The rumor mill around the New York Giants keeps turning into Sunday and two of the most controversial figures within the organization, head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese are right at the epicenter.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday morning that McAdoo could be fired within the next 24 hours after the Giants’ Week 13 matchup against the Oakland Raiders.
He also added that general manager Jerry Reese’s status “is highly tenuous.”
Their prospective removals have picked up major momentum ever since the surprise benching of Eli Manning, which was announced on Tuesday. Sunday afternoon will see the Giants start a game without Manning under center for the first time since 2004, a 210-game streak that was second-longest in NFL history.
The process of benching Manning was a sloppy affair, one that co-owner John Mara admitted could have done in better tasted considering Manning has won the franchise a pair of Super Bowls over his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career.
However, Manning’s benching was just one of a few egregious made by McAdoo and Reese over the past year.
While the Giants put together a collection of offensive playmakers, Reese basically ignored the fact that his offensive line was lacking, making no major changes between the 2016 and 2017 seasons. It resulted in Manning constantly being put under pressure and hit while the run game has struggled to find any kind of consistency.
Regardless, McAdoo has done little to get anything out of his roster, which has looked unmotivated and despondent at times. He has suspended Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins throughout the season and has been defiant towards the New York media.
A season after making the playoffs and compiling an 11-5 record, the Giants are 2-9 and rolling out Geno Smith to start against the Raiders. There’s little chance it’s going to get better and an embarrassing loss this afternoon will only accelerate the turnover process within the franchise.
