The Giants and running the football are like maniacal cab drivers and New York. Some things are just meant to be together.
But this season has been an anomaly for the team, which has struggled to achieve balance on offense. This was on display with neon lights Sunday night at the Meadowlands, where New York managed just 29 yards on 17 carries in a disappointing 17-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
After the loss, Tom Coughlin was cantankerous even by his lofty standards.
"We had 29 yards rushing, which is about as pathetic as you can get," Coughlin said, according to the New York Daily News. "Our offensive line was completely outplayed by the front eight of Philadelphia."
"Pathetic" was a buzz word for the Giants on Sunday night. The word was also invoked by running back Brandon Jacobs, who saw most of the workload with Ahmad Bradshaw sidelined with an ankle injury.
"It was absolutely pathetic," said Jacobs, who's averaging 3.0 yards per carry this season. "It's the worst I've ever experienced in my seven years of playing. We usually are in the top two, top three in the league (in rushing). And now, we are 30th.
"Ultimately, it's my fault, because I'm the one carrying the ball," he said. "But I just hope we get it right."
Jacobs, who might play the "It's me against the world!" card more than any backup running back in NFL history, said he wasn't surprised by the boo birds as he repeatedly ran into walls of Eagles defenders.
"That's the best thing that they do here is boo," said Jacobs, holding out an olive branch to Giants fans before snapping it in two. "I'm not worried about that. I've been hearing that for seven years."
Bradshaw will likely return to the lineup for the Giants' Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, which should make things better. It can't get much worse.
