Five Things I think About the Giants Going Forward

1. I think the Giants need to find a way to keep Justin Pugh. He is the Giants best offensive lineman, is versatile, and has proved he can hold his own against one of the top pass rushers in the NFL. His presence makes the rest of his linemates better, he is a positive presence in the locker room, and he represents the franchise well.

2. I think Sullivan needs to keep the play calling responsibilities. Since taking over as HC, even with a healthy all-pro WR, McAdoo’s offense has been inconsistent at best, and downright putrid at times. He is quick to abandon the run, and it is questionable whether his run scheme is effective anyway. He is extremely attached to 11 personnel, and has shown he is challenged to defeat cover 2 looks. Sullivan may not be an “offensive genius” for all we know, but his instincts are the antithesis of McAdoo’s. Simply put, Sullivan does not operate as though football is “basketball on grass” and is more along the lines of Coughlin in certain areas. He wants to establish the run, control the line of scrimmage, use play action to take advantage of the defense’s aggressiveness, and makes use of multiple personnel groupings. Without OBJ and other weapons in the passing game, it is unlikely that the Giants will set the world on fire offensively for the rest of the season, however, Sullivan’s approach is what the team needs to play truly complementary football.

3. I think fans need to take a breath regarding the offense going forward. It was great to see a running game, it was great to see some attempt at balance, and it was great to multiple personnel groupings. But don’t kid yourself, the Giants only gained 266 total yards of offense. The offense itself only produced 16 points. This team will continue to miss OBJ, but if it follows the game plan it had in Denver, it will win more of its remaining 10 games than it will lose, but it will probably win ugly.

4. I think Spags needs to keep the defensive line rotation he had at mile high. I’m sure the altitude had much to do with it, but it’s hard to dispute that the DL rotation and some fresher legs in the 2nd half, didn’t pay huge dividends on Sunday night. JPP was a terror, picking up three sacks and a fumble. Snacks played some inspired downs in the interior. And Kerry Wynn had the best game we’ve seen from him in years. Spags needs to keep the rotation going as much as possible. The Giants would arguably be 4-2 if they could hold a 4th quarter lead, and it’s hard to argue that a DL rotation wouldn’t help the team’s performance in the 4th quarter.

5. To keep his job, I think McAdoo needs to continue to focus his energy on being the HC. Aside from all the items mentioned regarding playcalling, it is clear the Giants have a fair amount of immature young players who don’t always do the right thing under pressure and don’t always behave in a professional manner. The last thing anyone associated with the Giants wants to see is a promising young talent like OBJ, Eli Apple, or Evan Engram get noticed for all the wrong reasons or create distractions. As the HC, you are the leader of 53 men, brought together for a common purpose. If McAdoo wants to keep his job, he is going to have show he is the man to do just that. A week ago, the Giants were a laughing stock. The biggest flop in the NFL. He probably won't be able to to get the team into the playoffs, but if he can right the ship and get the team to buy into being part of something bigger than just them, then he will have saved his job and salvaged the season.