The ax dropped in East Rutherford today as both general manger Jerry Reese and coach Ben McAdoo were both relieved of duties with four games left in the season.
Owner John Mara informed both men this morning as the Giants prepare to play Dallas this weekend at MetLife Stadium.
It’s a quick fall from grace for both as they entered the year as Super Bowl contenders, but all of a sudden, things went south.
The lack of an offensive line – all on Reese – stymied the offense, while McAdoo then started fighting and suspending a number of his defensive backs during the year. It was clear McAdoo lost the locker room and the players tuned him out.
But last month, Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch issued a joint statement that nothing will be done until the end of the season.
However, last week after Mara suggested the Giants should take a look at the other quarterbacks, McAdoo came up with the plan of playing Manning only the first half of games, while reserve Geno Smith would take the second. That was vetoed by Manning, who then was sent to the bench, while Smith started yesterday in Oakland in the Raiders’ 24-17 win.
The uproar and bungling of the Manning benching was just too much and both McAdoo and Reese were shown the door this morning. With three of the last four games at home, Mara risked a fan revolt if both men remained in power.
McAdoo becomes the first Giants coach since 1976, when Bill Arnsparger was given the boot after an 0-7 start to open the Meadowlands and Reese becomes the first general manager fired since 1978.
McAdoo also becomes the first Giants coach not making the two-year mark in 89 years.
Yesterday, when asked about his status, McAdoo said, he “will coach the team as long as his keycard worked.” Apparently, that has been turned off.
It is a fall from grace for the whole organization, who was thought to get things right. Instead this year, the Giants looked like some of the other teams in the area, who had PR disasters.
The NY Post reported defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will take over as interim coach and assistant GM Kevin Abrams will fill in for Reese for the rest of the season, when a full search can be made.
In the meantime, sanity will return to the Meadowlands.
The circus now leaves town.
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