After a season of miscues, arguments with players, and poor execution, it was inevitable that New York would send defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan packing for the unemployment line.

That move happened late last night, and while there certainly is enough evidence to warrant Sheridan’s dismissal, the message it’s sending to the Giants players could prove to be problematic in the future.

Most of the problems New York had defensively this year happened because the players on the field failed to execute properly, not because Sheridan called the wrong plays. The Giants were one of the least disciplined squads in the league this season, consistently out of place on key plays, allowing opponents to rack up big yards en route to the end zone.

Don’t get me wrong, Sheridan definitely has some culpability and in a league that places more accountability on coaches than it does on players, it’s no surprise that the Giants went in this direction.

But in letting Sheridan walk while the players who failed to execute stick around, New York may have opened themselves up to more trouble in the future, especially if their inconsistent play carries on into next season.