USA TODAY International Edition
Offense could be McAdoo’s downfall
A proclamation made by New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese 27 months ago now serves as the most critical piece of evidence for ownership to consider when evaluating the uncertain future of Ben McAdoo as head coach.
“If you don’t score 28 (points per game) in this league, it’s hard to win,” Reese boldly stated in his training camp news conference on Aug. 2, 2015, back when the Giants expected to do that with regularity.
“Those 14-10 games, there are not a lot of those games left around the National Football League in light of how the rules favor the offense mostly, how the rules are made now. So you have to score points.”
In the 44 games since, spanning Tom Coughlin’s final season as head coach and McAdoo’s first 28 games as his successor, the Giants have hit 28 points just eight times.
It’s a staggering condemnation of an offense, despite its flaws, that has for the most part failed to get out of its own way. In a league where high-scoring affairs are commonplace, the Giants are essentially as productive as a grind-it-out unit from the good ol’ days.
And make no mistake: This is about the offensive system, not necessarily the offense.
More than numerous other factors, from personality and uncomfortable growing pains to discipline, leadership and everything in between, that could be what turns out to be McAdoo’s downfall as head coach.
Because the Giants can’t decide they need a new offense and keep the man who took the lead in building that offense in charge of the whole show.
The Giants (2-9) had just 47 yards of total offense in the second half of Thursday night’s 20-10 loss to the Redskins, and 27 yards of that came on one completion from Eli Manning to Tavarres King in mop-up time.
Asked about the offense overall after the game, McAdoo said: “It wasn’t very good.”
No, it certainly was not.
At this point, though, it’s unfair to judge the Giants’ offense solely by the product that went out there at FedEx Field on Thanksgiving Night. We know this current unit is a shell of its former self personnel-wise. Take Odell Beckham Jr. out of any offense and a dip is likely unavoidable.
But the offensive futility has persisted with or without Beckham on the field, with or without Brandon Marshall or Victor Cruz, with or without Sterling Shepard.
Going back to the start of 2016, when McAdoo took over as head coach, the Giants are second to last in the NFL in points per game. Only the Cleveland Browns, winless this season, are worse. They’re last in the NFL in explosive plays, 30th in yards per game and 31st in third down percentage.
The Giants have not scored 30 points since Coughlin’s last game as head coach in the Week 17 regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. They have not scored more than 24 points in 17 consecutive games, playoffs included.
No one should discount the injuries to Beckham, Marshall and Shepard, but the offensive struggles predate their being on the sideline.
When McAdoo was hired by Coughlin to be his offensive coordinator, his arrival was part of an edict from ownership that the Giants fix their “broken” offense. Kevin Gilbride’s offense was viewed as stale and outdated, and in calling for a more modern face lift, co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch celebrated the West Coast transition.
That was three seasons ago — four counting this current one — and the Giants’ offense is stuck in mud.
Judging by the results, both on the scoreboard and between the lines playto-play, it’s not unrealistic to expect the future of this offensive system – both schematically and production-wise play a major role in determining McAdoo’s fate heading into next season and beyond.
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McAdoo has tried his best to adapt, but only when circumstances seemingly forced his hand. He’s given up play calling to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan. Recognizing the offensive shortcomings, the Giants have done their best to slow down on that side of the ball, play to their defense and win ugly – or, as McAdoo likes to say, “Physical and heavy handed.”
That’s a short-term solution to what sure appears to be a fundamental problem.
Maybe an infusion of talent alters things for next season: a healthy Beckham and Shepard, a rebuilt offensive line, a refresh rather than a reboot.
But remember, the Giants have taken this kind of leap of faith before. That was on the heels of an 11-5 season and a playoff berth just last season. More of the same from the offense won’t be enough to fix things this time around.
And if that’s the case, it’s likely going to be the biggest reason why the Giants might have no choice to move on from McAdoo and start over again.