The New York Giants suffered a disappointing loss on Thursday Night Football when they hosted the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium.
After the Giants took a four-point lead with just over nine minutes remaining, they intercepted the Commanders on the next two drives but were unable to put the game away, resulting in a loss many believe the Giants let slip through their fingers.
The loss triggered criticism of the Giants and their coaching staff.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is the latest to slam John Harbaugh for playing scared in the crucial moments of the game.
"Damn it, they were coaching scared. I mean, John Harbaugh should be ashamed of himself. That's really what this is," Smith said on First Take. "Listen, 31 total net yards over your last
three possessions. An opposing quarterback that gave you not one, but two fourth-quarter interceptions. Three of those possessions, three-and-out just like that. Third-and-one, and you get some quarterback run, or you got Jameis Winston out there going viral with 'Who Let the Dogs Out'—we'll get to that later.
"The point that I'm making is this: John Harbaugh, this is not new. This is one of the problems that existed in Baltimore. In terms of being outdated, coming across as a bit... Of course, he knows what he's doing in terms of being a football coach overall. Of course, he knows how to lead. He's been there forever. You know, he's been in the NFL. We understand. I have nothing but profound respect. He's a Super Bowl champion. We get all of that. But on too many occasions, you're coaching scared, which is why—what is the number, Shay, right now? 47 fourth-quarter blown leads in his career over the last decade-plus? I mean, damn, that's just embarrassing.
"Skattebo looks like he's ready to run into brick walls. We advise against it, but he still looks like that. You've got a third-and-one and you don't give him the damn ball? What are they thinking? It's just embarrassing as far as I'm concerned. The Giants lost this game."
The Giants' coaching staff has been a real advantage for the team this season, but on Thursday night, the team reverted to their old ways, choking games away like they did when they were coached by Brian Daboll.
The conservative play-calling at the end of the game was, indeed, a key reason they lost. Their inability to capitalize on two interceptions thrown by Jayden Daniels, who doesn't throw many interceptions, was frustrating for fans to watch and a big reason for this week's criticism.
The Giants have their hands full as they head into the hard part of their schedule, facing off against four teams with winning records.
The most disappointing part for the Giants was that they missed out on a golden opportunity to put a stranglehold on the NFC East. Instead, the loss gave life to the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders ahead of the final eight weeks of the regular season.
Smith wasn't as impressed as most when the Giants hired Harbaugh as their next head coach, and the fourth-quarter blown leads may have been a big reason why. However, thus far this season, having Harbaugh has been a true advantage, and there is no denying he has changed the culture around the team.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Stephen A. Smith slams Giants' John Harbaugh for 'coaching scared'
