MAC’S SMACK TALK
BOLD BEN SAYS COUNT US OUT, IF YOU DARE
Ben McAdoo is absolutely correct about this:
“A lot of people are counting us out, and so be it,’’ the Giants coach said Wednesday.
His team is 0-2, and his offense has scored fewer points and run for fewer yards than any team in the NFL. Confidence in him, and his ability to yank his team out of its offe n - s ive malaise, is at an alltime low. Yes, indeed, people are counting the Giants out, doubt which McAdoo is sure to use on his battered team this week.
“It’s good to have an edge,’’ he said. “I think working with an edge motivates a little bit more.’’
There is no way to know what that edge will do for the Giants on Sunday, when they look to reclaim their season against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
“We’ll f ind out,’’ McAdoo said. “Great place to play. Tough place to play.’’
Everything has been tough on the Giants when it comes to moving the ball, running the ball, passing the ball and getting it into the end zone. This is historically bad offense produced by M cA doo’ s Giants. They have not reached 20 points in eight consecutive games, and you have to go back to the quite-bad (6-10) 1978 team to f ind a longer streak (11 games). This is the first time in franchise history the Giants lost the first two games of a season by more than 14 points. That is what happens when an offense produces 13 points in two games.
McAdoo said this week he is considering giving up the play-calling — it would go to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan.
“We’ ll see ,’’ M cA do os aid when asked if he will call the plays in Philadelphia t his weekend. He added it is his decision and general manager Jerry Reese is not involved in it.
Not that there will be any major announcement if McAdoo opts to hand the playchart to Sullivan.
“No, I would never tell you that,’’ McAdoo said. Sullivan called the plays for two years running the Buccaneers’ offense and did
it this summer in the preseason. He also often calls plays during practice, allowing McAdoo to have a better overview of the entire field.
“Besides me, I don’t know if anybody would notice who’s calling the plays,’’ Eli Manning said. “I don’t think it’s the playcalling that’s been the problem, I think it’s the execution.’’
Playing with an edge is not about wild-eyed ferocity.
“You can’t play like a crazy person but you can play smarter, pay more attention to detail, to the little things that get you ahead,’’ safety Landon Collins said.
Manning has been sacked eight times in the first two games, and his offensive line is under f ire, especially left tackle Ereck Flowers.
“Got great confidence in these guys, they know they got a great test in front of them, Eagles defensive line is one of the best in the league,’’ Manning said. “I got great confidence in them, they’ll do the job.’’
Asked if he has seen any signs his offensive linemen are getting down about the performance thus far this season, M cA do os aid, “What do feelings have to do with it? We need to go out and execute.’’
Manning is no stranger to losing the first two game sofa season — this is the fourth time in the last five years he has started out 0-2. Manning hopes the lesson of the 2007 season — 0-2 all the way to
the Super Bowl — can resonate with this year’s team.
“You got to believe going through tough times will make you stronger as a team, but you got to get through ’em,’’ Manning said. “Hopefully we kind of hit the rough patch and we’ll work ourselves out of it.’’