Bill Sheridan was walking around the locker room Monday, shaking hands with the defensive players - not so much as a farewell as a form of thanks for battling through the season. Turns out he should have been saying goodbye. Sheridan was fired Monday after only one season as the Giants' defensive coordinator - a season in which his unit gave up 427 points, the second-most in team history, including games in which the Giants surrendered 31, 48, 40, 31, 45, 41 and 44 points. "The status quo is not acceptable on any level," team president John Mara said when asked if he'll demand changes to the coaching staff. "I'm not going to get into specific positions or anything like that, but we need to do something." Clearly, Mara was talking about Sheridan. And a little more than four hours later, the former linebackers coach was a former coordinator. The speculation on who will replace him began immediately, with names of experienced coaches such as !$!# Jauron and Romeo Crennel being bandied about - either because of their availability or their past connections with coach Tom Coughlin and/or the Giants. Jauron worked with Coughlin in Jacksonville, and Crennel was on Bill Parcells' staff. Other possibilities include Redskins defensive coordinator Jerry Gray and Dolphins linebackers coach George Edwards. Sheridan's dismissal would seem to have pleased defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who was unhappy with the way this season developed from when he left a preseason team meeting after being criticized by Sheridan to his demotion from a starting role to a pass-rush specialist after the Thanksgiving loss to the Broncos. But Umenyiora, who said last week he didn't want to see Sheridan lose his job, revealed Sunday night the supposed issues he had with Sheridan were overblown and inaccurate. "We were cool on a personal level," Umenyiora said by phone. "I don't think I'm the reason he got fired. The reason is obviously the way the defense played. Somebody had to be held accountable for that and he was the one they could pin that on. "Obviously, some of the players are going to be gone also. But first things first, and that's what they decided to do." Umenyiora also said Tom Coughlin, not Sheridan, was the one who was the driving force behind his being benched. "Ultimately, Tom Coughlin is in control of the team," Umenyiora said. "And if it was anybody's decision, it was Coach Coughlin's." As was the decision to fire Sheridan Monday. Coughlin didn't say much about Sheridan during his afternoon press conference, as he had yet to fire him. Three weeks ago, after the defense gave up 31 of the Eagles' 45 points, Coughlin had expressed complete confidence in Sheridan and his schemes and didn't hesitate in shooting down a question as to whether he would make an in-season change. It was more than schemes that were an issue for Sheridan. While the players publicly lauded his grasp of the Xs and Os, a few privately questioned his ability to motivate the way Steve Spagnuolo did for the previous two seasons. "I think he stepped into really big shoes, and we kind of looked at him as Spags," cornerback Terrell Thomas said Monday before Sheridan was fired. "We were so spoiled, in my opinion, because (Spagnuolo) came in and brought toughness and really a concept of defense. The identity changed when he left, just a little bit, because Coach Sheridan has his own ways of coaching."
Nothing like watching Sheriden drop Tuck into pass coverage they need a hands on guy like Spags was for them.
