Mac flak didn’t mean jack: TE
Yes, Evan Engram heard it. No, he was not upset by it.
Former Giants coach Ben McAdoo, three days before he was fired, was asked what Engram needed to do to get out of his rookie slump.
“I believe he needs to catch the damn ball.’’ McAdoo said. “And I believe he will catch the ball.’’
When the McAdoo quote circulated on social media, it was met with widespread scorn from fans, who viewed it as too harsh. Engram did not see it that way.
“It was really plain and simple: I just had to catch the rock,’’ Engram told The Post. “That’s why I respect Ben. He pushed me. Held me to a high standard. I put that in the tank when I go to work. I respect that. I didn’t see any backlash from that. I saw it, he told me straight up, I just had to lock in on some basic, small things. It’s my job to run around and catch the ball. Dropping balls is me not doing my job. Had to make some corrections and make some plays.’’
Engram was back in form last Sunday at Oakland: seven receptions (on eight targets) for 99 yards and one touchdown, including a brilliant one-handed grab for a 24-yard completion. He was one of the only visibly shaken players after McAdoo was fired.
“It’s tough, it’s real tough,’’ Engram said. “Coach Mac, I respect the heck out of him, owe him a lot in helping me transition and come in and teaching me. We still got four games left, so it’s weird coming in, and we got to keep focused, keep working. That’s just me learning how things work in this league. I was praying for Ben, but we got to keep moving. He would want us to be focused and locked in on Dallas.’’
Jason Pierre-Paul will play wearing a heavy wrap on his permanently disfigured right hand. The Giants really do not know how to play without him. JPP has played 92 percent of the defensive snaps this season, the most of any defensive end in the league other than the Saints’ CamJordan. … The Cowboys will welcome back Sean Lee, their best linebacker, who missed the past three games with a strained hamstring.
What has this season been like? “Like a roller coaster, man,’’ Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said. But wait: Doesn’t a roller coaster go up and down?
“This roller coaster had more downs than it had ups,’’ he said. “The last four [games], you can kind of put a better taste in people’s mouths by going out there and, I can’t say play harder because we’re playing hard, we’re just not winning. Finish with wins against the teams we have left, I would say that would be a big thing.’’
With Steve Spagnuolo expanding his defensive coordinator duties as the interim head coach, safeties coach Dave Merritt will take on more responsibility, though Spagnuolo will make the defensive calls in this game.
“I think he would excel,’’ safety Andrew Adams said of Merritt. “He’s very smart, he knows the defense in and out, he would definitely excel at that role, he’s excited to take on that role and he’ll do well.’’