"Haslett reaching down deep and finding those things he forget(s) so often, his balls."
Did you have to end by bring up Haslett's balls? Ugh, there went lunch.
Haslett is, in my humble opinion, doing about as good as he can. I think you are being a bit too hard on him. Problem is, we really didn't see how bad the loss of Carriker AND Orakpo would affect us. Look at the performance of the D before and after Carriker and Orakpo went down; it is noticable even if it was only 2 or so games into the season.
This team's D is predicated on getting pressure from the front 7.
1. Rob Jackson, Alexander (initially), and Chris Wilson are not getting the pressure Orakpo did - that is a drop off.
2. Golston is off season ending surgery last year and is not making the impact Carriker was making - that is a drop off.
3. We also lost Chris Neild, Barry Cofield's backup and now have to rely on Chris (why are there so many players on our team named Chris?) Baker as Cofield's backup - that is a drop off.
4. Jarvis Jenkins is not having the impact the team expected; he is a different player since his injury last year in training camp and has been a non-factor - that is a drop off (and a major disappointment). You don't see any sports writer columns talking about how getting Jenkins back is like getting another #2 draft pick this year. In fact, you don't see any sports writer columns saying anything about Jarvis Jenkins now.
Combine that with the fact we are playing without the FS and SS we intended to have start this year and you have a compounded problem. How much more can you send against the opposing offense without exposing an already sub-par backfield? Meriweather's 1/2 game start showed me enough of how Haslett WANTED to call the D; it is a different unit without him and he is only one player. Gomes is decent, and improving, but he is not Meriweather. Heck, most people thought our picking up Meriweather was a bad thing because they thought he wouldn't play well at all.
I hate the Giants as much as Dallas now, which is saying a lot. It's worse for me down here in Miami because I am now stuck with Sid Rosenburg who eats, sleeps, and lives for NY teams. Listening to him eat crow on Tuesday morning would really make my day.