The Joe Judge Era is just beginning, but one Hall of Famer predicts an ugly end.
Judge’s first Giants padded practice included players and assistant coaches running as punishment for miscues that would lead to penalties in games. It’s a rare sight in the NFL, and Shannon Sharpe does not think paid professionals will accept this kind of ego control for long.
“This is not going to end well,” Sharpe, the co-host of “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” wrote on FS1, on Twitter.
After Sharpe’s point, there are many examples of NFL locker rooms rebelling against authoritarian coaches in the past. But those tend to be teams with upright veteran stars who have taste winning.
By contrast, the Giants have been 12-36 in the past three seasons and their roster includes only two players with a Pro Bowl appearance (Saquon Barkley and Leonard Williams) and none who have won a playoff game for the proud franchise. The Giants have just one of their seven co-captains back (Barkley) from last season.
“If that’s what he has for us, run for mistakes, just make no mistakes,” said wide receiver Sterling Shepard, the longtime Giant. ‘That’s a simple way to do it. Yes, the last time I did it was probably high school. But I embrace change and I am all for it. ”
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Judge borrows pages from mentor Bill Belichick’s playbook – including no names on the backs of jerseys. He referred to how the New England Patriots were used to also take numbers from practice series, until the NFL Belichick was ordered to stop.
“There are consequences on the field for making mistakes,” the judge said. “In a game it costs you five, 10 or 15 yards. In practice, there must be consequences so that we learn how to deal with our mistakes. “
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