The New York Giants are going “soft” days after releasing their toughest player

There were mixed emotions in the New York Giants locker room Sunday night after a 30-7 drubbing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Some players were gloomy. Others were angry.

Different emotions aside, a similar message was shared: the team had been “softened” in front of their hometown fans.

“We played soft and they beat the (expletive) out of us today,” nose tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “We missed a lot of tackles, we didn’t have Baker (Mayfield) playing well, we didn’t cover well, it’s soft for me.”

The Giants have been many things in recent seasons, but “soft” was never one of them. Still, you can’t argue with Lawrence’s assessment, especially when that view was shared by several of his teammates.

“Soft as (expletive),” rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers said.

The timing of this fold is remarkable. It comes just days after the Giants agreed to release quarterback Daniel Jones, who for all his faults was never described as “soft.” On the contrary, many will admit that DJ was the team’s toughest player.

Even down 30-7 in the fourth quarter, Jones was the type to turn the corner, lower his shoulder and level an opposing defender. It was a trait that earned the respect of his teammates – something they often raved about during his tenure.

Regardless of whether benching and subsequently releasing Jones was the right move, it was a decision that did not sit well with many in the locker room.

Head coach Brian Daboll had hoped to counter that by starting Tommy DeVito on Sunday, who he expected to provide a “spark.” It wasn’t for lack of effort on DeVito’s part, but the fallout from Jones’ benching and release started earlier this week.

Multiple reports suggested the team lacked energy early in Wednesday’s practice, and that naturally carried over into the game. Without their offensive captain and his grit, the Giants wilted.

“I personally don’t think everybody gives 100 percent,” offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said. via ESPN.

The handling of Jones isn’t the only reason the Giants played “soft” on Sunday, but if you think it didn’t affect the players, you’re kidding yourself. And the result speaks for itself.