Will this Season be it for Coughlin?

Will this be Tom Coughlin's last season in New York? TGI's top writers battle it out...

Paul Schwartz: So you want to know if this will be Tom Coughlin's last year at the helm of the Giants? Leave it to Kenny to jump ahead to the final act when the curtain has barely gone up for the start of training camp.

I know you're absolutely, positively, completely, 100 percent certain that Coughlin will crash and burn during a terrible season and he'll be sent packing with one year left on his contract. Well, good buddy, it's not that simple.

Since when is the NFL one of those leagues (see baseball) where you can count out numerous teams before they ever play a game? Teams deemed to be quite good routinely stink in the NFL and supposedly bad teams rise up and contend for the playoffs and sometimes actually get in.

There's something about these Giants that makes me think they are more than what they seem, that their division is not filled with world-beaters and that all their questions aren't quite as impossible to answer as they appear at first glance.

John Mara isn't looking for reasons to fire Coughlin; he's looking for reasons to keep him. That's why Coughlin was retained for this season and with better health, fewer injuries, a little good fortune and a softer schedule, it's not a stretch to imagine Coughlin at the helm in 2008.

Ken Palmer: Brace yourself, buddy, because I actually agree with you here. Like you said, it’s just a feeling I have that makes me think the Giants are going to be a surprise this season – and at least good enough that Coughlin will retain his job.

If he’s able to get them into the playoffs, even if it is a third straight one-and-done deal, he’ll definitely be back. But anything short of a disastrous four or five-win season and he’ll likely remain at the helm.

Agreed that the Maras do not want to fire Coughlin, but they obviously will if they have to. We’ve seen a bit of a difference in him so far this camp, which might just lead to a better rapport with his team. The talent is certainly in place here; the offense should score points in bunches.

And the basically new coaching staff has everyone in an optimistic mood. So, believe it or not, I agree that Coughlin’s going to do a good enough job this season and will be back on board in 2008. What kind of odds do you think we could have gotten on that? Better ask Tim Donaghy.