From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
All Scapegoats Have Left The Building
New York Football Giants: The Four Men Responsible For Correcting John Mara's Recent Mistakes.
I've been a witness to some fairly bad Giants seasons. Of course, there are generations who've endured more than me. Others not so much.
Only five times previous to last year did the Giants ever lose as many as twelves games in a season: 1966, 1974, 1980, 1983, 2003.
The first time they ever achieve double-digit losses comes in 1964 with a 2-10-2 record. I was not yet born in 1966, and still too young when in 1974 they post a 2-12 record. But the team goes 3-11 in 1976, the first year I can recall bleeding blue. A few years later, Ray Perkins coaches the Giants to the first twelve-loss season of my recollection. Three years later Bill Parcells in his first season as head coach leads the Giants to a 3-12-1 season. Then twenty years pass until 2003 when Jim Fassell coaches the Giants to a 4-12 record.
No New York Football Giants fan, dating back to 1925, had ever been made to endure a thirteen loss season. Then last year happened. Today, our multiple generations of Giants fans are now united as one in so far that we all saw them together at their very worst.
High-five!
Since everything starts at the top, how does John Mara proceed forward after the worst season in the history of his family business? The simple answer is hiring a new general manager, selecting a new head coach, assembling a new staff, collectively working to cut the dead weight, targeting key free agents, and ultimately marching forward with a roster purged of at least 45% of last year's personnel.
But nothing is ever that clear cut and dry, is it?
After all, John Mara himself played an uncharacteristically large role as a meddler and enabler, not only last season, but over the last few seasons. We know John Mara is a loyal person, and that long relationships do not usually end well, and saying good-bye is hardly ever easy. In the case of Jerry Reese, perhaps he was a bit too loyal. He and Jerry Reese scapegoated Tom Coughlin. Mara in turn then took the lead in scapegoating Ben McAdoo. With no more scapegoats to be found, the time finally come for them both to part ways.
In addition to Reese's departure, John Mara also humbles himself. Any effective owner or executive understands the value of self-reflection and accountability. So he admits recently to being solely responsible for orchestrating last year's Eli Manning consecutive starts streak fiasco, and completely miscalculating the resulting backlash.
For better or worse, the changes that should have been exacted several years ago are now in place. To what lengths and to whom's satisfaction will be an ongoing matter for debate.
Dave Gettleman is the new general manager. I didn't necessarily agree at the time with all his draft selections, but he nevertheless has a supporter in me. He preaches about playing the brand of Giants football I feel for too long has been lacking around these parts. At the same time, I find his previous body of work for the Carolina Panthers commendable. I like the way he generally handles his business, and the press in particular. There are concerns regarding his health, although he says everything is fine. I'll nonetheless be preoccupied with his condition throughout the season because I believe in Gettleman, and want for him to see his transformation of the Giants through to completion.
Next on the totem pole is Pat Shurmur, hired back in January to replace outcast Ben McAdoo as head coach of the New York Giants. I'm not going to pretend I know much, if anything about him. I will say to this point he has exhibited more depth of knowledge, an undeniable self-confidence, superior presentation, and a noticeably better command of outside interference and/or unnecessary distractions than did his predecessor.
Shurmur serves last year as Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator with positive results. He spends his first ten seasons coaching with the Philadelphia Eagles. After which, he serves two seasons as St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator. He then moves on to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns under then executive Mike Holmgren. And later returns to Philadelphia for three more seasons until landing at Minnesota where in 2016 he starts out as tight ends coach, and by 2017 is back to serving as offensive coordinator.
This all makes him an offensive schooled head coach, just like McAdoo, Coughlin, and Fassell, before him. On the one hand, we'll see how he interacts with his own offensive coordinator, and how in turn he manages and trusts defensive delegation, and lastly his ability to fuse both together into effective overall game management.
Mike Shula is the new offensive coordinator. I don't care who his father is, the guy has thirty years of coaching experience. Moreover, he's a Shurmur guy. If you recall, with Kevin Gilbride (and Tom Coughlin) it was always high risk/high reward, and interceptions be damned. Under Ben McAdoo, Eli was coached in shorter yard higher percentage passing, albeit with lower rates of interceptions, but was stymied the whole time by poor game-planning, a substandard offensive line, and the Giants woeful inability to rush the ball. Dave Gettlman has enacted changes to the offensive line, drafted a highly touted college back, and re-signed a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. to a new contract, all of which might help Mike Shula and Eli Manning manage a potentially well balanced attack.
The new defensive coordinator is James Bettcher who comes to the Giants via the Arizona Cardinals. He took over an outstanding Cardinals defense former coordinator Todd Bowles left behind in order to accept the New York Jets head coaching position. However, under Bettcher, the Cardinals nevertheless remained a stout, league respected unit. Year in and year out, they've been among the league leaders in fewest rushing yards allowed. That much can not be denied. But the true common denominator with regards to Arizona's defensive prowess is more a matter of personnel than perhaps their two former coordinators. The Giants defensive unit Bettcher is inheriting, quite frankly, has more problems than a math book, and I wish him luck figuring it out.
