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I have long been an outspoken opponent of attacking Eli and solely placing blame on him during and after a Giants loss.

This embarrassing loss to the Vikings, is not just Eli's fault.  The coaching staff, secondary and receivers also bare the brunt.

My friends and foes are quick to remind me that the Giants were never supposed to be in such a good position to begin with and I do take solace in that.

However, today's thrashing is as commonplace as the price of gas increasing.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how this year was different for the Giants and a drop-off was ill-advised.

I can no longer make that claim.

Next week's game against the Bears will make or break the season.

It didn't have to be this way.

From the second Lawrence Tynes kicked the ball out of bounds, I knew this game was going to go in the Vikings favor.  The terrible flailing of the arms by Aaron Ross confirmed that on the Vikings second play.  I don't know how or why the Vikings are where they currently are, but I was petrified of their O & D lines all week long.

The Giants receivers were never in sync with Eli and when they were, the ball bounced off their chest or hands. 

Furthermore, I am convinced that there will be no more deep ball with the Giants this year due to Plaxico's injury.  The Giants are a smash-mouth, deep ball team and right now they are neither.

The pass rush was there all game long for the G-Men, but again when Umenyoria slapped the ball out of Jackson's hands and the Giants failed to recover, I knew this game was lost.  There were numerous 3rd and whatever's but Jackson ran out of them.  Us Giant fans always have flashbacks to the SF play-off game w/ Jeff Garcia runnning wild.

Finally, the Giants coaches never adapted the gameplan to compensate for the Vikings relentless rush.  Eli is to blame for his poor decisions, but he was constantly put into no win situations.  He threw in when his recievers looked out and so on and so forth.

I now agree with others that Eli will never be a top-tier QB in this league. 

I had hoped that his brother would have taught him something every off-season, but it doesn't show.  This season has been waiting for him to have a break-out game, but he has failed to produce.  He belongs in a dungeon with other middle of the pack QB's who have failed such as Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck, Daunte Culpepper, Chad Pennington, David Carr, Jake Delhomme, Donovan McNabb, etc.  He progresses and regresses and if the Giants were not fighting for a Wild-Card spot and if his last name was not Mannning, he would be facing a benching...not another squeaky win or shaky decision.  The rich bounty that the Giants gave up for him also plays a factor in all this loyalty.

I don't regret taking him over Roethlisberger or Rivers.  Please remember that Roethisberger went 9- for 22 in the Superbowl for the lowest yards and completions in a Superbowl.  He stinks too.

As embarrassed as I am to be a Giant fan, I am what I am.  I never did expect them to do this well this season and save Coughlin's job.  I did repress a meltdown that has now come, but the champion this year is equitable to death.  Both are predictable and the Patriots make the great teams look pretty mediocre.