Giants Q&A: What's next for Steve Spagnuolo?
Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo of the New York Giants looks on in the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Will there be any more changes to the Giants’ front office in the immediate future?
“Probably not,” John Mara told Newsday on Sunday, a day after the team fired vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross. That would include any major additions and subtractions and indicate that new general manager Dave Gettleman will run the draft process himself.
Setting up the draft board and organizing the college scouting process had been Ross’ primary responsibility throughout his tenure with the Giants.
“That’s still up for discussion,” Mara said of how the Giants will organize their front office with the second pick in the draft less than four months away.
Was Ereck Flowers benched?
The starting left tackle was inactive and did not play Sunday, but he insisted that was because of a groin injury, not his attitude toward practicing this past week, as a source told Newsday on Saturday.
“That’s false,” Flowers said while walking out of the locker room after the game. “I didn’t get suspended, benched, none of that. Coaches know I talked to the doctors. I wish I was out there. I wanted to play.”
Interim coach Steve Spag nuolo backed up Flowers on that. “I know some other things were said out there,’’ Spagnuolo said, “but he’s been fighting a groin all year long and just couldn’t do it this week.”
What happens to Spagnuolo now?
He’ll have a chance to interview for the head-coaching job, probably this week.
“The season is over and the organization has to get rolling,” he said. “We’ll see what unwinds.”
Spagnuolo said he tried to congratulate every person in the locker room for helping him get his first win in his role as interim coach.
“I apologize for being late,” he said at the start of his delayed postgame news conference, “but it takes a long time to hug 80-some-odd people.”
How rare was Orleans Darkwa’s 75-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage?
Well, it was the longest by the Giants this year, but beyond that, there had been seven times this season in which the Giants as a team did not run for more than 75 yards in a game.
Darkwa’s performance — 154 yards on 20 carries — could not have come at a better time for the pending free agent.
“We didn’t have a lot of wins this season,” he said, “but when we did, you saw I had 20-plus carries.”
He had 20 in the win over Kansas City and 21 in the win over Denver.
Who had the best hit of the game?
Center Brett Jones, probably. He clobbered Washington safety D.J. Swearinger after he tried to return a blocked extra point in the first quarter. “That one sort of came out of nowhere,” Jones said. “I was coming off the field and then you see the coaches yelling ‘the play’s not over!’ Fortunately, they slowed him up and I was able to make the tackle . . . I mean, how often does a guy slow up enough that a lineman catches him?”
What was it like playing in front of a mostly empty stadium?
Difficult. And cold. The temperature at kickoff was 16 degrees, with 16-mph winds.
“Obviously, the so-called fans weren’t out there,” defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said, “but I appreciate all the fans that came out to show their support. Without them, it’s really just us. So I appreciate the fans that came out. They didn’t have to, but those are the true Giants fans.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
