When Ben McAdoo was introduced as the Giants' coach in January, he made as much news with the oversized suit he wore as he did with anything he said about the job he had inherited from Tom Coughlin. The jokes were quick to follow, and the buzz on social media was unmistakable.
So, too, was the obvious metaphor: Would the jump from mostly anonymous offensive coordinator to head coach in New York also be too big for the small-town guy from Homer City, Pa.?
At 10-4 and on the verge of the team's first playoff appearance in five years, McAdoo has answered any skepticism about whether the job was out of his depth. The suit may have been too big, but not the task of getting the Giants back into the postseason mix.
McAdoo has done such a good job of turning them around that he deserves to be in the conversation for NFL Coach of the Year honors.
The Giants can clinch a playoff spot by beating the Eagles on Thursday in Philadelphia, which would make this season one of the most important in franchise history. Credit McAdoo for quickly adapting to his expanded role in one of the toughest markets in the world.
"I think he's done a great job of rallying the team," Eli Manning said Monday, the day after a 17-6 win over the Lions. "After each week, just dealing with whether it's the ups or downs and getting us prepared and ready to play the next week. I think he's done a good job of keeping things fun and keeping things light. Also having a serious side. I think he's handled the situation very well."
He has indeed, especially the off-field challenges of the Josh Brown situation and the controversy sparked by Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protests. The Giants received national scrutiny when news broke about Brown's one-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy in connection with a domestic violence arrest in 2015. The team was rightly criticized for retaining Brown in the first place and then for initially keeping him after court documents exposed just how pervasive his abuse of his wife had been. McAdoo struck the right tone with his players in shepherding them through a painful process.
He also ingratiated himself with them over their concerns about racial injustice, a conversation Kaepernick renewed by refusing to stand for the anthem. McAdoo also convinced his players to stand out of respect for those who have sacrificed for this country.
McAdoo's handling of Odell Beckham Jr.'s volatile temper is another plus. He dealt with Beckham's ridiculous outbursts earlier this season with what appears to be the right mix of discipline and understanding. The talented yet temperamental receiver seems to have gotten a handle on the issue, although there's still no telling whether his emotions will get the best of him.
Oddly enough, the one area in which McAdoo has struggled is his primary area of expertise. After team president and co-owner John Mara decided to make a coaching change, McAdoo was a viable alternative to Coughlin largely because of his work with Manning as offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015. But McAdoo's offense this season hasn't been anywhere close to being as effective as in the previous two years. The Giants haven't scored more than 28 points in a game this season, and have only 41 in their last three games combined.
Manning sees small signs of improvement, though.
"Teams are playing us a little different and forcing us to run the ball, not giving us the big shots (in the passing game)," he said. "We have to be able to just take what the defense is giving us. If that's what's going to work, let us move the ball and score points, then that's how we have to play."
Manning and McAdoo can be thankful the Giants have a championship-caliber defense to continually bail them out. But the formula has worked so far, and McAdoo deserves credit for the turnaround season. It's certainly good enough for him to join Bill Belichick of the Patriots, Jack Del Rio of the Raiders, Adam Gase of the Dolphins and Jason Garrett of the Cowboys in the discussion for Coach of the Year.
