It took almost a month, but the Giants finally showed what their new offensive system could be capable of if every aspect were to materialize. First-year offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo may have New York headed in the right direction.
McAdoo was hired by the Giants in the offseason to succeed Kevin Gilbride, who had previously held the position for eight seasons. The organization seemingly felt it was the time to move on from the traditional run-based offense that relied on success in the play-action pass. They opted for a more contemporary system that focuses more on the passing game. McAdoo served as the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2012 and 2013, so his knowledge of the West Coast offense is significant.
He manned a group of QBs in Green Bay that helped the team reach the playoffs in the two seasons he was there. McAdoo worked closely with Aaron Rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so his job seemed like it was a cakewalk. But when Rodgers broke his collarbone in Week 8 against Chicago and wasn't able to return until Week 17, McAdoo was tasked with getting the backups ready to perform for the next seven games. Seneca Wallace came in relief against the Bears after Rodgers broke his collarbone, but then suffered an injury early in the following game and was unable to play moving forward. So Scott Tolzien took the reigns, but the Packers lost in consecutive weeks to the Eagles and the Giants.
The Packers then decided to bring in Matt Flynn, one of their former backup quarterbacks who knew the offensive system. McAdoo worked with him, and from Week 12 to Week 16, Green Bay went 2-2-1 with Flynn to set up a Week 17 matchup against the Chicago Bears that would decide the winner of the NFC North. Luckily for the Pack, Aaron Rodgers and receiver Randall Cobb both returned that week and led Green Bay to a 33-28 victory and their third consecutive division title.
McAdoo now faces a similar situation in New York. He's introducing a new offensive scheme to Eli Manning and the Giants, who have been under a different system for 10 seasons. And the struggles that come with such a task are immense. The team looked confused and misdirected in the preseason, as fans watched Manning complete just 48.8% of his passes (4.6 yards per pass attempt) with one touchdown in five preseason appearances. Victor Cruz had only four catches, Reuben Randle had three, and you could only find Odell Beckham Jr. on the sideline in civilian clothing.
"We need to take that leap of faith and we need to play fast and trust our instincts. It's a game of anticipation and believing your teammates," said McAdoo at the Giants training camp facility, just a few days after their preseason victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. "If we don't do that, we're not going to grow. We can't go out there and be afraid to make mistakes."
But of course, it was the preseason – a time when everyone is trying new things and working out the kinks. Even Manning began overhauling his footwork after 10 years in the league.
But the preseason horrors continued into Week 1. The Giants opened the season on Monday Night in Detroit against the Lions and were embarrassed 35-14. The offense gained just 197 yards on 57 plays (144 passing yards and 53 rushing yards) and only put together two significant drives. Manning threw two interceptions and the offense only held the ball for 24 minutes compared to the 36 for the Lions. The defense seemed like they were constantly on the field after numerous three-and-outs by the offense.
Despite the terrible loss and awful performances all around, McAdoo did not flinch. He knew Manning was the right guy for the job and managed to see progress in a horrid situation. At that point, McAdoo knew Manning was still reestablishing fundamentals as well as his footwork, which he knows takes time. He was also confident that all of the other experience veterans would keep up their hard work and put the loss behind them.
"Eli's a pro's pro," said McAdoo. "It seems like we have one in every room with Eli, Rashad and Victor. We have guys in each room who go about their business the right way; lead by example, very humble, and charismatic in their own way. There's not a lot of fluff there, not a lot of BS, and that's something you can hang your hat on as well."
In Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, the offense began to kick-start in the second and third quarter, but disaster struck in the fourth. Victor Cruz dropped a third-down pass that hit him in the hands, which would have given the Giants a first down and at least 10 extra yards. New York then punted the ball away and Cardinals receiver Ted Ginn Jr. returned it for a 71-yard touchdown. Now the Giants trailed 19-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Quintin Demps fumbled the return and the Cardinals recovered the ball deep in Giants territory. Luckily, the defense held them to a field goal to keep the game within reach. The Giants then received the ball and marched down the field with a 12-play 65-yard drive, only to watch running back Rashad Jennings trip, fumble the ball and turn it over at the Cardinals 14 yard line. That effectively ended the game, as the Giants went three-and-out on their next series and Arizona kicked a field goal to put the game out of reach with a minute remaining. Regardless of the outcome, everyone saw the Giants were capable of moving the ball: the offense compiled 341 total yards (260 passing, 81 rushing) and had a solid time of possession (32:29), but the three turnovers were the difference maker.
Following that loss, Cardinals' head coach Bruce Arians showed some empathy for the transitioning Giants and acknowledged why they're struggling early on.
"I did this with Carson Palmer last year," Arians told the New York Daily News. "He had been in the same system pretty much nine years and he has ideas, then you are trying to re-program. It is much easier getting a rookie and brainwashing him than it is to take a veteran and change him totally into a new system. I try to never judge a quarterback in a new offense until Week 8."
The Houston Texans visited New York in Week 3, and that was when the Giants started to see their offense come to fruition. With help from the defense (three interceptions), Manning and the offense marched up and down the field on the Texans defense, which had previously only surrendered 20 points in their first two games. The Giants scored 30 points in their first victory of the season, with Manning having a near-flawless game and Rashad Jennings rushing for a career-high 176 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, Manning spread the ball to his receivers (five different skill players had at least two receptions) and was 21-for-28 with 234 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Although this was no sure-fire indication that the offense would be taking the league by storm, it was tremendous progress for a unit that looked lost and helpless for over a month.
"The biggest challenge is time," said McAdoo." Some things happen for the first time - the first time the [offense] sees certain looks. You just have to teach off of it, they have to grow and learn, and you have to move on."
And then came last night. It seemed as if time was never an issue for the Giants after they stomped the Redskins 45-14 on the road. Manning was 28-of-39 for 300 yards and four touchdowns with a meaningless interception that wasn't even his fault. New York scored in every quarter (7, 17, 7, 14) and the running game was again successful for the second week in a row. The team rushed for a total of 154 yards on 38 carries (4.1 average) and two touchdowns. Tight end Larry Donnell hauled in three touchdowns from Manning (the first three of the game) through his elaborate dissection of the middle of the field, finishing with seven catches for 54 yards. Oh yeah, and the defense forced six turnovers while only allowing two significant drives by the Washington offense. The Giants' time of possession ran in excess of 37 minutes.
So, after these initial offensive sparks, should we buy into the Giants plan for a high-powered offense? The numbers tell the story: with 75 points in the last two games (compared to just 28 in the first two), this is probably a good time to start believing.
"It's our scheme," reiterated McAdoo. "I said that from the beginning and we'll continue to say that. This isn't about one man or one man's offense. This is about the New York Giants' offense growing and learning together. I look forward to the challenge."
New York will face Atlanta at home and the Eagles and Cowboys on the road before entering their bye week. That should give everyone enough time to assess whether the McAdoo, Manning and the Giants are continuing to move in the right direction and if they're capable of competing among the league's best.