Storyline: Replacing Tom Coughlin, two-time Super Bowl and future Hall of Fame coach, won’t be easy. Coughlin took the blame for the Giants’ bad showing in ’15. Ben McAdoo may experience a short honeymoon, but it won’t last long in this football-crazed area. Written by Pete Lillo, Whitehouse Station, NJ
The die was cast two years ago when Giants principal owner John Mara and his co-partner, Jonathan Tisch, hired former Packer quarterback coach, Ben McAdoo. The Giants were one year removed from their fourth Super Bowl Championship, and former OC, Kevin Gilbride, had lost his luster with the front office. McAdoo, never a NFL coordinator, did something else–coach the greatest quarterback at his position (in my estimation), Aaron Rodgers.
Courtesy: corner.bigblueinteractive.com
Giants fans should have seen this one coming. After McAdoo arrived many deemed him as Coughlin’s heir apparent–despite owner John Mara’s statements to the contrary. But the fact is that McAdoo interviewed hours after the former two-time Super Bowl winning coach decided to leave.
The Giants also interviewed five other candidates, including Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who seemed like a long-shot choice at best. Other candidates had head coaching experience: former Falcons head man, Mike Smith, and former Bills coach, Doug Marrone. Marrone had a “very good interview,” according to those close to the Giants. But cynically thinking, as most fans do, interviewing other candidates might have been window dressing for a team that doesn’t like to upset the apple cart.
McAdoo, who also interviewed earlier in the week with the Eagles, reportedly impressed Philadelphia’s brass. So, if the Giants wanted him, they’d have to move quickly or lose McAdoo to their turnpike rivals.
But it’s difficult to distance McAdoo from issues the Giants experienced during the ’15 season. Consider lapses in judgment at the end of the Dallas game to start the season, the same pattern emerging subsequently in the Falcons’ loss, and the 4th-and-1 “go for it” decision against the Jets. How do you explain those calls? In post-game press conferences Coughlin said “the calls had already been made.” What does that tell Giants’ fans? If the head coach didn’t make the calls then they must been made by Ben McAdoo.
Giants’ co-owners, John Mara (left) and Steve Tisch (mentalfloss.com)
Coughlin, who’s not one to take a back seat to anyone, didn’t make the McAdoo hire and he hadn’t asked management for a change at the OC position. But John Mara and co-partner Jonathan Tisch warned the team after last season that changes would be coming if the team didn’t turn things around and make the Playoffs. At Coughlin’s press conference Mara said that “the team has lost a little bit of credibility and we need to get that back.”
While Mara and Tisch kept their word, the only change made was at head coach. There was always talk that Tisch wanted Coughlin gone after last season, but Mara overruled him–so the story goes–because Mara’s father, Wellington Mara, had hired Coughlin 12 years earlier.
Courtesy: nydailynews.com
In his quest to become head man McAdoo was certainly helped by quarterback Eli Manning. On his weekly WFAN sports radio spot Eli said that he had a “good working relationship” with McAdoo, that he has the same ideas about how to run the offense, and that he could see him as a head coach.
In ’15 the Giants ended up 8th in total offense. Manning had his best year, statistically, throwing for 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. A marked improvement over the last two seasons, the progression is mostly due to McAdoo’s system. But, despite Eli’s endorsement, you could also tell the QB was upset that his coach (and father figure) was shown the door.
But that he was. So McAdoo is now the head coach and it’s reported that Steve Spagnuolo will remain as Defensive Coordinator. The biggest surprise is that GM Jerry Reese gets to keep his job. The only other change will be to replace McAdoo as OC. Reports had it that former Miami Dolphins coach, Joe Philbin, would get that position. McAdoo and Philbin were on the Packers’ staff together. But Philbin bypassed the Giants to become the Colts’ assistant head coach/O-Line coach. So now there’s talk that Giants will promote from within, likely tabbing Mike Sullivan, the QB coach, as OC.
Giants GM Jerry Reese is on the hot seat. (nydailynews.com)
What does it all mean? Giants’ fans have a lot to ponder over the next few months. They may be happy that McAdoo was hired, given that the team scored a lot of points in most of the games this season. But the Giants also lost many close battles at the end of games.
One of the problems is team talent. GM Reese, who hasn’t had a great draft class in years, needs to step it up, including signing free agents who can contribute to the team immediately. And, despite the fact that Mara loves Steve Spagnuolo, the team was dead last in defense this season.
The jury is out. It’s going to be hard replacing a two-time Super Bowl and future Hall of Fame coach. He’s the one who took the blame–nobody else on this staff lost a job. So McAdoo has very big shoes to fill. He may get short honeymoon with the fans, but that won’t last long in this football crazed area.
Only one thing matters: Get back to The Super Bowl and win a 5th Lombardi Trophy.
