The last thing Dave DeGuglielmo wanted to talk about was the eight sacks allowed by the Giants in their 26-7 loss to the Cardinals.
They did happen, though.
“Good teams can pass blocks when everyone knows you have to throw the ball,” DeGuglielmo said Tuesday. “Good offensive lines can do that. The other day we weren’t a good offensive line. Yes, I feel terrible. I feel terrible for the guy who is achieving success, that’s why I feel terrible. “
Quarterback Daniel Jones achieved successes and offensive tackles took the weight of his coach’s criticisms. DeGuglielmo took over during the farewell week 11 after the dismissal of Marc Colombo, and then the Giants defeated the Bengals and Seahawks, with the line at the head. The unit took a step back when the four-game winning streak ended on Sunday and the colorful attendee didn’t poke words about the regression.
He was not satisfied with the way the line handled the Cardinals ’defensive line calls, breakdowns that caused several sacks.
“Well, I think if you look at the film it really hasn’t been handled well all year,” DeGuglielmo said.
The running game averaged 4.6 yards per attempt, but he only ran it 17 times, with a long gain of 16 yards.
“I don’t think our doubles teams were very good,” DeGuglielmo said. “We’ve made that a point of emphasis and we haven’t lived up to the occasion.”
Is it fair that day by day the way Jones struggled, working on a right hamstring tendon, unable to run, was like playing with one hand tied behind his back?
“It’s probably fair, to some extent,” quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski said. “This is one of the best things he does, this is what makes him who he is. I can think of a couple of plays out of my head where he exploded and came out, and you could tell he wanted to run, but he had to be a little smart. He threw one and did what he had to do. Yes, certainly limited. “
It’s no secret that offside coach Bret Bielema is interested in going back to college. He was the head coach of Wisconsin and Arkansas and his name often appears when an opening appears. He has been linked to work in Illinois, where Lovie Smith was recently fired. Bielema is well versed in the Big Ten – he played in Iowa – and is from the state of Illinois.
“It’s always a blessing to hear your name for different opportunities, but I really just focus on my work, here in the office preparing for Sunday’s game,” Bielema said. “I care about the job I have and I hope people realize the work I do.”
Freddie Kitchens spent a year in Cleveland as head coach. He went from 6 to 10 in 2019 and then was fired, resurfacing as the Giants coach. The Browns are 9-4 entering Sunday’s game with the Giants.
“Well, first of all, I couldn’t be happier for Cleveland fans,” Kitchens said. “They have waited a long time to have something like this to go to the games and cheer them on. But no two teams are alike. We say it every year. This team is playing really well. They are very talented, they have always been very talented. They are well trained. They are playing hard. They are doing everything necessary to have a successful season. “