably just wants a shot at the Giants' injury-devastated secondary.

DREAM ON

Don't make alternate plays for Jan. 18 yet, fans! The Giants still can host the NFC Championship Game. First, they must win their last four games and the Cowboys and Seahawks each must go 0-4. The Giants would beat out both on the conference record tiebreaker. Five teams are 6-6 or 5-7. It is too complicated to explain the possibilities if one or more is 8-8, so assume each has at least nine losses. In that scenario, the Giants would be the No. 5 seed. If they won two playoff games and the No. 6 seed (Cowboys or Seahawks) won two, the Giants would host the title game. Simple.