**
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ --** The Giants are at an unusual juncture in their schedule. Because they played last night and have a bye in two weeks, they play only two games in the next 30 days. That gives them an opportunity to evaluate what has happened and devise ideas and solutions for improvement before they return to action a week from Monday against the Minnesota Vikings at home.
|
| RELATED NEWS |
| Instant Analysis: CHI 27, NYG 21 Giants.com breaks down the team's Thursday night loss... Highlights from Giants vs. Bears Full Coverage of Giants vs. Bears [  Gameday Photos from Giants-Bears](http://www.giants.com/photos/photos/Photos-Giants-vs-Bears/13b73ab6-d760-44b5-8c13-dcc48f226a99) |
"I asked them to do that, coaches included," Coughlin said. "Think. Get some rest, think about the situation we're in and how your part can be a part of the solution."
The situation is grim. The Giants lost last night to the Chicago Bears, 27-21, in Solider Field to fall to 0-6 for the first time since 1976. As was the case in five of their six defeats, the Giants were in the game late in the second half. Indeed, they had a chance to pull it out in the final minutes before Eli Manning's pass for tight end Brandon Myers was intercepted by Tim Jennings. It was the third pick Manning threw in the game, the second grabbed by Jennings; he returned the first for a touchdown.
"I am as disappointed and upset about this loss as I have been about a loss in a long, long time," Coughlin said.
He then recited what has become an all-too familiar litany of transgressions for this team. The first is too many turnovers on offense. They now have at least three in every game and a season total of 23, or two more than they finished the season with in 2012.
Last night, the Giants improved defensively, allowing only three second-half points. But…
"If you look at the defensive side of the ball - no turnovers and no sacks," Coughlin said. "The quarterback pretty much stands back there and does what he wants to do without a lot of pressure. He can run the ball when he wants to and comes out of the pocket when he wants to. That's two weeks in a row. Really, he (Jay Cutler) goes 24 for 36 in the passing game. So he stands back there and he's very accurate and not a lot of stuff being contested there. But we don't get any turnovers. We don't get any pressure on the quarterback."
In six games, the Giants have only five sacks and seven takeaways. This free time coming up will perhaps help the Giants devise new strategies for improving those numbers.
What won't change, they insist, is their faith that can save this season and still become a factor in the NFC playoff race.
"All we can control is this next game and try to get a win," said Manning, who has thrown an NFL-high 15 interceptions. "We don't know what's going to happen with the rest of the NFC East. We've still got to play (four) more games between the NFC East, but obviously we've got Minnesota next Monday night and it should be an opportunity for us to go out and get better. I thought we made some improvements this week offensively with running the ball and pass protection and making some plays. We've just got to eliminate the mistakes."
Since starting 6-2 in 2012, the Giants have lost 11 of 14 games. But their faith in their ability remains strong.
"I know we're good enough we're just not putting all of the pieces together," safety Antrel Rolle said. "Absolutely, we're good enough. I think right now, personally speaking, although it doesn't really mean anything…I think we could be 5-1 had we fought all four quarters and had we not let the adversity get the best of us. I think the only game where we clearly got dominated was the Carolina game (a 38-0 loss). Other than that, I think we were in every game. Little things here and there changed the momentum and it all went downhill from there. We have to control that, we control that. There are no excuses. We're 0-6, we are an 0-6 team. We're not better than 0-6, we're not worse than 0-6. We are an 0-6 team. Until we go out there and prove that we're better and go out there and win some games, that's what we'll be."
Coughlin insists the season can be salvaged.
"Absolutely," he said. "Not unless we start playing a heck of a lot better and doing the things that I just described. We know the formula. We've used it for years here. There were years that we set the record for fewest turnovers. Seems like a long time ago."
So does the great feeling a team has after a win. The Giants will try again to get their first of season in 10 days against the Vikings.
"You don't know how it's going to turn out," Manning said of the season. "Right now, the other NFC East teams have two wins and the best record team has two wins. We've got to stick together and just keep fighting and keep making improvements and see if we can get on a hot streak. But obviously it's just take one game at a time and worry about getting that first win and that will be a nice one."
That might be the season's biggest understatement. Late Thursday night, Manning stood in the bright lights of a small interview room in Soldier Field and all but convicted himself for the responsibility of the Giants' 27-21 loss to the Chicago Bears, a defeat that dropped their record to a stunning 0-6 – this from a team that won the Super Bowl two years ago and hasn't had a losing season since 2004.
Manning threw three interceptions that boosted his NFL-leading total to 15, which matches the number of times opposing players caught his passes in 16 games in 2012.
