N.Y. Giants: Stop The Madness

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

On The Giants Way

New York Football Giants: With History and Experience as His Teacher, No Person Should Understand the Need for a Complete Rebuild Better Than John Mara.

My rooting interest in the Giants goes back more than 40-years.  Therefore I'm in no mood for being sold on false hope.  That's why I say back-to-back victories be damned.  Watching the Giants defeat the Niners and Buccaneers did nothing to sway my opinion.  An arguably gamely effort against the Eagles on Sunday only confirms my position.

I maintain the belief this team must finally commit to a full blown rebuild.  When a football team manages just six victories over their last 27 games, not only are major changes in order, reconciliation between emotions and opinion versus cold critical analysis and corrective action are prerequisite.

What I find slightly bewildering is that John Mara understands this.  He is a third-generation football man, born in a football world, raised by a football family.  He is a witness, and therefore knows exactly what both building and rebuilding sustained success entails.  He's been through this before and understands the process perfectly.  Yet, John Mara presently makes no clear distinction between rebuilding and retooling.  To be fair, John Mara's father was never burdened by costs involved with building a new stadium.  Thus when you consider Giants Football is indeed the family's primary business enterprise, calling for a full blown rebuild understandably poses a resistible proposition.  Nevertheless, I believe there's only one manner at this juncture in which Mr. Mara can correct this huge mistake, and that's by moving forward with unwavering conviction.

Mistake?

The mess Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur are presently charged with cleaning up was created by John Mara's unyielding loyalty to former general manager Jerry Reese.  And for good reason: Jerry Reese begins his Giants career in 1994 as a college scout at a time when Wellington Mara is still hanging out at practice, George Young is still general manager, and Dan Reeves is head coach.  John Mara is also around, serving in his sixth year as a team executive.  Meanwhile, Ernie Accorsi is beginning his first season as assistant general manager.  When George Young in 1997 hands the reigns over to Accorsi, Jerry Reese spends the next decade serving as pro scout and director of player personnel.  When The Duke passes away in 2005, John Mara assumes the role of team president.  In 2007, Jerry Reese succeeds Accorsi as general manager.

We fans call this, the Giants Way.  And we appreciate the organization's respective families greatly for it.

Giants history further speaks for itself ...

When Ray Perkins accepts the head coach position at Alabama, George Young elects to promote from within by elevating defensive coordinator Bill Parcells.  Two Super Bowls later, Parcells retires.  Pitifully, the Giants have no plan in place geared towards retaining Bill Belichick.  Two miserable seasons under Ray Handley lay ahead.  Former Broncos head coach Dan Reeves watches from afar, and calls George Young offering his services.  Young accepts, and in 1993 Reeves squeezes the last bit of goodness out of that old school Giants team in the form of a playoff victory over the Vikings.

How do the Giants follow up?  They cut Phil Simms, as George Young and Dan Reeves commit to a full blown rebuild.  Three years later, Ernie Accorsi and new head coach Jim Fassel pick up where Young and Reeves leave off.  By the late 1990s the Giants are contending again, and by 2000 they're back in the Super Bowl.  After which, the team culture goes somewhat awry.  But Accorsi medicates the situation with an apple picked off the old Bill Parcells tree.

Enter head coach Tom Coughlin, and the dawn of the Eli Manning era.  The stage is set for a second run on Super Bowls (eerily reminiscent of the first).  Only this time, the Giants woefully mismanage the aftermath.  John Mara above and beyond the dictates of today's colder impersonal NFL remains paralyzed by loyalty and commitment to Jerry Reese.  As such, Mara allows Reese to oversee the deconstruction of a championship operation.  Draft results, salary cap management, and the team's overall level of success since 2011 all speak for themselves.  The list of scapegoats is also numerous: Kevin Gilbride to Tom Coughlin, Perry Fewell and even Ben McAdoo.  When truth be told, the fall from Super Bowl contender to NFL bottom feeder starts with Reese.

Ben McAdoo is this era's Ray Handley.  And the Giants reappearance in the 2016 playoffs turns out being less than that of their 1993 playoff victory under Dan Reeves.  However, whereas George Young recognizes the time to rebuild has come; whereas Ernie Accorsi recognizes a need for culture change has come; Jerry Reese fails to recognize either.  And unless John Mara further clarifies his intentions for the team's future, he likewise remains guilty as charged.

Trading JPP during the off-season, trading Snacks Harrison and Eli Apple in-season, are trivial salary cap maneuvers.  Whereas the Giants present deficiencies and future needs are great.  After Odell Beckham, Saquon Barkley, Landon Collins, and even Will Hernandez, who else is worthy of debate and/or retention?  Janoris Jenkins?

I agree with naysayers insofar Eli Manning deserves his full share of criticism.  However, I feel at times as if he receives too much blame for the team's greater malfunction and misfortunes.  I'm on record saying that if the Giants had no intention of selecting Eli Manning's replacement during the most recent draft, I would have preferred they trade out of the number two pick.  Because far beyond Eli's own personal decline, the depletion of complimentary talent and deterioration of supportive play have been far more debilitating.

Eli is who he has always been, which is a non-elusive pocket passer.  Once upon a time, he was allowed to develop behind a record-setting offensive line constructed by Ernie Accorsi.  Jerry Reese however would inexplicably stick through thick and thin with a woefully inept cast of replacements, or lack thereof.  Dave Gettleman after just one year on the job has now employed at least ten different offensive linemen to date with little variance in results.  The signing of Nate Solder is again demonstrating how throwing money at a problem often proves ineffectual.  Hence, no other quarterback in the NFL this season has been sacked more than Eli Manning (3.6 times per game according to TeamRankings.com).

Eli surpasses 3,000 yards passing this Sunday against the Eagles.  With a slightly better performance of late from the offensive line, he demonstrates that he indeed is still a very capable NFL quarterback.  I've said it before: in light of a new generation of quarterbacks, I still trust him.  I'm merely calling it like I see it.

• WIN vs. Niners: 19/31 for 188 yards; 3 touchdowns; no INT; 1 sack; 4 QB hits.
• WIN vs. Bucs: 17/18 for 231 yards; 2 touchdowns; no INT; 4 sacks; 6 QB hits.
• LOSS vs. Eagles: 26/37 for 297 yards; 1 touchdown; 1 INT; 2 sacks; 5 QB hits.

Make of it what you will.  But, is it coincidence the Giants, Packers, and Ravens, have absurd portions of respective salary cap devoted to quarterbacks, while everything else is collapsing around them (if it hasn't already)?  The Falcons are arguably making the same mistake.

Tom Brady has throughout his career worked out financial deals with the Patriots for sake of greater quality turnover.  And lest we forget Bill Belichick routinely trades top talent a too early (rather than too late) for sake of draft picks and maintaining quality control.  How has that worked out for them?

Drafting is still the way to lay and build upon a solid foundation.  Meanwhile, young quarterbacks are proving extremely cost effective in today's NFL.  In turn, that money theoretically gets spent elsewhere.  In the most recent draft, however, the Giants arguably had one or two available quarterbacks for the taking.  They select a running back instead.  In lieu of a quarterback I would have swapped the number two overall pick (in return for two picks) and devoted them towards reestablishing a dominant line of scrimmage (which in part involves drafting a potential Pro-Bowl caliber center).

I love Saquon Barkley, by the way.  And it's a shame that both he and Odell Beckham are such superior talents.  I can not say the same about 80% of starting players on either side of the ball.

The Giants lacking a legitimate pass rusher is just one example.  That said, how well are the huge sums of cash Jerry Reese poured into the defense serving the team now?  How did that work out Sunday against the Eagles?

Again, spending bad money while simultaneously accumulating dead money is not the answer.  Initiating a rebuild breaks this vicious cycle.  The resulting byproduct of drafting and development is replenishment of salary cap reserves.  Talent and spending are reset, together.

Contending in a weak NFC East is also false justification.  It's nothing short of complete folly.  This team is ill-equipped to go up against any of the NFL's other division leaders; not last season; not this season; not next season.  Exactly when, is up to Mr. Mara (and Mr. Tisch), for I believe vision and directive come from the top.  In turn, the executive's responsibility lies in planning and execution.

For all these reasons I believe Dave Gettleman needs orders post haste to begin rebuilding anew ... like Ernie Accorsi did, and George Young did before him.

Do It For The Duke.

N.Y. Giants: Eli Manning Poised To Play In Narrative Defining Game

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Dave Gettleman Banking on Eli Manning's 

Ability to Turn Back the Clock

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

New York Giants

vs.

Dallas Cowboys

FROM

The House That Jerry Built

New York Football Giants: Dallas Cowboys Will Do Far Better Job Exploiting Absence of Olivier Vernon; I'm Concerned With Extra Load Being Placed on Snacks Harrison.

The Giants will play once again minus the services of their top pass rusher, linebacker Olivier Vernon, who will miss a second straight week with a high ankle sprain.  The Giants say he'll be ready by next week.  But history says this injury is notorious for slow healing, and sometimes responsible for hampering entire seasons.

Without him, the defense last week generated little in the way of quarterback pressure, registering one sack, and just three other QB hits.  On the ground, Leonard Fournette was having his way until sidelined by a strained hamstring.  Otherwise the Jaguars go on to rush for 137 total yards.

Sunday night the Giants face Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and a superior Dallas Cowboys offensive line.  If Week One is any indication, the Giants will have difficulty generating much, if any pressure against Dak Prescott.  But there are reasons why the Cowboys only scored eight points last week against Carolina.  Without Dez Bryant, they have no legitimate high threat receivers to speak of.  It just renders their offense more predictable.., that's all.

But it also creates a great case study into new defensive coordinator James Bettcher's creativity.  His unit allowed the Jaguars only thirteen offensive points last week.  Bettcher should be daring Dak Prescott to beat them.  If Eli Apple, Janoris Jenkins, and Curtis Riley capably handle their respective assignments, Landon Collins can then potentially help stack the box against Ezekiel Elliott, and thus allow Bettcher to sneak in an occasional blitz.

On a somewhat different note, it appeared to me last week that playing minus Olivier Vernon at some point began taking its toll on Snacks Harrison.  In that regard, I envision this week unfolding similarly.  Keep an eye on Snacks, Coach, because he's the one player I feel the defense can least afford to lose.

THIS IS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF GAME DAVE GETTLEMAN IS TRUSTING ELI MANNING TO CARRY THE TEAM, AND WIN.

Point directly at Big Blue's offensive shortcomings for Week One's loss against the Jaguars.  Much was, and is still being made of Ereck Flowers poor performance.  When truth be told, the entire line played a flawed and inept brand of football.  Nate Solder was the first to admit that.  All told, the Giants rush 23 times for 114 total yards, but subtract Saquon Barkley's 68-yard romp, and the Giants rush 22 times for just 46 yards.  And if we're pointing fingers, the left side of the line (not the right) proved least effective.  The unit as a whole allowed two sacks and six more QB hits.

It seems Saquon Barkley's role is yet to be defined.  Last week he rushed 18 times with only two receptions, which is contrary to what many anticipated.  I would argue this week calls for 25 rushes of smash mouth type football.  After which I'm sure he'll be making many more receptions out of the backfield in the weeks to come.  In the meantime, Dallas is sure to test his abilities at reacting to an NFL blitz.

However, most problematic of all was last week's disconnect between Eli Manning and his receivers.
Eli's naysayers say elite quarterbacks find ways of carrying entire teams to victory regardless of the talent level surrounding them.  This week, that couldn't ring more true.  Getting open against Jacksonville was not necessarily a problem for Odell Beckham, Sterling Sherpard, or Evan Engram.  But timing and accuracy were.  I might be an Eli apologist without realizing it.  But even I'll admit this is Eli's game to either win or lose all by himself.  If he and his receivers clean up their act, the Giants should get out of Dallas with hard fought, well earned victory, and allow fans to breathe a little sigh of relief.

Or not ...

N.Y. Giants: New GM Dave Gettleman Vows To Kick Ass

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Gett This House In Order

New York Giants: David Gettleman Named New General Manager ... And I Couldn't Be More Happy.

My genesis as a Giants fan occurred while Andy Robustelli (1974-1978) still served as general manager.  But I do not remember much, if anything, about him.

I vividly recall, however, the day the Giants hired George Young, and his 18-year tenure as general manager.

From 1994 through 1997, Ernie Accorsi served as assistant GM under George Young.  Upon his retirement after the 1997 season, Young appointed Ernie Accorsi to succeed him as next general manager of the Giants.

Jerry Reese likewise began working for the Giants in 1994 as a college scout.  In 1997, he was elevated to pro scout by George Young.  In 2004, Accorsi made him director of player personnel.  Upon his own retirement after the 2006 season, Ernie Accorsi named Jerry Reese general manager.

It was also Ernie Accorsi who originally brought David Gettleman into the New York Giants fold as a scout back in 1998.  He was elevated the following year and served as pro personnel director through the 2011 season.  In 2012, Jerry Reese promoted him to senior pro personnel analyst.

When the Carolina Panthers were in search of a new general manager, they brought in Ernie Accorsi as a consultant, whom recommended Dave Gettleman.  Gettleman in turn served from 2013 through 2016 as general manager of the Panthers, posting a 40-23 regular season record over his four years.  The Panthers made three straight playoff appearances under his stewardship, and after posting a 15-1 record in 2015 opposed the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl Fifty.

After co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch moved to release Jerry Reese and former head coach Ben McAdoo, they similarly consulted Ernie Accorci, who once again recommended Dave Gettleman (whom in 2016 experienced a falling out with Panthers managing owner Jerry Richardson).

His interview effectively ended with haste the Giants search for Jerry Reese's replacement.  And now David Gettleman becomes the fourth lineal general manager of the New York Giants during my lifetime.

Simply put, I love the move!

This is not just another typically safe in-house selection.  Dave Gettleman's resume speaks for itself. He has been a part of four different Super Bowl contending organizations.  He has scouted or served as general manager for two different AFC champions, and two different NFC champions.  All told, he's been associated with nine Super Bowl appearances:

• Buffalo - 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993.
• Denver - 1997.
• NYG - 2000, 2007, 2011.
• Carolina - 2015.

Gettleman began his NFL career scouting for the Buffalo Bills in 1986, and through the 1993 season.  For those of you still too young at the time, or not yet born, those Bills were frighteningly stacked with Hall of Fame and Pro Bowl caliber talent, whom together won four consecutive AFC championships.

From 1994 through 1997, Gettleman then served as a scout for the Denver Broncos.  Denver went 7-9 during his first season associated with the organization, then followed with an 8-8 record during his second.  The Broncos elevated to 13-3 in 1996, then posted a 14-2 record in 1997 en route to winning Super Bowl XXXII.

Then began his first stint in East Rutherford.  He was on staff during the Giants Super Bowl run of 2000, and for both their 2007 and 2011 championship seasons.

Said another way, the man understands winning.  Moreover, he understands New York Giants football.

Dave Gettleman Press Conference - NYG.com

Jerry Reese was widely criticized for his failure to effectively rebuild the offensive line, and poor drafting overall.  And while it's true that not one player from the 2011 and 2012 drafts presently play for the Giants, to be fair, Gettlemen and Marc Ross, were still a part of that process.

Since 2013, the Reese and Ross connection have arguably hit on a few players (some more debatable than others): Justin Pugh, Odell Beckham Jr., Weston Richburg, Landon Collins, Sterling Shepard, B.J. Goodson, and most recent addition, Evan Engram.

A few of their more notable busts are proving to be Eli Apple, Ereck Flowers, and newly departed Bobby Hart.

Point being, Jerry Reese, Marc Ross, the entire scouting department, and extended staff, indeed left much to be desired.

And so, here we are.

NY Giants Draft History - Football Reference

Prior to interviewing Dave Gettleman, the Giants previously extended their very first interview opportunity to Marc Ross.  On board since 2007, Ross spent his first six years with the organization serving as their director of college scouting, and for the last five years has served as the Giants vice president of player evaluation.

The New York Daily News suspects his interview did not go very well, because on Saturday David Gettleman fired Marc Ross.

At the very least, one should immediately ponder the future of Ken Sternfeld (director of pro personnel) as well.

David Gettleman does not operate in grey zones.  His decisions, rather, gleam with conviction.

He refuses to pay one dollar beyond what he thinks is their fair market value, and certainly won't pay for past performance late in careers.  In fact, he'd rather cut a player too early than too late, and is quick to eliminate malcontents from his locker room.  Look no further than his treatment of former Panthers favorites Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, Jon Beason, and Josh Norman.

Speaking of which ... I hope Odell Beckham Jr. is paying attention.  Or, maybe he should call right tackle Bobby Hart.  It was reported during Sunday's Giants/Redskins telecast on FOX, that Bobby Hart allegedly refused to play in Sunday's meaningless game.  Dave Gettleman in turn waived him.

During his introductory press conference, Gettleman listed among his top his priorities: rebuilding the offensive line; reestablishing the running game; and rebuilding the defensive line.  If you look at his team building in Carolina, he consistently maintained a strong presence at linebacker as well.

Is Dave Gettleman set on bringing back the good old days of Smash Mouth?

That remains to be seen.

But he did say rather matter of fact, his goal is to kick ass.

N.Y. Giants: Ben McAdoo Breaks Out The Pom-Poms

from the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Giants Are Double-Digit Underdogs At Home

Oh, The Shame!

SUNDAY

Kansas City Chiefs

vs.

New York Giants

New York Giants: Coach McAdoo Says Come Out To Met Life Stadium To Watch A Great Show; We Plan On Playing Great Football On Sunday And Getting A Win.

The man sounds delusional, but I'll play along and talk strategy for the hell of it.

The New England Patriots defense actually leads the NFL in most yards allowed per game.  However, you can chalk much of that on a poor start during their first four games of the season.  Since then, they've clamped down, limiting their opposition to just 13 ppg over their last five games.

Second on the list are the Giants, having allowed an average of 400.3 yards per game.  No wonder there.  Suspensions in the secondary, injuries to the defensive line and linebackers, and overall poor play speak for themselves.

Fourth on the list are the Indianapolis Colts.  They're just terrible.

Surprisingly sandwiched in at number three on the list are the Kansas City Chiefs.  They've allowed an average of 390.3 yards per game, and like the Giants, have surrendered an average of 6.0 yards per play!  I know losing safety Eric Berry hurt them.  But I'm nevertheless surprised that K.C. is the only division leader (of eight) to have surrendered more than 200 points so far.

Once upon a time, that would have been welcome news for the old smash mouth Giants of yore.

But without Weston Richburg and Justin Pugh, the offensive line isn't likely to be creating much daylight.  D.J. Fluker is also dealing with a barking knee and has only engaged in limited practice.  Whatever Orleans Darkwa gains will be won through his own individual efforts.

Shane Vereen has become a non-entity. And the back-up receivers are still not up to snuff, at which point, it becomes easier for the Chiefs to eliminate either tight end Evan Engram or Rhett Ellison.  That being said, don't count on much pass protection for Eli Manning.  I counted on numerous occasions how the 49ers were on Eli Manning in three seconds flat. 

But you know what they say about any given Sunday.  If the Giants can put together a respectable offensive effort, the Chiefs defense just might be willing to oblige.

Giants fans can only hope Coach McAdoo's ploy to view last week's game film in front of the whole team works out.  Although that seemed directed at the defensive side of the ball, perhaps most players will indeed have become embarrassed enough into putting forth better performances this week.

This big money defense still has big problems. 

Landon Collins, DRC, Eli Apple, and Janoris Jenkins, all need to redeem themselves, and do a little bit of growing up as well.  Linebacker B.J. Goodson is out this week, and upon returning from his injury Jonathan Casillas still appeared a step behind the competition last week.  Snacks Harrison is dealing with a bum ankle, while JPP is still being hampered by a disagreeable knee.  At least Olivier Vernon has played well since returning from injury, but he can't stop Alex Smith and tight end Travis Keice by himself.

Who is going to step up?

John Mara and Robert Tisch have spoken.  The Giants will finish out the season with Ben McAdoo as head coach, and Jerry Reese as general manager.

I agree with them.  Don't change a thing. 

As if life on the hot seat wasn't making McAdoo sweat already, he will most certainly be judged all game against Kansas City head coach Andy Reid.  Be sure ownership will be watching this particular match-up very closely.

Let McAdoo and Reese own this (and increase our odds for securing a high draft pick).  Besides, adversity reveals character.  We are beginning to learn which players are committed to playing the game, and which chose to comport themselves in a professional manner, versus those more willing to just go through the motions, and focusing on self-serving interests.

N.Y. Giants: Ben McAdoo's Few Known Allies Slowly Stepping Forward

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Getting by despite a lack of good friends; 

Oooo! Gonna try despite a lack of good friends.

New York Giants: Ben McAdoo Still Short On Friends Backing His Cause; Hard Building a Winning Culture Without Them.

Losing seems to bring out the worst in teams.  The Giants are no different. 

Adversity reveals just how weak or strong the ties that bind really are.

For sake of regurgitation, I refuse letting go of Coach McAdoo's early season criticisms directed at Eli Manning.  That was him talking out of his posterior, and just plain absurd.  I interpret his picking on a Super Bowl MVP caliber quarterback as a measured attempt at being a tough guy, which clearly didn't work.

Coach McAdoo then made a clear distinction between breaking team rules, and conduct detrimental to the team.  In the sense that only one of the aforementioned infractions results in disciplinary action.  He felt it necessary to suspend corner backs Dominique Rogers Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins for the former infraction, and I've been agreeable with that.  But with regards to the latter infraction, every one of Odell Beckham Jr.'s acts of high jinks and mayhem garnered nary a single word, and that's where he loses me.

Two head coaches have now turned a blind eye towards Beckham, which in my opinion flies in the face of command and control.

Tom Coughlin, though, had already reformed an Animal House culture left behind by Jim Fassell, and had already purged the malcontents, and had already won a pair of rings, way before Beckham's arrival in East Rutherford.  To be fair, Coughlin's demise as well as McAdoo's present malaise, can be attributed in part to Jerry Reese's increasingly glaring shortcomings as general manager.  Point being, however, Coughlin established a track record before his situation drew closer to conclusion.

So where are we with Ben McAdoo?  Sunday marks his 24th game as head coach of the Giants, and he's still trying to establish command and control.  Sure, he's dropping the hammer now.  But what if Odell were still playing?  That's why I believe the Giants present condition is worse than meets the eye.

That being said, Landon Collins flatly says everyone still respects Coach McAdoo. 

Jonathan Casillas took it a step further by speaking for Coach McAdoo, in reiterating how breaking rules brings consequences.  Casillas didn't stop there, and for the moment, appears to be McAdoo's biggest supporter.

Now more than ever, Ben McAdoo needs more leadership in the clubhouse backing his cause.  He seems short on allies for the moment.  And it's hard building a winning culture without them.

Eli and JPP strike me as being on the fence.  Both are without a doubt influential figures in the locker room.  But do they truly have McAdoo's back like they did Coughlin?

Bill Parcells most definitely had his clique of players, and so did his defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, for the matter.  Jim Fassell had his clique he could always turn to (even though they were a bunch of knuckleheads).  Coughlin cultivated his own clique as well.

Ben McAdoo's social club remains open to all comers, but very few seem to be rushing in.



*Google image/15minutenews.com