All Eyes on Pat Shumur After Giants Season Ends in Defeat

EAGLES 34 - GIANTS 17 

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the playoffs, while the New York Giants are going home wondering who their coach will be in less than 24 hours.

When Daniel Jones fumbled the exchange from center, only to watch the ball flop helplessly around the wet MetLife Stadium turf and into the waiting arms of defensive end Fletcher Cox, before Boston Scott capped off the moment with one of his three touchdowns on the night, it became clear this would be the end of an era.

In some ways the play was eerily similar to the fumble by another bumbling, fumbling Giants quarterback so many years ago, Joe Pisarcik, when he fumbled in the closing minutes against Philly in 1978, only to have Herman Edwards pick up the loose ball and score. That play known as the Miracle of the Meadowlands was the beginning of the end of those horrible Giants.

Help would soon be on the way in the form of George Young, and eventually, Bill Parcells.

Giants fans can only hope that Sunday night's 34-17 smackdown through the raindrops at the hands of the Eagles is only the beginning of the end for head coach Pat Shurmur and GM David Gettleman.

Reports are that Shurmur is defiantly on his way out the door. Sounds like Gentlemen might stay. 

If that is the case, Gentleman better find a head coach who commands respect, preaches defense and  can figure out whether Daniel Jones is worth that first round pick the Giants spent on him last April.

They need a head coach who knows how to win, and knows how to get the best out of his players. A leader of men. That is something the Giants have not had in the building since John Mara and Steve Tisch fired Tom Coughlin at the end of the 2015 season.

Two men currently unemployed now are definitely going to get consideration: Ron Rivera and Mike McCarthy.

If Rivera is the guy the Giants want, they may have to act quickly, since he is scheduled to interview with the Washington Redskins on Monday. Washington is also interested in former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.

If Rivera doesn't go to Washington, he would make a lot of sense in New York because of his ties to Gettleman when the two worked together in Carolina. Mike Shula, the Giants offensive coordinator was Rivera's Offensive Coordinator down in Carolina as well.  Rivera would be the right choice -- if available.

McCarthy would also be a wise choice. A guy who succeed with both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, and wants badly to get back into coaching. McCarthy wanted the Jets job last year, but they chose Adam Gase. That hasn't worked out for them.

What a feather in the cap it would be for the Giants to rub in the face of the Jets if McCarthy becomes their head coach?!

Those are the two prominent names. The other name to keep an eye out for is Jason Garrett. Garrett is likely out in Dallas after an 8-8 season this year. He is not a great coach, but his ties to the Giants makes him a candidate, and rumors earlier this year was that he would be a candidate.

It will be interesting to see what the Giants do here. They are an organization that doesn't like change, and for weeks there has been an internal battle between Mara and Tisch over whether to fire Shurmur, Gettleman or both. Mara doesn't like making changes too often. Tisch wants to start with a clean slate.

We'll know soon enough what the fates are for both men by Monday morning.