Joe Judge's second season is off to as poor a start as his first year in New York.
The Giants sit at 1-5, identical to their 2020 campaign. Back-to-back blowout losses to Dallas and L.A. underscore how far Judge's team is from competing against the best of the NFC.
On Thursday, Judge acknowledged it's on him to right the ship.
"I'm the head coach. It's my responsibility. Point blank," the coach said, via Art Stapleton of The Record. "Every player on this field, every position group, the execution, it all comes down to me. The fish stinks from the head down. I've been taught that by great guys I've worked for and played for. There's no excuses."
The Giants continue to be decimated by injury. Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, and Kadarius Toney aren't expected to play this week against Carolina. Andrew Thomas is on IR. And a host of other injuries to start the season have helped Big Blue's wobbly start.
Injuries aside, the Giants haven't played well enough or disciplined enough to win consistently under Judge. The Week 2 last-second loss to Washington highlighted the glaring miscues Judge's club makes and the razor-thin margin for error New York plays under.
"There's no exceptions," Judge added. "You demand it of your coaches to make sure players are playing the right way. You demand it of your players about what to do, and they have to go out there and do it. But it starts with me and ends with me."
Judge's demanding approach to training camp brought media ire, and his Belichickian-style hasn't produced wins or productive play -- like many assistant coaches who leave New England.
After a 6-10 first season, Judge is squarely on the hot seat in New York. If he can't turn the ship around quickly -- starting Sunday against a Panthers team coming to MetLife Stadium owning a three-game losing streak -- he likely won't survive the winter.
