There is so much to be gleaned from these games. As a fan. As a coach. And, certainly, as a player.
Joe Judge wants the Giants to take a break, mentally and physically, from the grind of the season. This does not mean a complete distancing from football. Not entirely.
Most players tune into the playoff games. Many are engrossed in the sport they make a living in, or they have friends around the league they want to check in on, or they are scouring the market for a potential future employer. The bottom line is, they watch. When they do, Judge wants the entertainment viewing to also turn into a teaching moment.
“When I talked to our players before they left, I said, ‘When you watch these games, sit back, relax, allow yourselves to just watch and enjoy these games,’ ’’ Judge said last week. “But also watch the game from the lens you’ve learned to really see it. Look at the situation, look at the things that really impact the game. Turnovers, penalties, the mental errors. Take a look at something maybe someone could have done differently, how we would have handled it and really try to look through that lens.’’
In the first half of his first season as a head coach at any level, Judge was unable to weave the lessons he was sewing into winning, as the Giants went 1-7 and lost four of the games by a total of 10 points. Gradually, his team figured out a pathway to success, winning four straight games. As the playoffs usher in heightened intensity, Judge wanted his players to understand the points he was hammering home during the season are alive and well in the postseason.
“Very rarely is it a blowout, right?’’ he said. “It’s always a couple of plays here or there, and how did you handle them. It’s a fumble here, an interception there, a costly penalty that kills a drive. It’s a mental error where someone misses a blitz pickup and the quarterback gets strip-sacked. There’s always something that ties into it.’’
Judge admits he cannot unplug the whole way. There is so much to see in these games, perhaps something to learn, always something to consider. Perhaps it was the way the Bills kept Lamar Jackson under wraps — something the Giants were unable to do late in the season. Perhaps it was how the Packers pounded away on the ground against the Rams — something the Giants were unable to do early in the season. Perhaps there is a new wrinkle Judge observes from one of the head coaches or coordinators that he believes might work with his staff. They do not call it a copycat league for nothing.
“That’s kind of when I watch it, I sit there and make a mental note or sometimes jot something down in a notebook,’’ Judge said on WFAN. “There’s a lot of texting going back and forth, to be honest with you, between me and other members of our staff in terms of ‘All right, did you see that situation? What would we do differently? How can we handle that?’ Or if they had something we should implement in what we’re doing.’’
It looks as if Judge will not have to implement any drastic changes to his staff. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham rebuffed interest from the Jets and signed a contract extension. General manager Dave Gettleman said he was “antsy’’ knowing offensive coordinator Jason Garrett spoke to the Chargers about their head-coach opening. Reports are rampant that Brian Daboll, the Bills offensive coordinator, is likely to get the Chargers job. Garrett did not have any other known interviews around the league, clearing the way for his return.
