N.Y. Giants: The Post Odell Beckham Jr. Era Begins

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

FIRST WORD

New York Football Giants: Rings, Receivers, and Rebuilds.

Here is a small list of reasons why I believe the Giants did right by trading Odell Beckham Jr., and why they'll survive without him:

• Bobby Johnson; Lionel Manuel; Phil McConkey; Stephen Baker; Stacy Robinson; Mark Ingram; Plaxico Burress; Amani Toomer; David Tyre; Victor Cruz; Hakeem Nicks; et al.  

Odell is unquestionably the best talent at the position the Giants ever had.  In fact some of the aforementioned names shouldn't even be mentioned in the same conversation where it concerns the freakish ability Beckham brings to the gridiron.  However I do not believe Super Bowl contenders are predicated on wide receivers.  They're low on my list after defensive play makers, offensive linemen, and quarterbacks.  I'll take a Pro Bowl caliber center or a two-way tight end any day; receivers not so much.  Give me good pass protection; give me a productive running game; and I'll show you a highlight stream packed with game breaking pass receptions made by ordinarily good receivers.

There's also the matter of Odell's contract.  At $90 million dollars the Browns can have him.  I can think of numerous other ways to ruin the salary cap, but spending that much money based on Odell's previous availability alone is not one of them.  However by first signing Beckham Dave Gettleman just may have provided another general manager a measure of cost certainty versus having to wait out the process and acquiring him as a free agent.  Just a theory, and perhaps a bad one.  But truth is Cleveland was perfectly positioned to acquire him.

Otherwise I find it virtually impossible taking NFL general managers at their word.  Rather I expect half truths and double speak.  Expecting them to reveal their hand is being naive.  It's just the nature of the business.  Therefore, I pay little or no attention to what they say, and focus instead on what they actually do.  Be it a shrewd move on Gettleman's part or not, this transaction still must be viewed within the context of team building and roster maneuvering.  In two short seasons Gettleman has purged many a popular name from the Giants ranks, not just Odell.  The team Beckham once knew and played for has all but been disassembled.  Therefore it was hard envisioning him outlasting a third head coach, much less Pat Shurmur.  And that's why I do not get caught up in Dave Gettleman's widely perceived propaganda.

If defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, drafted with the #1 pick they received from Cleveland, develops into a legitimate player, and safety Jabrill Peppers proves his worth, all the better.

I purposefully steered clear from making any mention of Eli Manning.  There's a reason for it, of which I will get into very shortly ...

NEXT: The Hog Mollies Are Coming!

N.Y. Giants: Taking The Big Blue Hand Out of the Cookie Jar

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

New York Football Giants: Hopefully Odell Beckham Trade Finally Triggers a Full Rebuild Effort.

At this juncture, I believe most agree that it was John Mara's loyalty to Jerry Reese which effectively crippled the Giants.  In the seven seasons since winning Super Bowl XLVI the Giants are 47-65 (.419), with double-digit losses in four of their last five seasons.  They managed a playoff appearance in 2016, only to lose in noncompetitive fashion.  Just three victories in 2017 marked their lowest win total in nearly 35-years, which goes right along with being 8-24 (.250) over the last two seasons.  This would normally suggest a team in dire need of not just some flip renovation, but a full blown deconstruction and rebuild on par with those once initiated by former general managers George Young and Ernie Accorsi.

As if ...

I'm on record saying that if the Giants had no intention of drafting a quarterback replacement during last year's draft, I preferred them trading out of the #2 overall slot in exchange for multiple picks.  Don't get me wrong; Saquon Barkley is a supreme generational talent not born of this earth.  What's not to appreciate about an AP Rookie of the Year who gained over 2,000 total yards from scrimmage?  His accomplishment is nothing short of amazing considering the sub par talent he was forced to work with.  It's just that I have a different idea of how rebuilding should proceed.

I place blame for last year's failed effort at Win Now squarely in the hands of John Mara.  After Mara/Reese/McAdoo's complete botching of Eli's ill conceived benching in favor of Geno Smith, be sure John Mara has since committed to letting Eli Manning play out the remainder of his contract - no questions asked.  It then became Dave Gettleman's job as new general manager to package it, market it, and sell it.  That would explain hasty attempts at fortifying the offensive line, signing Odell Beckham to an absurdly prohibitive contract extension, and selecting Saquon Barkley with the second over pick of last year's draft.  And that's why I'm apt to give Gettleman a pass where it concerns Eli Manning.  

Odell Beckham Jr. is a completely different story.  From day one, I felt as if the Giants controversial megastar (a veritable football Frankenstein created and enabled by Reese and Tom Coughlin) would ultimately be traded.  Despite everything Dave Gettleman has said over the last year, I never once thought  Gettleman and Coach Shurmur were down with OBJ.  And full disclosure, nor was I.  That's why signing him to a contract extension threw me for a loop.  As a rebuilding team I believe high value assets should be traded away.  However, upon further review I believe signing Odell to that contract made it easier to trade him.  Placing a franchise tag on him, or any other tactic would have been counter productive.  Instead, Odell becomes cost predictable if under contract.  Therefore a team merely need decide if they can fit him into their numbers, or not.  The emerging Cleveland Browns decided he in fact does.  And if you consider the Steelers received a #3 and a #5 for Antonio Brown, and the Giants received a #1 and a #3, plus a starting safety, I think Gettleman did well enough.  I'm particularly pleased the Giants are free of OBJ's contract, despite the upcoming season's salary cap hit.

Overall, Dave Gettleman's first 14 months on the job are a perfect example of what happens when you half-ass a rebuild.  That said, Mr. Mara appears to have taken his hand out of the proverbial  cookie jar.  Now lets see what this general manager is capable of.

His strange and confounding maneuverings as general manager to date deserve its own narrative.

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: Offensive Output Failing To Keep Pace With Growing Demands

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

New Triumvirate Not Playing Up To Expectations

New York Football Giants: Despite Myriad of Changes, Offensive Woes Continue Against Saints; Marks 36th Straight Game Offense Fails to Score Thirty Points.

Big Blue's three-year and presently ongoing condition is thus: Eli Manning and Odell Beckham have been the two constants amidst waves of offensive transformations (...or should I say a succession of front office scapegoating).  Otherwise, the Giants have been through two general managers, three head coaches, three offensive coordinators, revamped the offensive line, and installed a brand new backfield, yet nothing seems to have changed.

If there was a time the Giants needed Eli, Odell, and Barkley to literally carry them to victory, this game was it.  New Orleans defense is far from being their strongest asset.  Therefore Sunday's game against Drew Brees and the Saints called for thirty points, and the Giants could not get it done.  The matter of scoring thirty is not an isolated case of not getting it done, more than being something they seem incapable of getting done - period, end of statement.

Forget the defensive effort for now.  Despite continuing injuries sidelining Olivier Vernon, Eli Apple, and my growing anxieties regarding Snacks Harrison, the defense as a whole has played quite well.  I give them a pass for tiring during the second half versus New Orleans.  Sunday's loss, however, just like that against Dallas is strictly a matter of offense strategy and capabilities, or lack thereof. 

The Giants last scored thirty points in a 30-35 loss against the Eagles at home back during Week 17 of the 2015 season.  Jerry Reese was still general manager, Tom Coughlin was head coach, Ben McAdoo was in his second season as offensive coordinator, while Rashad Jennings, Orleans Darkwa, and Shane Vereen, populated an ineffectual backfield.  Since then Ben McAdoo took his turn as head coach with Mike Sullivan as offensive coordinator.  But after last season's debacle, Jerry Reese was out of scapegoats, and so Mr. Mara opted for sweeping changes.  Enter general manager Dave Gettleman, head coach Pat Shurmer, offensive coordinator Mike Shula, new additions on the offensive line, and of course, Saquon Barkley.

Yet, four games into the 2018 season, Sunday's loss makes 36 straight games now in which they've failed to achieve thirty points.  But let's also keep this in context.  Had the Giants stripped this down and gone into a full blown rebuild, none of this is an issue.  However, since Dave Gettleman decides Eli Manning has one more playoff run within him, he elects for on-the-fly modifications.  In Gettleman's defense, I suspect Mr. Mara may have influenced this present course of action.  In any event, this is what happens when you half-ass a rebuilding effort.

I digress ...

Everyone from Eli Manning, to the running game, to inconsequential offensive coordinator Mike Shula, to play calling head coach Pat Shurmur, is complicit in not only Sunday's most recent loss, but for a mirror image performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

In Week Two, Eli goes 33 (75%) of 44 for 279 yards and a touchdown.  That's despite Dallas registering six sacks and spooking Eli with another eight QB hits.  The Giants all but abandon the running game, with Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, and Jonathan Stewart combined to rush just 14 times for 31 total yards.  Eli and a minimalist running game net just 310 offensive yards for the game.

This past Sunday New Orleans gets to Eli less often than did Dallas, sacking Eli three times with five other hits.  However, Eli is 31 (75%) of 41 for just 255 yards and a touchdown.  Once again, the Giants all but abandon the run, with Barkley and Gallman joining for a mere 50 yards on just 12 attempts.  All told, Eli and the woefully underutilized running game together generate 305 yards for the entire game.  So how is it that New Orleans applies less pressure than the Giants previous three opponents, yet Eli's performance and the overall offensive output regresses back, and below Week Two levels? 

Lest we forget Houston registered four sacks and hit the QB six other times, yet, Eli Manning goes for a stellar 25 (86%) 29 for 297 yards and two touchdowns against a suddenly mystifying, but otherwise respected Texans defense.

Coach Shurmur arguably got out-coached against Dallas.  Let's just say that qualifies as one event.  Sunday's effort could then be considered a coincidence.  But if this keeps up, we'll undoubtedly be discussing an alarming trend.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs put up 40 points against the Saints in Week One.  Two weeks later, Matt Ryan helped Atlanta score 37 points against the Saints.  In turn, New Orleans has now limited the Browns and Giants to 18 points respectively.

In the meantime, the Giants two highest paid offensive players, Eli Manning and Odell Beckham - the two common denominators I spoke of - have yet to connect on a touchdown.

N.Y. Giants: Time For Offensive Triumvirate To Prove Their Worth

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Manning  ~  Barkley  ~  Beckham

New York Football Giants: Onus on Big Three to be Elite.

Olivier Vernon will miss his fourth game due to a high ankle sprain.  It's one of the more diabolical  injuries in all of sports because it lingers and lingers, and can potentially compromise whole seasons.  Meanwhile, Eli Apple - who went from being a locker room cancer last season to returning this season as one of the Giants most important secondary pieces - will miss another week with a groin issue.

Someone once said you are what your record says you are.  But despite injuries, the Giants have thus far played representative defense.  Without their top pass rusher, the Giants are still somehow limiting opponents to an average of 20.6 points per game.  Then again, we're talking about the Jaguars, Cowboys, and Texans.  

However, starting Sunday against the Saints, the Giants have Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan to look forward to.  In other words, this Giants defense is about to face a higher level of opponent.  Problem is they have recorded just four sacks through three games.  That in turn makes Olivier Vernon's unavailability an area of much greater concern.

Even more dire than that, is the increasingly questionable availability of Snacks Harrison.  I said it last week: if the Giants lose him, they're done.

That said, it's time this offense takes some pressure off the defense.  If there is one game in which they need to finally break the thirty-point threshold, this is it.  After three weeks of mixed results, and losing tight end Evan Engram this week to yet another injury, it's now incumbent upon the Giants featured triumvirate of talent to get in sync and place the responsibility of securing victory squarely on their backs.

Eli Manning is coming off his best game of the season, Odell Beckham has 100-yard games against the Jaguars and Texans, and Saquon Barkely has more than proven himself a legitimate duel threat with 216 yards rushing, and 137 yards receiving.

It just so happens the Saints give up points in bunches.  Last week, the Giants new offensive line combination provided Eli just enough time, and Saquon Barkley just enough daylight in order to make play-action a viable weapon again.  Therefore, Eli and Odell need to finally start connecting for touchdowns against a pedestrian Saints secondary.

Last week, Eli completed 25 (86%) of 29 attempts for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

FYI:

The Giants faced the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles last season in Week Three, in which they suffer a 27-24 loss.  Eli Manning completes 35 (74%) of 47 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns.  However, he winds up throwing two INTs.  Do you think rushing 17 times for a mere 49-yards had anything to do with that?

Enter Saquon Barkley ...

N.Y. Giants: A Five Star Mess

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

BIG BLUE BLIGHT

New York Football Giants: The offense has played eight quarters of football with but one touchdown to show.

There's something to be said for not giving this newly constructed offensive line more reps during pre-season games.  However, there's very little that can be said in the way of defending Sunday night's atrocious play against the Cowboys at Dallas.

If the game were a movie, I'd rate them a five star mess.

The inescapable truth is that this revamped Giants offensive line was clearly out-played, out-muscled, out-smarted, and certainly out-classed.  Coach Shurmur and staff share equal fault for failing to make adequate in-game adjustments, if at all.  Moreover, losing center Jon Halapio is hardly an excuse for what transpired.  By the time he was being carted off the field, the proverbial damn had already burst allowing a torrent of Dallas pass rushers to flood the Giants backfield.

Eli Manning goes 33 of 44 (75%) for 279 yards and a touchdown.  But that hardly paints an accurate picture of the offensive debacle that was.  Eli is sacked six times, and hit another eight times.  With little time to negotiate through his progressions, Eli is forced into dumping off to Saquon Barkley 14 times for 80 yards.  By comparison, Odell Beckham only makes four receptions for 51-yards, while Cody Latimer's 37-yard reception goes down as the Giants longest play from scrimmage.

Forced into playing catch-up football, Saquon Barkley only rushes 11 times for a paltry 28-yards.  Aside from Eli Manning running for his life, the Giants only rush 14 times all game for 31 very inconsequential yards.

The Giants offense has played eight quarters of football thus far, but have only one touchdown to show.

Dave Gettleman built a win now team.

After two weeks, we're still waiting.

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: Blue Monday

From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Game One

Jaguars   20

Giants     15

FINAL

New York Football Giants: Offense Fails to Seize a Winnable Day.

With the Giants playing minus the services of Olivier Vernon - decidedly their best defensive player - they hold Jacksonville to 13 offensive points.

Leonard Fournette was having his way early, rushing nine times for 41-yards.  But a cranky hamstring takes him out of action.  T.J. Yeldon then steps in with 51 yards on 14 carries.  Meanwhile, Blake Bortles only passes for (18/33) 176 yards, an INT, and a touchdown, but scrambles twice for 42 yards.  All told the Jaguars gained 137 yards on the ground.

But then, the Jaguars aren't exactly known for offense.

On the other side of the ball, the Giants create good scoring opportunities against a stout Jacksonville defense.  But three times they settle for field goals.  In the first-half, Eli Manning overthrows a wide open Odell Beckham in the end zone.  In the second-half Manning has a pass batted at the line of scrimmage which is intercepted and returned for six points.  Evan Engram even drops what could have been a big play.

Special teams seals the loss, fumbling a punt that negates the Giants final possession of the game.

Odell Beckham registers 11 catches for 111 yards while rookie Saquon Barkley rushes 18 times for 106 yards and a touchdown.  Yet, the Giants lose by five.

Truth be told, Eli Manning's accuracy decreased as the afternoon wore on.  For the game, Eli was 23 of 37 (62%) for 224 yards, with no touchdowns and a pick-six.  In the first-half Eli is 13 of 17 (76%) (regardless of negating penalties committed by Ereck Flowers or other plays that went for minimal gain).  In the second-half, Eli only completes roughly 50% of his passes.

The offensive line allows two sacks, both within the final two minutes of the first half.  Jacksonville hits Eli six other times.  Now playing right guard, Ereck Flowers couldn't have gotten off to a worse start, wasting little time committing two inane penalties on the Giants very first two plays from scrimmage.

But the running game paints a somewhat different picture of Flowers' performance.  The Giants run 23 times for 114 net yards.  Saquon Barkely accounts for 18 rushes and 106 yards (5.9 avg).  Take away Barkley's touchdown romp, he rushes 17 times for 38 yards (2.2 avg).

Here's the rub ...

Together, Jonathan Stewart and Saquon Barkley rush 20 times.  Five plays go left side for +16 yards; five plays up the middle go for +6 yards; but nine plays go right side towards Ereck Flowers for +24 yards.  Now add Saquon Barkley's 68-yard touchdown that started middle, but then bounced right around Flowers.

Too bad this will be lost in the narrative of the Giants first regular season loss.

N.Y. Giants: Last Chance at the Eli Manning Corral

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Can Giants Get Back to Running Between the Tackles?

New York Football Giants: Dave Gettleman is putting an awful lot of trust in Eli Manning's ability to stay injury free not just this season, but next season as well.

With great conviction the Giants new general manager moves forward with a 37-year old quarterback, no viable back-up, and without a contingency plan for securing a replacement in the foreseeable future.

With the second overall pick of the draft, I did not agree with Dave Gettleman's decision to select Saquon Barkley.  There were several highly rated quarterbacks available, and a touted pass rusher to be had as well.  But Gettleman passed on them all, then turns and cuts back-up quarterback Davis Webb one week before the regular season opener.

That's called win now mentality, and life after Eli Manning be damned.

Coming off a 3-13 season, I'm not sure this is the correct course of action.  Be that as it may, instead of tearing it down and rebuilding, the plan is to squeeze every last bit of goodness out of Eli.

I'm no Eli apologist - no need to be.  He is flawed; not the most accurate passer; and did indeed lead the NFL three times in interceptions.  But I don't care.  I have no issue with Eli.  The bottom line is that I trust him.  The great debate as to whether or not he is/was elite always strikes me as nonsensical because damn near every critic takes his career completely out of context.  No one brings up that former offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride's play selection routinely led the NFL in most yards attempted per pass, and that Tom Coughlin happily signed off.  Coughlin and Gilbride were buddies from way back, and were in lockstep with Eli running a purposeful high risk, high reward offense.

Let's also not forget it was Ernie Accorsi's offensive line which nursed Eli Manning to maturity.  Once up to snuff, Eli, behind that offensive line pressed on to win two Super Bowls together.  In turn, Jerry Reese is to blame for running that same offensive line (and running game) into the ground.

Enough ...

With Gettleman's selection of Saquon Barkley, and the re-signing of Odell Beckham, together with Eli Manning, the Giants have an offensive triad that could potentially rank among the best.  Add tight end Evan Engram, and we're talking a quartet arguably comparable with any in the league.  If Dave Gettleman's revamped offensive line provides Eli Manning just one or two seconds more of pocket time, it won't matter if the opposition triple-covers Odell.

Yeah, about that offensive line ...

For all Gettleman's efforts, he still can't hide Ereck Flowers.  Shifting him to the right side is a good start.  In the meantime, I'm more concerned with both the collective abilities of Nate Solder, center Jon Halapio, and Patrick Omameh to create daylight, and with Saquon Barkley's ability to rush between the tackles.

Barkley's pre-season was compromised by a strained hamstring sustained in the Giants first exhibition game.  We'll see how far the Giants push him against the Jaguars, but I do not think they have 25 rushes in mind.  I suspect Coach Shurmur and new offensive coordinator Mike Shula will have him equally rush and receive.

The Giants offense failed to score thirty points in any game last season.  This season, the Giants were handed one of the toughest schedules in football.

Go Gettleman Go!

N.Y. Giants: Because Stone Cold Coach Pat Shurmur Said So

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

A GIANT STEP FORWARD

New York Giants: Pat Shurmur named the 18th head coach in team history.

He becomes the team's seventh during my years as a fan.  But outside of what I've read, heard on radio, or seen on TV, I know little else about the man.

Therefore, I guess a quick bio is in order.

After spending 11 years at Michigan State and Stanford, Shurmur joined the NFL ranks in 1999 with the Philadelphia Eagles where he served as tight ends and offensive line coach through the 2001 season.  He then served as Philadelphia's quarterback coach - working with Donovan McNabb -  through the 2008 season.  During his decade long association with the Eagles, they made the playoffs seven times, appeared in five conference championships, and one Super Bowl.

Shurmur spent 2009 and 2010 as offensive coordinator of the (St. Louis) Rams under then head coach, and former Giants defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo.  In 2009, his starting quarterback was Marc Bulger (not a bad QB) who was playing out his final NFL season.  The Rams went 1-15 that year, but parleyed that into quarterback Sam Bradford, selected with the first overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft.  With Shurmur calling plays, Bradford threw for 3,512 yards as a rookie.

By season's end, the Cleveland Browns set their sights on Pat Shurmur, naming him their head coach entering the 2011 season.  Shurmur posted records of 4-12 and 5-11 during his two seasons at the helm.  But I won't hold that against him.  Since his departure after 2012, the Browns have exceeded five wins in a season just once.  In fact, the Browns are just 4-44 over the last three seasons.  Not even Bill Belichik could turn that organization around.  Since guiding them to the playoffs in 1994, the Browns have qualified for post-season play just one other time.

In 2003, Pat Shurmer returned for a second stint with the Eagles this time as offensive coordinator.  Prior to this year's run to the Super Bowl, Philadelphia last qualified for the playoffs in 2013 with Shurmur calling plays for Nick Foles.  In 2014, the Eagles posted a second straight 10-6 record but missed out on the playoffs.  A 6-9 record the following season resulted in head coach Chip Kelly's release after Week Sixteen.  Pat Shurmur would then coach the Eagles to victory in the season finale.

He has spent the last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.  In 2016, he split time being tight ends coach and offensive coordinator, and again served as offensive coordinator this season.  Reunited with Pat Shurmur in 2016, Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford led the NFL with a 71.6 completion percentage.  This season, the oft injured Bradford was out of action again after Week Two.  Enter back-up Case Keenun - a veteran in his own right.  With Shurmur calling plays, Keenum threw 3,547 yards over 15 games, with 22 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

Of course, the Vikings fell well short in last week's NFC championship game against Nick Foles and the Eagles.  Shurmur's team was on the losing end of a 38-7 defeat.  One could ask what happened with the offense?  But Mike Zimmer is head coach of the Vikings, and therefore, he had to answer most of the questions and second-guessing.

But what about Pat Shurmur?

He entered that game with his fingerprints on both starting quarterbacks.  Case Keenum was 28/48 for 271 yards, one touchdown and one interception, in a losing effort.  Nick Foles, though, was better, throwing 26/33 for 352 yards, and three touchdowns.

So What Does All This Mean For The Giants?

There's something to be said for his twenty-years of practical experience.

Aside from his two year stint at Cleveland, his career work has primarily focused on the offensive side of the ball - no different than Ray Handley, Dan Reeves, Jim Fassel, Tom Coughlin, or Ben McAdoo.  As we see, the Giants have hired a string of offensive minded coaches ever since the departure of defensive minded Bill Parcells.  Four of them took the Giants to the playoffs, and two of them got the Giants to three more Super Bowls.

General manager Dave Gettleman says Shurmur will be working with Eli Manning for the remainder of his Giants career.  Then there's Davis Webb whom still needs extensive development.  And of course, there's continuing speculation as to whether the Giants will utilize their up-coming number one draft pick on another quarterback.

Where it concerns quarterbacks, Shurmur's resume suggests successful involvement with Donovan McNabb, Marc Bulger, Sam Bradford, Nick Foles, and Case Keenum.  Moreover, while head coach in Cleveland, he somehow extracted 3,355 yards and 14 touchdowns out of rookie Brandon Weeden. It's worth noting because Brandon Weeden was out of the league within another three seasons.

But like Ben McAdoo, Shurmur is a proponent of west coast style offense.  I have my issues with that.  Shurmur also said he will be calling plays on offense.  I'm somewhat less concerned with that.

Shurmur did say that moving forward he understands Giants football which allows me to think he won't make the same mistake as McAdoo with regards to Eli Manning - which was trying to turn him into Aaron Rogers.  Dave Gettleman also said reconstructing the offensive line and reestablishing the run is a main priority.  I'm confident in Gettleman's vision, and so my west coast anxieties are tempered.

Pat Shurmur has otherwise contributed to highly competitive and successful situations in Philadelphia and Minnesota.

He also has no doubt faced adversity in St. Louis and Cleveland.

The Giants locker room was clearly fractured this past season.  Dave Gettleman wasted no time removing a few malcontents from the locker room.  And Shurmur's presser left little doubt he and Gettleman are on the same page where it concerns discipline.  Having participated in both winning locker rooms and losing locker rooms could turn out being a valuable experience from which Shurmur will draw upon during his upcoming seasons with the Giants.

The duo of Gettleman and Shurmur essentially means the days of enabling Odell Beckham Jr. are over.  Sure, Shurmur says he's getting a clean slate.  But without saying it, Odell already is being forced to clean up his act and grow up.  In other words, if Beckham wants premium money from the Giants, he'll need to compromise his so called personal brand.

Discipline, however, and disposition, can be slippery slopes.  Former NFL head coach Mike Holmgren recently chimed-in on Pat Shurmer, accusing him of having rabbit ears - meaning he pays too much attention to the media.  Said another way, he may be wound too tightly.  That can certainly become a problem in New York.  However, he nailed the presser - I mean nailed it.  He was direct, and succinct as one could be.  Shurmur left no doubt where he stands regarding a great many things.  In fact, he not only acknowledged his reputation for being too serious, he owned it - just like Tom Coughlin once did, and Bill Parcells did way back when.

Then again, those guys won Super Bowls.

Bill Belichick gets away with being a schmuck because he wins Super Bowls.

Pat Shumur said he couldn't help but notice the Giants four Vince Lombardi trophies on display in the lobby at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants have many holes to fill.  In fact, they may need a rebuild instead of just a retool.  So, let's be pragmatic about the situation.  Bill Parcells went 2-13-1 in his first season as head coach.  But despite being a schmuck, players rallied behind Parcells.  Ben McAdoo also went 3-13, but clearly didn't survive.  Ironically, he got fired in part due to his failed disciplinary policies and how that resulted in a fractured locker room.  McAdoo lost his players respect and they essentially threw him to the wolves.

Therefore, Pat Shurmur can be a schmuck all he wants.  He just needs the skill and tact for making players believe it comes from the heart.

Would the Giants have been better off with either Josh McDaniels or Matt Patricia?

Who knows.  We'll find out over the next five years or so.

But for now, Pat Shurmur's press conference makes this the right choice.

Bill Belichick's minions historically do not fare very well once they venture out on their own.  Think about it - because of their success since 2000, Belichick has gone through countless coordinators on both sides of the ball.  Yet, the Patriots seemingly continue mission without a hitch.

Why?

Bill Belichick is brilliant at making in-game adjustments.  He's been the one constant in New England for 18 seasons.  He possesses a mastery of the game his coordinators simply can not bottle-up and take with them.  The man has a uniquely superior mind for either side of the ball.

Therefore, the Giants could very well be better off with Shurmur.  The question then, is how good will he be at making in-game adjustments?

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: Owners Pull Plug On Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Cleaning House!

New York Giants: Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch Decide It's Time To Make Wholesale Changes.

John Mara confirmed what many fans like myself suspected - it was Ben McAdoo's idea to bench Eli Manning all along.

Sure, Mr. Mara acknowledged he could have easily put a stop to it, and took full responsibility for the poor manner in which things were handled.  In fact, he went as far as consulting with partner Steven Tisch, and together they decided it was time to make wholesale changes!

Giants President John Mara announced on Monday Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese have been dismissed respectively as head coach and general manager of the New York Giants.

ICYMI: 

Ben McAdoo Decides Eli No Longer The Mann..

Heaven forbid Ben McAdoo tailor a system more suitable to Eli Manning's style.

Good coaches do that.  Stubborn, ideological ones, do not.

Since his first day as offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo has been pushing his West Coast dope on Eli Manning, and till the very end sniveled when things went badly.

McAdoo seemingly didn't have much to say last season when Eli led the Giants to an 11-5 record and a return to the playoffs.  He somehow had even less to say regarding his wide receivers' ill advised trip to South Beach just before said playoff game, then offered absolutely nothing during the post-game in response to Odell turning in his worst performance as a professional.

He once again refused this season to take up issue with Beckham after infamously impersonating a dog peeing in the end zone during a game against Philadelphia.  McAdoo has also steadfastly refused to acknowledge any hints of poor play on behalf of the offensive line, and tried minimizing the numerous injuries among the receivers at every turn.

Instead, McAdoo used his words to levy criticism after criticism against Eli Manning.  He even seemly threw his proverbial hands in the air by handing off play calling duties to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan.  But at no time did McAdoo ever once claim responsibility for his own flawed methodology.  He'd much rather have blamed Eli Manning for not carrying the Giants offense like Aaron Rogers carries that of the Packers ... when Rogers is on the field, that is.

Eli, on the other hand, started 210 straight games until Ben McAdoo stepped in.

Once the Giants were mathematically eliminated from this year's playoffs, Ben the Outsider with no real connection to Giants tradition and history, thought it wise to suggest benching the organization's greatest ever quarterback in favor of Geno Smith, or perhaps more accurately, someone better suited to play his awkward style of West Coast nonsense.

All that being said, Jerry Reese signed off on McAdoo's folly.  Generally speaking, though, he put Ben McAdoo in a position to fail, just as he put Kevin Gilbride and Tom Coughlin in positions to fail during their latter days as OC and head coach of the New York Giants.

What started well for Jerry Reese has ended horribly.  The organizational torch was passed to him after the 2006 season by former general manager Ernie Accorsi.  After a fruitful 2007 draft the Giants promptly won a Super Bowl.  Four years later Reese squeezed out the last bit of goodness from the fruits of Ernie Accorsi's labors in capturing yet another Super Bowl.  After which, Jerry Reese failed to sustain the organization's competitiveness.

The Giants indeed spiraled out of relevance.  Ineffective drafting, prohibitive manipulation of the salary cap, and Jerry Reese's over-reliance on free agency have cost the organization dearly.  His inability to replenish and resupply the roster with representative talent has resulted in a 41-51 record since 2012 through the present time, three times posting double-digit losses.

Ben McAdoo deserved to get fired based on the merits of his own shortcomings.  Jerry Reese, because he set the conditions.

BIG BLUE

SHAME ON YOU

That's what the billboard along Route 80 in New Jersey said, and John Mara heard it loud and clear. 

I'll hold off on critiquing his performance during all this for another post. 

In the mean time, Mara is a business man.  Four games remain in the Giants season, and three are at home.  Mara is no fool either, and knew better to stave off a Big Blue maelstrom.  Prominent former Giants players were threatening to parade the sidelines this week wearing Eli Manning #10 jerseys.  Ownership also ran the risk of season ticket holders selling the balance of their games, thus turning MetLife Stadium into the Big Blue Pit of Misery.  It may already be too late for some.  I'm sure in the coming games there will be more Cowboys and Redskins jerseys than usual. 

The question now becomes, how many more than usual?

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

N.Y. Giants: Dysfunction, Junction, What's Your Malfunction?

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Lunatics Are Ruling The Asylum, Again

New York Football Giants: Dysfunction Tends To Slip Into Every Team's Locker Room From Time to Time; How John Mara Intends To Address This Is What Most Interests Me.

When I think back upon instances of Big Blue dysfunction, Wellington Mara's 30-year rebuilding plan comes to mind.  That era was highlighted the very first fan inspired/hired prop plane towing a sign in protest over the Giants practice field.

Then there's Wellington's rift with his brother, necessitating the NFL Commissioner to intercede, and force the Giants into hiring George Young as their general manager.  On that note, there was Pete Rozell laughing it up over Young's selection of an unknown quarterback named Phil Simms out of Morehead State.

Soon thereafter, Bill Parcells went just 3-12-1 in his first season as head coach, and almost got fired as a result.

Lawrence Taylor ... no comment.

When I think dysfunction, I think back on two disastrous seasons under former head coach Ray Handley.

Fast forward a few years to the Jim Fassel era, when he gladly let the lunatics run the asylum.  There was the infamous mental meltdown against the Minnesota Vikings in the 1997 playoffs, in which Giants players starting fighting among themselves on the field, as well as on the sidelines.  Then there was the far more egregious mental meltdown during the 2002 playoffs in San Francisco against the 49ers, in which they blew a 38-16 lead with less than five minutes left in the third quarter.

Jim Fassel wound up leaving a veritable Animal House behind led by Michael Strahan, Keith Hamilton, Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, and a few other prominent frat house pledges.

Tiki Barber's relationship with new coach Tom Coughlin, as well as that of Michael Strahan's with  Coughlin and Jerry Reese devolved to cantankerous levels, and absolutely wreaked of dysfunction.

We also saw what happened in 2007 when Jeremy Shockey sustained a season ending injury, thus freeing the Giants from his dysfunctional oppression of Eli Manning.

These days, the very mention of Odell Beckham's name has become a divisive issue because of the very dysfunction he's perceived to have brought to the team.  His history of immaturity, questionable behavior, and complete lack of professionalism prior to his injury continued undeterred.  Therefore, Coughlin and McAdoo both enabling Beckham the whole time is yet another level of dysfunction.

Dysfunction is Eli Apple saying the club needs a culture change; it's players leaving the field during games; and it's the odd circumstances surrounding Coach McAdoo suspension of Dominique-Rogers Cromartie.

Dysfunction is the background scuttlebutt suggesting Coach McAdoo is losing the team's respect.

There's only one man whom can rectify, or even eliminate, this entire current state of dysfunction presently afflicting the New York Giants - that's John Mara.

With this season already all but lost, when will his patience run out?  Mr. Mara is not afraid to draw a line in the sand and hold his employees to it.  He also possesses reasonable cause to blow this thing up.

The Giants have been hampered by the salary cap, and have drafted poorly for years.  Posting an aggregate record of 39-46 with one playoff appearance since the confetti stopped raining on Super Bowl XLVI, should indeed be making Jerry Reese feel very uncomfortably.

I know Mr. Mara will let Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese finish out the season.  Mr. Mara is going to make them own this debacle.  After which, should the team finish the season under similar circumstances, I can almost guarantee the owner will make the next move.

N.Y. Giants: Eli Trapped in Unsafe Working Condition

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

The Good Old Days?

New York Giants: Eli Manning Surrounded By Ten Big Blue Question Marks; What A Great Time To Start Geno Smith!

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, they got a lot worse.

Brandon Marshall, and the Giants lone legitimate scoring threat, Odell Beckham Jr., are both out for the season with fractured ankles sustained during last Sunday's game against the Chargers.

One has to wonder if the Fates are just piling on now.

When Eli Manning takes the field this Sunday against the Broncos in Denver, he will be surrounded by ten giant question marks, all of which spell big trouble.

Having to break in a whole new compliment of receivers, I feel, is putting Eli directly in harms way.  In fact, the odds of him sustaining his first major injury, or even a potential season ending injury, I believe, are suddenly sky high.

I'll tell you why.

In weeks One and Two, Eli sustained eight sacks, and another 13 QB hits.  Adjustments were made, and as a result, Eli remained relatively untouched against the Eagles in Week Three, and in Week Four against the Bucs.  The offensive line allowed no sacks and just seven QB hits in those games, but that was because Eli was getting the ball off within three to four seconds or less (much faster than he's accustomed to).  And, he also was still throwing to a full compliment of receivers.

In Week Five against the Chargers, the already maligned offensive line was playing without center Weston Richburg (concussion protocol), while John Jerry was playing with a strained hamstring.  The starting front five allowed five sacks, and another seven QB hits.  Eli was under duress when he threw somewhat high on the play Odell Beckham fractured his ankle (but that's football).

Suffice it to say, the offensive line has proven they're incapable of providing even low level protection.  Ereck Flowers, in particular, continues being a liability on the left side.

It's not like Eli can turn to the running game.  Behind the offensive line's compounded inability to create daylight, the Giants are presently 30th in the NFL in rushing yards per game, 28th in total rushing yards, tied for 28th in rushing attempts, yet actually rank 21st in yards per attempt.

Do we have to bring the tight ends into this?

Do we need to bring Ben McAdoo's ponderous play calling into this?

Yeah!

But with respect to Sunday's game, will Eli Manning and his new receiving corp be up to speed against a very good Denver defense?  Will Eli be able to get passes off within three to four seconds again? 

That's why I say, if these new kids on the chopping block aren't operating with the necessary smarts, and playing at the required speed, Eli is in big trouble.

What's going to happen against the rest of these defenses the Giants still must play?

Seahawks?  Rams?  Chiefs?

The more I think about it, the more I feel this might be a great time to start Geno Smith!

N.Y. Giants: Odell Beckham's Dog Day Afternoon

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

"I'm a dog, so I acted like a dog."- Odell Beckham Jr.

New York Giants: Owner Speaks Out; John Mara Pissed Off.

Tuesday's New York Post reported Giants owner John Mara said he's very unhappy with Odell's behavior on Sunday.  He also said the team will handle the matter internally.

I guess that takes the pressure off Jerry Reese and Coach McAdoo to speak out against their best player.

Coach McAdoo refuses to criticize his offensive line, refuses to take exception with Odell Beckham over Sunday's behavior, yet Eli Manning is fair game?  Funny how Coach's big blue marble spins, if not curiously.

For someone who is only three games into his fourth NFL season, OBJ's shameless acts of self-promotion are many.  Topping the list of incidences is a full blown feud with cornerback Josh Norman; his initial assault and subsequent love affair with a kicking net; another meltdown against Minnesota which included bumping a referee; taking the Giants receivers corp on an ill-timed trip to South Beach just before last year's playoff game against the Packers; then putting forth one of his worst ever performances in said playoff game.

The Giants have enabled it all, including Sunday's episode.  The only (person) people who can stop such antics are other players.  Winning locker rooms police themselves.  That being said, Landon Collins was recently on New York City radio condoning Odell's celebration antic.

So there's that ...

Here's the thing - prior to Sunday's game against the Eagles, I believed Odell Beckham's conduct and level of professionalism left himself wide open for public criticism.

What he did Sunday, however, is different.  If we are to take Odell at his word in believing he acted out with a personal protest directed at POTUS, then that's fine by me because protest is the American way.  We The People will settle these issues on our own - thank you - because when the establishment and their conventional wisdom continually fail its citizens; when promises of change and improvement never come; protest is in order.  In turn, protest comes in many and sometimes creative forms.  Sometimes protest even occurs on a football field.

Odell is a smart guy.  He knows exactly what he's doing, and doesn't seemed burdened by potential consequences.  He makes no apologies, and will continue marching to his own beat.  But at the end of the day, we're still talking about football, aren't we?  At least I am.  And as a Giants fan, I do not appreciate the things Odell does.

In all fairness to OBJ, though, I grew up dealing with Lawrence Taylor's issues.  I remember Bill Parcells and George Young cringing whenever their best player did something wrong, forcing them into damage control mode.  Like Taylor, Odell is presently one of the highest profile stars in the NFL There's no denying he's a superior talent, but his self-promotion is increasingly becoming a detriment to the team.  Unfortunately, all those highlight catches have not yet served as a catalyst for elevating Giants success.  Taylor at least helped lead the Giants to a pair of Super Bowl victories.

Odell is a game changing talent, and in the very near future this organization must decide whether committing a king's ransom in order to retain him will be in their best interest.

On that note, there are reasons why Odell Beckham became the fasted receiver to reach 300 receptions in NFL history this past Sunday.  The talent/skill level of the Giants offensive line has been far below par during Odell's three first three seasons with the team.  They've had no tight end to speak of.  In turn, the running game has been futile at best.  Therefore, the Eli/Odell connection continues being the lone extent of recent Giants offensive capabilities.

Knuckleheads abound in life.

In a game they once led against the Vikings, I watched the 1997 Giants defense breakout into a fight against each other while on the field, then lose in ponderous fashion.

Jeremy Shockey was just as problematic as Odell, if not more so because he often worked against a younger Eli Manning instead of with him.  Can't say that about Odell.  He never lambasted his coach to the media either like Tiki Barber did with Tom Coughlin.

It is what it is ...

Some things never change, like older fans wrangling with and against younger sensibilities; debating levels of tolerance or lack thereof; or arguing over personal accountability.

N.Y. Giants: O-Line Puts Worst Foot Forward

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Coach McAdoo 

Serving Up Offensive Line Kool-Aid

Week One

FINAL

Giants        3

Cowboys  19

New York Football Giants: New Season, Same Old Story.

ICYMI: As Offensive Line Goes, So Go The Giants 

This is an offensive line/backfield issue in the collective sense, as much a philosophical issue; be sure of that.  So there's no point in singling out players.  We know who they are, and what they're incapable of.  If anyone needs to be singled out, it's Jerry Reese for de-prioritizing these units over the last six seasons to the point of complete deterioration.

What I'm not sure about, is what Coach McAdoo is trying to sell us.  No coach should ever place himself in agreement with the press by saying, "Yeah, well, my O-Line sucks."  I understand not wanting to throw a struggling unit under the bus.  We all get that.  But reducing the matter to a non-issue.  That's the first indication of a huge problem.  And it's beginning to seem as if his media deflections and denials are cries for mercy.

The Cowboys sacked Eli three times, and registered four more QB hits.  In other words, the pocket was not a hospitable place to be.  Meanwhile the passing lanes remained riddled with obstacles as well.  Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence in particular laid siege to the right side of the Giants O-Line with two sacks, and two more QB hits.

Okay ... so Coach knows he has no running game, and that Eli Manning is in jeopardy with every snap he takes from center.  He also knows that without Odell Beckham Jr. turning seven yard receptions into 65 yard gains the Giants are somewhat impotent.  Sunday night was a Prime Time example (embarrassment).  Sure, Brandon Marshall is a fine receiver in his own right, and is here to alleviate the double team on OBJ.  But with no OBJ, and no viable running game to set up play-action, an average Dallas Cowboys defense (IMO) simply loaded the box, limited Marshall to one catch, and essentially defied the Giants to beat them with Sterling Shepard.

Dallas QB Dak Prescott nearly out-rushed Paul Perkins and Orleans Darkwa by himself.  Big Blue's backs joined to rush a mere ten times for thirty yards.  In fact, the Giants only rushed the ball eleven times all night if you include Sterling Shepard's six yard romp.

If you care to argue Shane Vereen's nine receptions for 54 yards out of the backfield count for something ... fine.  But what if I countered by saying he accounted for 23% of the Giants offense during what was effectively a shutout.

Now consider that guy on the opposing sideline.  Behind a well drafted, cohesive, and effective offensive line, Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott rushed 24 times for 104 yards ... against a good Giants defense.

That being said, the Giants defense played very well Sunday night, holding the Cowboys to 19 points. But if the offense remains intent on leaving them out there for 35:00 minutes a game, then we're all in for a long season.

The score was only 0-3 after the first quarter, and 0-16 at halftime.  We are not talking dire circumstances here.  Those are generally times for regrouping, making adjustments, getting back to fundamentals, and attempting to establish the run again.  But that's only if you have any semblance of a rushing attack.  One must have the mindset as well.  Teams must want to run the ball and commit.   And for that, you need an effective offensive line.  It appears as if the Giants have none of the above.

Dallas rushed for 129 yards and held the ball for 34:14 minutes.  They produced 392 yards of offense on 71 plays.  As previously noted, the Giants only rushed for 35 yards and possessed the ball for 25:46 minutes.  They were limited to 233 total yards on just 53 plays.

If you do not think there is a correlation between running successfully, and time of possession, and victory, then you're drinking Coach McAdoo's Kool-Aid.


 ... and I picked the Giants to win too.