New York Giants: Pat Shurmur a blessing in disguise?

The New York Giants settled on Pat Shurmur as new head coach, and ownership will now hope he will prove to be a diamond in the rough.

Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur was never the first choice of those running the New York Giants to replace Ben McAdoo as head coach. One would need roughly 30 seconds of Internet searching to determine this. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan recently wrote, the Giants, and particularly co-owner John Mara, were high on New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Both appear headed elsewhere following Super Bowl LII.

Patricia and McDaniels are both big names for all they’ve achieved with the NFL’s only dynasty of the 2000s. McDaniels has prior experience as a head coach, while Patricia seemingly has the personality and, yes, the look that could make him a star in the New York market were he to win. It also probably doesn’t help Shurmur’s case that the Giants were linked with two other well-known coaches earlier this month.

It’s possible, if not a guarantee, we’ll never know if Bill Belichick even entertained the notion of completing a historic move from New England to East Rutherford to return to the Giants. Once that rumor first hit websites and local sports talk radio, however, it couldn’t be ignored, and neither could Bruce Arians publicly saying Alabama’s Nick Saban supposedly “covets” the Giants gig. Belichick and Saban are legends. Shurmur, no disrespect meant, probably won’t get to such a level between now and his last game on the sidelines.

Those of us not in the front office or at the negotiation table can’t say if Shurmur is a panic buy of owners who didn’t want to wait until February to name a new coach. What’s done is done. Shurmur is the guy, and he is now tasked with getting the last bits of greatness out of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning while at the same time selecting and grooming Manning’s future replacement and, of course, also guiding the Giants back to the playoffs beginning later this year.

Shurmur’s resume includes developing multiple signal-callers as an assistant. He’s credited with shaping Philadelphia Eagles great Donovan McNabb, he worked with Sam Bradford on two occasions, and he molded Nick Foles into a proven starter ultimately capable of playing in a Super Bowl. Case Keenum, who started for the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, will likely earn a massive payday come March thanks largely to Shurmur.

Skeptical Giants fans will be asked to ignore Shurmur’s tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, where he accumulated a 9-23 record before being shown the exit door. Those individuals will be told to remember Shurmur was never given an elite QB prospect in Cleveland, as neither Colt McCoy nor Brandon Weeden checked that box. They’ll be told the Browns are so infected with a losing culture that nobody has won anything of note there in over a decade.

That’s all fair. Shurmur, figuratively speaking, was eaten alive by Cleveland beat reporters, radio hosts and journalists during his two seasons in Northeast Ohio. His lack of energy, enthusiasm and personality became subjects of running jokes and a Fake Pat Shurmur Twitter account that became somewhat of a sports personality for a few months or so. If Shurmur couldn’t survive the Cleveland press, how will he possibly deal with the New York media?

To borrow and modify a phrase from iconic television show The West Wing, they’ll like Shurmur when, or if, he wins. Shurmur winning or losing press conferences will mean little, if anything at all, to Giants fans who expected to see Big Blue make a playoff run last fall. They want Shurmur to do whatever possible to have Manning retire a champion. They want Shurmur to keep Odell Beckham Jr. on the path toward the Hall of Fame. They’d love to see the Giants actually score 30 offensive points in a game under Shurmur.

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Shurmur wasn’t New York’s first or second choice. The last time Giants ownership fell in love with an advertised offensive guru, they arranged a marriage between McAdoo and Tom Coughlin before naming McAdoo head coach. McAdoo’s roller-coaster ride included a postseason appearance, Manning’s benching and multiple player suspensions. He’s now arguably the least popular Giants head coach since the days of Ray Handley.

Mara and company got it wrong with McAdoo. The Giants faithful must hope the team tripped and fell into finding a winner this time around.