Put the blame for the 0-4 Giants on Ben McAdoo
Coach Ben McAdoo of the Giants looks on from the sideline against the Bucs on Oct. 1, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Credit: Getty Images / Brian Blanco
If you’re looking for a screed about Ben McAdoo that calls for his firing after 21 games on the job, then please look elsewhere. Twitter and Giants message boards have plenty of what you’re after.
It is too early to make that kind of definitive evaluation. Even after an 0-4 start for which much, if not most, of the blame lies squarely on him, it’s still too soon to infer that he isn’t up to the job and the Giants need to look for a new coach.
That said, it is not too soon to say McAdoo has put forth an utterly miserable performance with a team that easily could be 3-1 instead of still searching for its first win in October. Right now, this is a slipshod operation being authored by a coach who showed such promise during an 11-5 rookie season that earned the Giants their first playoff berth since 2011.
For all the good he put forth in 2016, when the Giants were competitive just about every week until their blowout by Green Bay in the wild-card game, McAdoo has failed at every turn. It would take a statistical miracle to get back to the playoffs, and it’s unfathomable that they could duplicate the 1992 Chargers’ feat of becoming the only team in NFL history to recover from 0-4 to make the playoffs.
The Giants do nothing well at this point.
That’s on coaching. Period.
The offense was a no-show the first two weeks, and only now has shown flickering signs of life that still weren’t enough to eke out wins the last two weeks. McAdoo got the head-coaching gig based largely on the fine work he did with Eli Manning’s offense in 2014 and 2015, but what we’re seeing now is nothing at all like the unit he presided over as coordinator.
His offense has scored just two first-half touchdowns all season, which has put enormous pressure on a defense that also has underachieved, especially the last two weeks. Handed a lead on the final drive against the Eagles and Bucs, the defense couldn’t make key stops. That left the Giants hopelessly standing by as time expired when Jake Elliott nailed a 61-yarder in Philly and Nick Folk made a 34-yarder in Tampa.
“We still have a good team, done some good things, just not quite making enough plays to win the game,” Manning said after Sunday’s loss. “You’ve got to earn every win. It’s not easy. We’re doing some things (well), just not playing well enough to win the game.”
In a league with such a slim margin for error, good coaching often is a deciding factor, and McAdoo has failed at every turn. The offense is not ready to play at the start of games, and the defense fades at the end of games.
McAdoo and his players spoke openly during the offseason and preseason about adding a fifth Super Bowl trophy, and it seemed there was legitimate reason to consider the Giants true contenders in the NFC. But maybe this team could have used a dose of humility, the likes of which McAdoo’s predecessor, Coughlin, was only too willing to provide.
“Talk is cheap. Play the game,” was one of Coughlin’s favorite expressions. McAdoo’s bravado has been empty bluster. He wouldn’t admit to being surprised at the 0-4 record Sunday, creating an awkward moment for himself. He explained Monday that “it’s not surprising when things aren’t going well that you really have to buckle down.”
McAdoo hasn’t proven adept at creating a polished public image, and isn’t the type who is concerned about winning the press conference. And that’s OK, because the Jets had a coach who won every press conference but failed to reach the playoffs after his first two seasons. So there’s no need for him to be Rex Ryan.
But there is a need for McAdoo to be better — a lot better — at his job on game day.
If not, then his reckoning eventually will come.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
