The New York Giants are in the midst of the worst possible season imaginable, stuck in the NFC East basement at 1-7. It wasn't supposed to go this way, as they were considered by some a preseason Super Bowl sleeper pick.
At the root of the dysfunction lies head coach Ben McAdoo, a wholly uninspiring choice who's reportedly lost some of the locker room already.
Here are three reasons why the Giants should tune McAdoo out:
Vilification of Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham is one of the NFL's premier talents and is the type of player every offensive-inclined mind like McAdoo dreams of coaching. Beckham is also one of the NFL's most flamboyant players and enjoys the perks of being a modern American superstar, regularly hanging out with Drake while exuding the style and flair for which every 25-year-old strives.
Conservative sportswriters and fans alike often use Beckham as a symbol of modern excess and try to paint him as a diva. Most coaches would come to the defense of their franchise player, especially when he's never had an off-field issue. McAdoo, however, is content to let outlets suggest Beckham is the problem, well after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury. The infantilization and vilification of Beckham is sheer nonsense, borne of McAdoo's own insecurity. It's a key reason why he should be further tuned out.
Throwing players under the bus
If Bill Belichick's stoicism is the model for most coaches to emulate, then McAdoo missed the memo. Equating McAdoo's bland personality for quiet leadership would be a tragic miscalculation, and the Giants' head coach has been quick to feed his players to a fervent press corps in the world's largest media market. Two anonymous players told ESPN they've tuned McAdoo out, and it's no wonder why.
McAdoo suspended Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for violating team rules, a veteran who otherwise has been universally respected throughout his career. Later, McAdoo would sanction Janoris Jenkins for missing practice and do nothing to repair either other player's reputation, while the Giants sank to the bottom of the NFC East. McAdoo also lambasted Eli Manning several times, despite his own reputation as an offensive genius.
Great leaders don't absolve themselves of responsibility. In McAdoo's mind, it seems everyone but him is at fault for this calamitous campaign.
Inability to make an imprint on playing style
After spending a year as the Giants' offensive coordinator, McAdoo was promoted to head coach after Tom Coughlin was forced to resign. McAdoo was billed as an offensive wunderkind and an offensive savior who'd breathe life into the team's stale concepts.
Nearly two years later, that couldn't seem further from the truth. The Giants are averaging 16.1 points per game, tied for 28th with the Bengals. Meanwhile, the Giants haven't been able to adapt their offense since Beckham got hurt, nor have they shown any semblance of a running game. It appears the Giants may have bought way too high on their asset, and are now stuck with a head coach who's in way over his own head.
Head coach of the New York Giants is one of the NFL's most coveted positions, perhaps in all of professional sports. It seems likely the Giants will have their fair share of inspiring candidates to take over for McAdoo later this winter.
