Apple: It’s not on me

The head coach sees it. “Early in the game, Eli [Apple] is getting attacked,’’ Ben McAdoo said.

The second-year cornerback said he does not see it.

“It’s not a matter of teams just coming at me early,’’ Apple said. “And if that is the case, I welcome it, to be honest.’’

Tucked into this disappointing Giants season have been disappointing performances from several players, which is how a team gets to 0-4. Count Apple in that group, as this season so far has been a regression from the end of his rookie year. He has been beaten over the top and failed to make plays on the ball, leading to touchdowns for the opponent but not much head-scratching from Apple.

“I know anytime something does happen, I take the approach that I didn’t really give it up, kind of,’’ Apple said. “It was just something that I did, that I made a mistake. It wasn’t, ‘The dude was just better than me.’ I never think that on the football field. So, anytime I line up on the football field, I have 100 percent confidence, no matter what.’’

This week’s challenge: speedster Travis Benjamin and a pair of big receivers, Keenan Allen and Tyrell Williams.

The massive drop-off in the Giants’ run defense is so startling because essentially, these are the same players as last season, other than defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, now with the Colts.

“Anytime you lose a player like Hankins … but, it’s not any one person,’’ Damon “Snacks” Harrison said. “It’s a collective group effort. I think guys are just thinking too much, myself included. We just have to get back to playing relentless football — flying around and making plays and having fun.’’ For one snap last week at Tampa Bay, DE Kerry Wynn got to relive his childhood football memories. The 6-foot-5, 264-pound Wynn lined up at fullback on the Buccaneers’ 2-yard line as Eli Manning tossed to Rhett Ellison for a touchdown.

“It’s like a D-lineman’s dream, to play fullback and relive those days when you were in high school playing both ways,’’ Wynn said. “Pretty fun.’’

Asked about using Wynn on offense, McAdoo said: “You got me to smile. Kerry Wynn is one of the better strikers we have on the team, especially on special teams when you see him in space. And we thought that’s a good skill to use for the fullback position.”