No more installation. No more getting-to-know-you. No more unearthing something new every day.
No more first-year offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
“It’s not a system any more, it’s our offense,’’ McAdoo said on Saturday after rookie minicamp practice.
The learning curve has given way to Year No. 2 for McAdoo and his offense after an uneven debut season that featured an impressive bounce-back by Eli Manning, predictable growing pains and a strong closing run fueled by the heroics and highlights of rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. There was far too much losing (a 6-10 record), but plenty of signs McAdoo could be sitting on something fairly special.
“I think the last six games, we started to play the way that we wanted to play,’’ he said.
The Giants were just 3-3 in those final six games, mediocrity more a function of a sagging defense than an inability to score and move the football. McAdoo’s offense averaged 29.1 points in the final six games and new for 2015 is a refortified offensive line with the addition of first-round draft pick Ereck Flowers and improved versatility with the signing in free agency of running back Shane Vereen. If Victor Cruz — who missed the last 10 games following knee surgery — returns to form, Manning has another prime threat in addition to the wondrous Beckham.
All signs point to the Giants offense hitting the ground running.
“It is a loser’s mentality to think you can come in here and not miss a beat and pick up where you left off,’’ McAdoo cautioned. “Any success in this league is earned. If you come walking in thinking you don’t have to do any work and you can pick up where you left off and we can execute the way we were at the end of the season, that is a loser’s mind-set.’’
McAdoo is often a low-key and reserved presence, at least for public consumption, but he earned his NFL coaching stripes in Green Bay and thus grew accustomed to offensive dominance. He was an under-the-radar hire a year ago by head coach Tom Coughlin, an assistant who never before had been a coordinator at any level. A year later, he is more familiar with everyone and everyone is more familiar with him.
He does not lack for self-assurance.
“I always battle being over-confident,’’ McAdoo said. “I always battle that. I may hide that sometimes. I have confidence in the guys in the locker room and the guys in the staff room upstairs. We have assembled a good group of men and we are excited about the season.’’
As for his “it’s not a system any more, it’s an offense,’’ McAdoo is a year wiser. He spent last offseason teaching his system, not knowing how it would translate to the talent — or lack thereof — on the roster. A year later, he knows what he has and what has worked, what hasn’t worked and what should work.
“That means it is tailored to the players we have in the room,’’ McAdoo said of his two-year-old offense. “It is about the players, not the plays. We tailored it. You put some stuff out in the storage shed that you may like, but you may not get to because it doesn’t fit with who you are.’’
All of Manning’s statistics trended upward in 2014 after a sub-par 2013, with room for more growth.
“Usually when you put in changes or change the system or address fundamentals, it usually shows up in Year 2,’’ McAdoo said. “I like the look in his eye. I am excited for what is on the plate this year.’’
As for Flowers, he lined up at right and left tackle in the two-day minicamp. He played left tackle at Miami but is projected, at least initially, as a right tackle in the NFL.
“We believe that he has a skill set to play left tackle in this league,’’ McAdoo said. “We will give him opportunities to train at multiple spots.’’
What that means for Will Beatty, the incumbent starting left tackle, remains to be seen. As for Justin Pugh’s expected move inside to guard to pave the way for Flowers, McAdoo said, “That remains to be seen. Justin Pugh, right now, is the starting right tackle for the Giants.’’