New York Giants: Ben McAdoo, Jerry Reese are a package deal
By Zac Wassink
Head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese will fail or succeed with the New York Giants together as a unified duo.
Fans of the New York Giants are obviously and understandably disappointed, dumbfounded and even angry following the team’s 0-4 start to a season that began with so much hope for a Big Blue squad believed to be capable of contending for a championship. Just about every facet of the Giants can be blamed for those four straight losses that seemingly sunk the team’s playoff hopes before fans purchased a single piece of Halloween candy. Many out there are focusing rage toward the head coach and general manager.
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Blame Ben McAdoo. Blame McAdoo for not establishing himself as an authoritarian capable of disciplining wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. years ago if doing so advances an agenda. Blame McAdoo for repeatedly and routinely electing to not kick field goals when logic suggests taking points ahead of risks makes more sense. Blame McAdoo for his offense’s inability to locate end zones, for New York’s lack of a rushing attack and for players committing avoidable miscues during games.
That’s all fair, but those who would group themselves in the “Fire McAdoo” crowd would do well to remember the Giants won 11 games last season during his first full year as head coach. Yes, the Giants had, on paper, an easier schedule a year ago, but the reality of the NFL is that there aren’t many cupcake games on any fixture list. Even the Cleveland Browns, a 1-15 side in 2016, proved to be a difficult out for multiple opponents.
Just as one winning season doesn’t land any coach in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, one lackluster year should not, and probably will not in this scenario, lead to that person’s ouster. McAdoo is getting plenty wrong this fall, and he should be held accountable by customers and the front office. He’s also going to need more than a couple of months to figure things out and be awarded with better talent on both sides of the football.
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Blame Jerry Reese, as did Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News when he wrote the Giants need to fire the general manager. It’s Reese who maintained faith in much-maligned left tackle Ereck Flowers when every existing piece of evidence showed Flowers couldn’t play the position at the highest level. Reese’s rosters have missed the playoffs more often than not since 2010. Reese is failing future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Eli Manning during Manning’s final seasons in the NFL.
Reese helped build two title-winning squads, and those who passionately support Big Blue won’t forget his service to the club. Every organization eventually needs fresh eyes and a new approach. Some would likely argue the Giants arrived at that point well before the start of 2017 despite those 11 wins from a season ago. It’s possible allowing Reese to keep his post after Tom Coughlin “resigned”/was dismissed (whatever you want to believe) will haunt the Giants for up to five years after the fact.
Franchise co-owner, CEO and president John Mara did his best in late 2014 to deny McAdoo was hired to succeed Coughlin at a time when Benny Mac served as offensive coordinator. One doesn’t need to be an NFL insider or a beat reporter to come to the conclusion McAdoo and Reese are an arranged marriage put together by at least one individual who was ready to show Coughlin the door the first chance the opportunity opened. Arranged or not, it’s a marriage, and a coupling that can only be consciously uncoupled at once, like ripping a bandage off the skin with a single forceful pull.
Firing Reese may be the necessary action, but doing so would spark the end of a Giants era. A new general manager is going to want to hire his hand-picked coaching staff, not to mention a young quarterback he can build around. That’s the nature of the business. Forcing an unnamed GM to work alongside McAdoo is a hamster-wheel decision that, more likely than not, will only delay McAdoo’s inevitable departure.
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Manning turns 37 years old next January, his contract should keep him with the Giants for at least one more season, and he clearly isn’t what’s ailing the team four games into the season. The trio of Manning, McAdoo and Reese realistically needs to remain whole up through the conclusion of the 2018 holiday season, at least, before the Giants blow things up; for better or for worse.