This new Giants’ head coach was a former Alabama assistant coach who was part of two BCS National Championships at Alabama and three Super Bowl Championships with New England.
The three finalists in the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions likely wouldn’t immediately press their buzzers for the answer.
Joe Judge is even less familiar than Ray Handley when he was hired.
Any Giant fan –hardcore or average – has to admit that Judge isn’t a household football name.
Giants’ management is counting on him to be the savior that have been longing for since vintage Tom Coughlin days.
We’ll will find out a little more when Judge is formally inducted to the media Thursday afternoon, one day after he signed his deal Wednesday afternoon.
Football insiders firmly believe the 38-year-old will be more successful than Handley’s 14-18 mark over his two seasons. Yes, Eli Manning is a year older then Judge.
According to reports, Judge’s presentation “blew away” Giants GM Dave Gettleman and the rest of the front office staff, and it helped begin the restoration process in an organization that has been 31st from the 32-team field with a success rate of 29-51 during the span.
This was the same organization that reportedly was highly enamored with Baylor whizkid Matt Rhule and he alike until Rhule’s infatuation with the G-Men was heavily persuaded by Carolina with a reported seven-year, $62 million deal.
So, the Giants settled for Judge out of desperation? Josh McDaniels wasn’t coming and Jason Garrett was too hard of a sell to the fan base. Besides, the Giants weren’t going to match Rhule’s deal with them still paying roughly $20 million on former flops Ben McAdoo’s and Pat Shurmur’s deals.
It’s an easy assumption to make, but give Judge a chance.
He is an eight-year, special teams and wide receiver coach, a Bill Belichick disciple who received high praise from the coaching master.
Insiders believe Judge can restore order back to the present chaotic state with a 29-51 mark during the span.
Being a special teams coach, he should have a feel for the entire team.
A young energetic coach could be the solution for a young quarterback, running back, and a handful of defensive youngsters.
Judge suddenly will enter a revived NFC East with the coaching additions of Ron Rivera in Washington and Mike McCarthy in Dallas along with a recent masterful job by Doug Pederson in Philadelphia for his Band-Aid, practice-squad approach to the playoffs.
Giants’ fans will get a first look this week and then it will be an anxious wait until the draft and mini- camps.
Give it to mid-October to see if Judge can steer the team out of football’s Bermuda Triangle and on to stable, calmer waters.
Gettleman needs this choice to be a homerun, or he will be looking at retirement or another job come January 2021.
Stay patient, Giants’ fans, and stay the course for a while.
Give Judge a chance, and hope he is as popular and productive in his way as the other Judge in town wearing Yankee pinstripes