New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo didn’t willingly give up playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan. Ownership made it happen.
It wasn’t until his bosses stepped in that New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo decided to take his hands off the team’s offense.
While owners John Mara and Steve Tisch didn’t speak to McAdoo directly before Sunday night’s 23-10 victory over the Denver Broncos, the pair had discussed giving offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan a chance to run the offense more than once with their head coach.
“I think it was a very good adjustment that the coach made,” Tisch said Tuesday at the NFL’s fall owners meeting, per NJ.com’s James Kratch. “It was discussed last week. … He knew it was the right thing to do.”
The Giants looked like a completely different team than they have in years. A dedication to running the ball allowed the team to control the clock, keep their defense rested and wear down Denver’s vaunted defense in the process.
Of course, part of that gameplan was born out of necessity—the team’s top four wide receivers were all injured and unavailable. But part of it was due to Sullivan having a different mindset than McAdoo, who prefers to throw the ball as much as possible.
That it took a push from ownership—and not McAdoo himself coming to conclusion that the offense would be better off with someone else calling the shots—should be concerning.
It’s not for Tisch.
“The job description of a head coach was tested last week, and on Sunday, I think, head coach McAdoo did a great job,” Tisch told Kratch, calling the win “inspirational.”
“He showed up, the players showed up, they had a strong desire to win. It was a very exciting game to watch, and after the game, it was a very happy locker room. …I think coach McAdoo knows that ownership is very supportive going forward.”
While the win was nice, it was only one win. The Giants remain 1-5, in the basement of the NFC East and with a long road ahead of them before they can be considered a decent football team, much less a contending one.
