McAdoo passes plays to Sullivan
DENVER — The Giants unveiled a big change Sunday night, as offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan took over the playcalling duties from head coach Ben McAdoo against the Broncos.
McAdoo has been under fire for the way this season has gone down the tubes and this is his most dramatic move to date as far as altering his usual course of action. McAdoo called the plays for two seasons as the offensive coordinator working for Tom Coughlin and called the plays in 2016, McAdoo’s first year as an NFL head coach. McAdoo also called the plays for the first five games this season before ceding the job to Sullivan for the Giants’ 23-10 win over the Broncos.
Anyone who knows McAdoo also knows how linked he is to his play-chart. Desperate times call for desperate actions, though, and the move was made.
Sullivan, a longtime offensive assistant under Coughlin, has experience calling plays in the NFL for two years as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. He made his Giants play-calling debut against a Broncos team that happened to have the league’s top-rated defense.
By giving up the play-calling, McAdoo no doubt wanted to give the offense a different voice and also get his head out from under his large play-chart in order to better manage the entire in-game operation.
Sullivan called the plays from the sideline. McAdoo told the NBC TV crew the
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie suspension was the result of “four separate incidents.’’… Rookie LB Calvin Munson was forced out in the first half with a calf injury.
S Landon Collins was able to start despite missing time during the week with a sprained ankle. … The Giants went with their fifth different starting offensive line configuration in six games. Jus
tin Pugh moved outside to start at right tackle, as Bobby Hart was sent to the bench. D.J. Fluker again was at right guard, John Jerry started at left guard and Brett Jones made his second NFL start at center, replacing Weston Rich
burg (concussion). Ereck Flowers, the only lineman to start all six games at the same spot, was at left tackle. … LB
Keenan Robinson made his first start of the season, replacing injured Jonathan Casillas.
WR Brandon Marshall, 33, is out for the season following ankle stabilization surgery. He says he wants to return to the Giants (he has one year left on his contract) and continue his NFL career.
“I’m a competitor, and I don’t want to go out like that,” Marshall told ESPN. “I’m definitely not going out like that.”
Marshall had 18 catches for 154 yards and no touchdowns this season before getting injured during a Week 5 loss to the Chargers.
You know it is a bad situation when a team knows its seven inactive players before boarding the flight. The Giants on Friday declared six injured players out for the game: DE Olivier Vernon, WR Sterling Shepard, RB Paul Per
kins, DE Romeo Okwara, Casillas and Richburg.