Rebuilding in the NFL is hard. In fact, rebuilding in any professional sports league is hard. It typically starts with a lot of losing and needs to be followed by a lot of really smart decision-making. The New York Giants have mastered the first step of that equation, but are dramatically failing with the second part.

While there’s more than one person worthy of blame when it comes to the Giants’ disaster-filled 2021 season, you’d be foolish not to start with second-year head coach Joe Judge.

Joe Judge has been an awful head coach thus far

If you’re a Giants fan and you’re sick of watching this team, rest easy knowing that they’re making major progress in ways that don’t ever translate in any way, shape, or form to the football field on gameday https://t.co/Pen7jTDYHh

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) January 2, 2022

Young head coaches all around the NFL are thriving. Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals just clinched a playoff spot, and Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t too far behind. Brandon Staley is another young name who is having success (LA Chargers).

With multiple first and second-year coaches having success, there are zero reasons to pull punches when assessing Joe Judge and what he’s done with the New York Giants during his two seasons. He’s been terrible.

The Giants went 6-10 in 2020 and were only in the playoff picture due to a miserable NFC East. They’re currently 4-12 this season, likely set to finish 4-13 as they continue to give in to a late-season tank job.

The Giants offense is lethargic, the defense undisciplined, and the special teams aren’t very special. Few young players have developed under Judge’s watch, and multiple veterans have regressed. At every step of the way, Judge has been a downright disaster of a hire.

The Giants need to part ways with their struggling HC

The Giants are a terribly coached football team. Prove me wrong.

— David Canter (@davidcanter) January 2, 2022

Current Giants general manager Dave Gettleman appears to have one foot out the door at the moment. After stacking together multiple losing seasons (combined with numerous lousy draft picks and bad contracts), Giants’ ownership finally seems prepared to send him packing.

However, there’s been far greater reluctance regarding Judge’s future. In fact, most reports are signaling the Giants’ desire to keep Joe Judge for another season along with former first-round pick Daniel Jones.

Ten total wins throughout two seasons is apparently good enough for New York’s ownership. In reality, they need to send Judge packing as soon as tomorrow.

The Giants likely need to commit to another rebuild

Joe Judge (amid 10+ minute rant) said that there are players that were on the #Giants last year that have been calling him saying "how much they wish they were still here even though they’re getting paid more someone else.” #Giants

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) January 2, 2022

At this point, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Judge magically transforms into a winning head coach during his third season. His schemes are bland and vanilla, and it looks like he has trouble connecting with players and assistant coaches — his frequent rude retorts and odd comments to the media signal as much.

The Giants need to tear this thing down again. They need a new general manager, a new head coach, and most likely a new quarterback. Keeping Judge around any longer is simply putting off the inevitable — he’s not an NFL-caliber HC.

Will a four-win season be enough to convince Giants’ ownership to make a change? Only time will tell. However, their Week 18 loss to the Chicago Bears (29-3) was one of the worst performances by an NFL team all season — it’s abundantly clear change needs to happen sooner rather than later.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.