The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3. Giants fire coach, GM
As interim coach, Spagnuolo to decide if Manning returns.
With the team reeling at 2-10, the New York Giants fired coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese. Also, the NFL suspended New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski one game on Monday for a late, gratuitous hit to the head of Bills defensive back Tre’Davious White.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Believing the team was spiraling out of control, the New York Giants went out of character by making two major in-season moves, firing coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese.
With the team 2-10 in a season where most felt it was capable of challenging for a Super Bowl, co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch reached the decision Monday morning. It came less than a day after the Giants lost in Oakland, with quarterback Eli Manning benched and the offensively inept team performing poorly again.
“We agreed that wholesale changes to this organization needed to be made to get us back to the team we expect it to be,” Mara said at a news conference. “We also agreed it was pointless to wait any longer to make these changes.”
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will take over as interim coach. He coached the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11.
Mara did not say whether Manning will return as the starter this weekend against Dallas, saying it would be
Spagnuolo’s decision.
In a radio interview, Manning said he told Spagnuolo that he wants to start the last four games.
“I want to be out there and help us go win these four games,” Manning said. “I hope I’m out there on Sunday playing against the Cowboys.”
Mara said neither McAdoo nor Reese was surprised by the decision. He said his meeting with Reese was more emotional because the two had worked together since 1994.
“I don’t think there was any one final straw,” Mara said. “I just think that where we are as a franchise right now, you know, we’re 2-10. We’ve kind of been spiraling out of control. I just felt like we needed a complete overhaul. I don’t think there was any one event or one final act to precipitate that.”
Many felt the benching earlier last week of the wellliked Manning, the face of the franchise and a two-time Super Bowl MVP, was the deciding factor.
McAdoo also would have been subjected to howls from fans with three of the final four games at home, starting this weekend.
The moves come less than a year after the 40-year-old McAdoo ended a four-year Giants playoff drought in his first season, going 11-6. That record was aided in large part by Reese’s outstanding work in the free agent market that rebuilt the defense.
While the 2016 season ended in a loss to Green Bay in the wild-card game, this year was supposed to be better.
The offense was bolstered by signing receiver Brandon Marshall and drafting tight end Evan Engram in the first round. The defense was back with the exception of defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.
It fizzled from the start. The Giants lost their first five games, then injuries decimated the roster.
“This has been the perfect storm this season,” Mara said. “Everything that could have gone wrong this season has gone wrong.”
Assistant general manager Kevin Abrams is taking the top GM job an interim basis.