N.Y. Giants: Head Coach Reads and Reacts to Deficiency in Coaching Ranks

From the desk: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

JUDGE RENDERS HIS DECISION

That settles it ... Joe Judge has an ally in me.  

I previously said that I would wait till after the season to pass judgment.  But with the defense surprising everyone, the offense progressively coming around, and the head coach taking a member of his staff to task, I'm sold.

Marc Colombo is now the former offensive line coach of the Giants.  After a heated discussion with Joe Judge, the Giants' first-year head coach fired him in a move Judge claims is both in the short and long-term interests of the team.  Colombo is the former offensive line coach of the Dallas Cowboys who came to the Giants at Wayne Garrett's behest.  Mind you, Colombo at Dallas was handed an already heavily invested and talented offensive line.  Where did that get them ...

Apparently, Joe Judge over the last four weeks has been taking a more active role in coaching up the offensive line.  If that was not perceived as an affront by Marc Colombo, then perhaps hiring the more familiar Dave DeGuglielmo as an assistant offensive line coach was.  Said another way, Colombo was never a Joe Judge guy, to begin with.  It's evident, now, Judge's lack of confidence in Colombo inspired him to take proactive measures.

What has transpired on the field in recent weeks makes much more sense when framed in this context.  If you're down with DO IT FOR THE DUKE, then you know I've been harping on the running game since Week One.  After failing to breach 100 yards in their first three games and four of the first five, the Giants have now rushed for 100+ yards in five consecutive games and six of their last seven.  In fact, they've now exceeded 150+ yards in two straight games and three times in their last four (twice against PHI and once against WAS).  They now are out-rushing their opponents this season by a slim +96 yard differential and rank 14th in rushing attempts, 16th in yards per game, and 11th in total yards gained.  Looking back, it indeed seems as if the rushing turnaround is the result of Joe Judge's intervention.

A man with conviction, a head coach with broad oversight, and laser-focused superintendence, I like it.

Left guard Will Hernandez contracting the corona-virus also created another development - namely playing time for Matt Peart and Shane Lemieux who have been rotating with Andrew Thomas on the left side.  Andrew Thomas, of course, was handed the starting left tackle position right out of the draft and struggled early.  However, he likewise has put together a series of sound performances in recent weeks.  

It begs the question: can this be chalked up to coincidence, playing experience through ten games, or did Joe Judge realize his offensive line was in the hands of an unqualified coach?