| What I learned from Coach Belichick was real simple—be flexible within your personnel. Don't try to shove round pegs into square holes. Figure out what you have. Let them play to their strengths. Don't sit in a meeting and tell me what you don't have in a player. Don't tell me they can't do certain things, tell me what they can do and then we'll figure out as coaches, because that's our job, how we can use that. That's our responsibility. Everybody has something they can do. How many castoffs do you see around the league in the NFL on another team that everyone says, 'Wow, how'd they get that out of them?' Maybe they just weren't closing their eyes to what they could do. We have to, as a coaching staff when we get assembled, we have to make sure we're sitting down, we're patient with our players, we fully evaluate them, we find out what they can do to be an asset, and that we're not foolish enough to not use them. |
With reports from Mike Garafalo saying Judge had to step in and help the offensive line lately, and recent reports on Andrew Thomas going back to his technique he used at Georgia. Maybe I'm wrongly connecting the dots here but it looks like Judge didn't believe in Colombos assessment on the offensive line.
Looks like we have a keeper.
Link - ( New Window )
Bobby Skinner spends a couple hours breaking down the Giants OL each week, I encourage you to find some time and watch it. He mentioned there is no Georgia technique. Paul Alexander has an axe to grind because he was fired and then replaced by Marc Colombo in Dallas.
What Judge appears to be doing is exactly what he said he was going to do.
Lots of people talk about things like "show me what you can do," but they don't like getting away from what they would like the player to do...so they keep trying to "change" the player.
It's early but Coach really does appear to practice what he preaches...and that's a good thing.
I look at it another way. I think the NFL has passed Dave Gettleman by. I think he's a major problem going forward for the Giants. His first 2 years were a disaster.
Drafting a RB #2, drafting a 2 down run stopper at #17 with edge rushers on board, all the horrible trades and FA signings are examples we've beaten to death but Joe Judge is making Gettleman's 3rd year look genius.
Almost all the FA signings are contributing and Bradberry is playing at an All Pro level. Almost all the draft picks are playing well or improving and we haven't even seen McKinney yet. Coincidence of the coaching change? I don't think so. A HC figuring out how to use players to emphasize their strengths and hide their weaknesses as much as possible? Exactly what Judge mentions in the quote referenced by the OP. It's so rare in the NFL, in all sports. Very few HCs can do it.
The question for next season will be does Judge have enough influence keep the FAs he wants to keep and to bring in the front 7 speed type players on defense that Gettleman has ignored. If he does the Giants are going to be really fun to watch in 2021.
Forget the article. Thomas himself said last week that he was going back to some thins that worked at Georgia.
First and foremost, Thomas still has plenty of development on his horizon if there indeed are significant differences in how he approached blocking in college vs pros. While there are obviously adjustments and tweaks in approaches during the season, there are still clear-cut sound fundamentals that should always be adhered to.
And, by the way, if the college approach was so fine and dandy then why did he still give up a sack on the first play of the game, and an unneeded holding penalty that took 7 off the board late in the game.
Conclusion - he still has work to do.