He fits right in
New Giants OL has known nothing but losing in long career
He knows, and is able to recite, every lousy record, one after another, in painstaking detail. John Greco is an expert on losing.
“My two best seasons were 7-9,’’ Greco recounted to The Post on Tuesday. “I think I was 2-14, 1-15, 7-9 and then there were a couple of years where we won maybe four games, f ive games, and then 7-9. I think I had a three-win season and then last year, obviously, one.’’
The “one’’ was last season’s 1-15 record with the Browns, the ninth NFL campaign for Greco, the ninth losing season, the ninth year with no playoffs. Greco, signed last week by the Giants, joined a team with a great tradition (four Super Bowls triumphs) and a terrible record (1-8). The Giants are 1-0 since he arrived, though, so maybe things are looking up for him.
“I’ve managed to stil l remain on rosters and front offices don’t consider me kind of the bad-luck charm, so I’m happy about that,’’ Greco said.
Picked up for insurance to fill a backup role, Greco, 32, could be in line for a promotion this week. D.J. Fluker is walking around with a boot on his right foot aand the toe injury he sustained in the 12-9 victory over the Chiefs will keep him out of the Thanksgiving night game against the Redskins at FedEx Field. The Giants need a new starting right guard. The options are Greco, Bobby Hart (thet former right tackle, whwho was benched) and Jon Halapio, a first-year ppl ayer and former practice-squad member with four games of NFL experience, almost exclusively on special teams.
Greco is so new on the scene it is likely the Giants coaching s t aff will opt to look elsewhere, even though he has 70 NFL starts on his résumé. He said he has picked up the terminology and is convinced he can get the job done working between center Brett Jones and new right tackle Chad Wheeler.
“He had to work hard to get familiar with our terminology,’’ Ben McAdoo said. “He’s a bright young man. He’s picked it up fairly quickly.’’
McAdoo was reminded of Greco’s age.
“Not such a young man,’’ McAdoo said.
The football gods blessed Gr eco with longevity, but ignored him as far as bestowing team success upon him.
As a third-round pick out of Toledo, Greco arrived in St. Louis to a Rams team in shambles. After his third season, Greco was traded to the Browns for a seventhround draft pick, allowing him to return to his home state of Ohio. In 2012 he became a full-time starter as the Browns continued to be full-time losers.
He got close enough to reach out and grab a playoff spot, but it slipped through his fingers, as in the final game of the 2010 season, the Rams (6-9) and Seahawks (6-9) met with the NFC West title on the line. The Seahawks won 16-6 and Greco was denied.
“It was a do or die, win and get in,’’ Greco said. “That was the closest I’ve been to the playoffs.’’
In 2014 the Browns were winning, until they were not.
“We were 5-2 and we were 7-4 and we lost our last five,’’ Greco said. “We were rolling and Brian Hoyer gets hurt and for whatever reason we lost our last five. Yeah.’’
Greco went 10-38 with the Rams and 24-72 with the Browns, yet he has survived. “If it’s not going the right way you don’t want to be the reason,’’ he said. “Whoever looks at the tape at the end of the year, you want them to look at you and say ‘ We can win with this guy.’ ’’ His timing is not exactly impeccable. He spent a month this season with the Saints and they went 5-0 before he was released without playing a single snap. Now the Saints are 8-2 and riding an eight-game winning streak, but Greco is not a part of the joyride.
“Haven’t had a lot of success,’’ Greco said. “Honestly, until I got to New Orleans, I wasn’t used to that.’’
If anyone is an expert on the sights and sounds of a losing team, it is Greco. He said he does not see or hear the signs of losing with the Giants.
“In Cleveland it was a different situation, they were trying to find that identity, to find that winning season, to find the right formula,’’ Greco sai d. “Here, t hi s season is something new. They’re not used to it. It’s been interesting to step in here and see that the guys are still fighting, that there’s no quit.’’