Mara faces tough call on Coughlin

In the wake of back-to-back collapses that have the Giants' playoff hopes teetering, John Mara might have a difficult decision to make once the regular season ends: Keep Tom Coughlin as coach, or fire him after a second consecutive late-season meltdown?

Coughlin, of course, can make it easy on the Giants' president and co-owner, who has the final say on the coach's fate.

If the Giants beat the Redskins and get the help they need from the Bears to reach the playoffs, there's really no decision at all: Coughlin stays by getting the Giants to the postseason for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

But if the Giants lose and are eliminated - or even if they beat the Redskins and don't get in because the Packers beat the Bears - Mara might need to find a different leader.

It's not an easy call.

Sure, fans who think Coughlin has outlived his usefulness with the Giants would be overjoyed to see the seventh-year coach fired. A growing faction of those fans is convinced that the team's late-season collapse is directly linked to Coughlin's stewardship.

After blowing a 31-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter in a 38-31 loss to the Eagles, then turning in a humiliating performance by the defense and a turnover-plagued showing by the offense in a 45-17 loss to the Packers, the Giants certainly have given Mara cause to consider a change.

But first things first. Let's see what happens against Washington and whether the Giants can summon the effort they showed for 52 minutes against the Eagles in a game that essentially would decide the NFC East title.

If the Giants show that type of transcendent performance, and if they can get help from other NFC teams in playoff contention, Coughlin will have earned the right to fend off the Bill Cowher-to-the-Giants rumors and continue on into the 2011 season.

If not, Mara needs to at least consider whether to make a change. But trust me when I tell you: The man who inherited the franchise's leadership role from his late father, Wellington, is not about to make a change simply for change's sake.

Mara is keenly aware of the fans' frustration, but he learned from his father and from former Giants general manager George Young, whose patient building process helped lift the franchise after nearly two decades of failure, that you don't stick your finger in the air, see which way the wind is blowing in terms of fan sentiment, and make decisions based on what might appear to be the popular choice.

But the occasionally hot-tempered owner is not averse to change if he believes it's required. Consider: Shortly after the Giants, once 6-2, finished off the 2009 season at 8-8, a red-faced Mara walked into the press room and fired off a few rockets in frustration.

"This is probably as disappointed as I've ever been in my life at this team, given the expectations that we had this year, given the roster I thought we had and given the way we started out, given the embarrassment of the last two weeks," he said after back-to-back losses of 41-9 to the Panthers and 44-7 to the Vikings. "I'm disappointed in everything, I'm unhappy at everybody. It is just not acceptable to perform like that."

Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan promptly was fired along with the rest of the defensive staff. Coughlin survived and had the opportunity to hire a new defensive coordinator in Perry Fewell. But after these last two weeks, you wonder if Mara now will target Coughlin.

He doesn't want to, but he will if he believes it's in the best interests of the franchise. What he must be convinced of first, however, is that there is a better alternative out there.

Cowher? He is the popular choice, but he has the same number of Super Bowl wins as Coughlin (one) and also has had his share of regular-season and playoff disappointments.

And don't forget this: No NFL coach has ever won a Super Bowl with one team and gone on to win another with a different team. Look no further than Mike Shanahan's struggles as Redskins coach as the latest example of a big name failing to deliver big results.

One more potential complication with Cowher: He runs a 3-4 defense, which would require a major - and potentially expensive - restructuring of a roster whose talent is tailored to a 4-3 alignment.

John Fox? He once was the preferred choice to replace Jim Fassel, but the Panthers got to him first. But he now presides over a 2-13 team in disarray. You want to sell that to Giants fans?

Jon Gruden? Style over substance?

Hire a young coordinator? You're just as apt to get the next Josh McDaniels as you are the next Raheem Morris.

Any way you look at it, not an easy call. That's why Mara hopes Coughlin can make the decision for him.

A convincing win over the Redskins, with a playoff berth as the reward, and Mara has his answer.

Anything less, and all bets are off.