What the hell is wrong with the Giants?
Q: What the heck happened to the offense?
A: Nothing, really. This was a bad offensive team in 2016 and that was with Odell Beckham Jr. doing all sorts of wonderful things. Without him, there is not much to fall back on. The front office anticipated development from offensive tackles Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart, both 23 years old. It has not happened, especially so with Flowers, and as a result the entire offensive flow is disrupted.
Q: Who is to blame?
A: It is always up to the players to get the job done. Flowers is responsible for his own poor performance, but the Giants are also complicit in believing he is a bona fide NFL left tackle. That was not a view shared by the majority of the league when Flowers was drafted in 2015. The Giants thought otherwise. At this point, the league is correct and the Giants are left with a highly drafted player bringing them down.
Q: Flowers gave up three sacks to Ziggy Ansah. Why didn’t the Giants simply put a tight end or extra offensive lineman on the left side to help Flowers?
A: “We talked about giving him more help,’’ Ben McAdoo said of early in the game, but he figured he needed to give Justin Pugh, moved outside to right tackle, extra blocking help and it is impossible to provide that help to both tackles on opposite sides of the line. “When they’re playing cover two and you give help to both sides, you have three guys running routes and you have seven in coverage, that makes it a challenge.’’ Translation: If you keep seven guys in to block, there are only three receivers running routes. Good point. Still, sitting back and allowing Ansah to dominate Flowers was not the answer.
Q: Can the Giants bench Flowers and play someone else?
A: Well … it’s complicated. The only other left tackle on the roster is rookie Chad Wheeler, undrafted out of USC. He has great size but is not ready. The best option is probably Justin Pugh, but then there is a hole at left guard. On the outside, trades are difficult and unlikely. GM Jerry Reese should put in a call to San Francisco GM John Lynch to ask about Joe Staley, 33, a solid veteran who will not be part of the 49ers’ rebuilding plans.
Q: McAdoo calls the offensive plays. Is that unusual?
A: No. There are 18 NFL head coaches who got the job based on their offensive expertise. Of those 18, 13 call their own plays.
Q: What was the deal with Odell Beckham Jr. Monday night?
A: Beckham did what he could. He was on the field for 34 of the 56 offensive snaps, was targeted for passes five times and caught four of them, for 36 yards. Dealing with a still-balky ankle, he was a possession receiver and did not have his normal burst. Beckham will be sore today. He knew he could not perform up to his usual standards and the Giants were smart with him, using him for 61 percent of the snaps.
Q: Where do the Giants go from here?
A: To Philly. Lincoln Financial Field is a house of horrors for the Giants, who have lost three straight and four of their last five at the Linc. The Eagles have a more formidable pass rush than the Cowboys and Lions, meaning it will be open season on Eli Manning.