Giants' owners: Despite 'extremely disappointing season,' Ben McAdoo has support

Shalise Manza Young
·Columnist

Things are not going well for the New York Giants, head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese.

On Sunday, the Giants fell to 1-8, continuing their faceplant just a season after going 11-5 and making the playoffs. That came just a few days after two players anonymously told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that McAdoo, just midway through his second year as head coach, had lost his team and players have given up on the season.

But while the notoriously biting New York tabloids made their thoughts clear on Monday morning, on Monday afternoon the Giants released a statement from team owners John Mara and Steve Tisch affirming McAdoo’s status as head coach.

For now.

Columnists and fans are calling for his head, but Giants owners John Mara and Steve Tisch gave a statement of support for Ben McAdoo on Monday. (AP)
Columnists and fans are calling for his head, but Giants owners John Mara and Steve Tisch gave a statement of support for Ben McAdoo on Monday. (AP)

“Ben McAdoo is our head coach and has our support,” the statement said. “We are in the midst of an extremely disappointing season. Our performance this year, particularly the past two weeks [the Giants lost at home to the Rams, 51-17, and then the 49ers, 31-21], inexcusable and frustrating. While we appreciate that our fans are unhappy with what has occurred, nobody is more upset than we are.

“Our plan is to do what we have always done, which is to not offer a running commentary on the season. It is our responsibility to determine the reasons for our poor performance and at the end of the year, we will evaluate the 2017 season in its entirety and make a determination on how to move forward.”

There was no mention of Reese, who has been the team’s general manager since 2007.

New York is near the bottom of the league in several key categories on both offense and defense – 28th in points for (16.7 per), 28th in points against (26.4), converting just 35.2 percent of their own third-down chances while allowing conversions on 44.1 percent of opponents’ opportunities.

After essentially forcing Tom Coughlin out the door after the 2015 season, Reese was given the green light to spend $200 million in free agency to bring defensive tackle Damon Harrison, defensive end Olivier Vernon and cornerback Janoris Jenkins to the team.

One year later, the Giants have the 31st ranked defense in the NFL based on yards allowed.

While sacks aren’t the only indication of a unit’s ability to generate pressure, New York only has 13, tied for worst in the league; they’ve allowed 35 plays of 20 or more yards and nine plays of 40 or more yards, again in the bottom quarter of all teams.

Yes, the Giants have lost receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall to significant injuries, but Beckham and Marshall wouldn’t have helped stop, say, the 52-yard touchdown on third-and-33 the defense allowed two Sundays ago against the Rams.

New York still has four NFC East games left among its final seven, as well as games with Kansas City, Oakland and Arizona.

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