This weekend I got hit by a truck called the flu.

Saturday was a delightful melange of explosive diarrhea combined with projectile vomiting. Sometimes these two events occurred simultaneously, which gave my body a serious ass-kicking, that I am still recovering from. And the whole time … I’m wondering … will I be able to watch the Giants play the Packers at 4:40 pm ET?

If you read the previous post, you would know that I mistakenly thought the Giants and Packers playoff contest was scheduled for Saturday. I have no idea how I got that in my head, but this incorrect information was seared into my brain. (Must have been a Macedonian or Chinese fake news site, because I trust Russian news. Just GLASNOST Baby!)

Acquiescing to the flu, and the virus’s vise-like hold that had contracted my body coupled with the ice pick attempting to escape from my cranium, I managed to realize that the game was being played on Sunday. Immediately, I felt relief. Then I cringed at how I wrote an entire post about a playoff game and had the wrong date. (But I was dying of Spanish Influenza, so who the fuck really gives a shit about an erroneous blog post from some hack. And, after I had cleaned up a vomit based in Schweppes Black Cherry Ginger Ale off the bathroom wall, I really was completely apathetic regarding any journalistic integrity I never held.)

Some folks would call my error fake news. Others would attribute this to another BuzzFeed dumb ass writing a blog. Probably both schools of thought would be correct.

After watching Ben McAdoo’s Giants get drubbed by Aaron Rodgers & Company, 38-13, I really did want to puke. My Giants fanboy post predicted a G Men victory, but the real man behind the blog, didn’t believe the Giants were capable of scoring enough points to beat the Pack.

Hail Mary %&*! #$%!  #$&%!

Throughout the regular season, I was mystified by the high level of praise bestowed on head coach Ben McAdoo. Throughout the year, McAdoo did an adequate job, but his team’s success was predicated on the improved play of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit. In no uncertain terms, would anyone describe the Giants’ offense as prolific or explosive.

McAdoo’s gridiron expertise is found on the offensive side of the ball. McAdoo snared the Giants head coaching job, because the front office thought it would be best not to ask quarterback Eli Manning to adjust to a new offense; but there is little evidence to suggest that McAdoo is a great offensive mind.

Against the Green Bay defense, the Giants were incapable of running the ball. McAdoo consistently attempted to run Paul Perkins up the middle. In 10 rushing attempts, Perkins gained 30 yards and his longest run from scrimmage was a 14-yard burst up the gut. (Yep, McAdoo finally proved the Giants could run up the middle.) In Perkins’ nine other carries, the rookie gained 16 yards but McAdoo stayed with Perkins and his belabored strategy of running up the middle. Perkins’ backup, Rashad Jennings, carried the ball 5 times and gained 29 yards.

For the majority of the 2016 season, the Giants were incapable of running the ball, which has more to do with an ineffective offensive line than anything else. Prior to the 2017 season, New York’s offensive line needs to be revamped either through the draft or free agency, because this is not a championship-caliber offensive line.

I would argue that any improvement in the offense, from 2016, could be partially attributed to jettisoning wide receiver Rueben Randle and running back Andre Williams, and demoting tight end Larry Donnell to a backup role.  I’ve wondered whether these three players were Tom Coughlin guys; and if that was the case, Coughlin was loyal for too long with this trio.

TC & LD

Rueben Randle did not make it out of training camp with the Eagles. Boston College great, Andre Williams, scratched out a spot on the Chargers practice squad and was activated for the last game of the regular season, where he gained 87 yards on 18 carries versus the Kansas City Chiefs. And McAdoo seems to only deploy Larry Donnell when he is going to call a run. Every time Donnell ran on the field versus the Packers, all of Lambeau knew the Giants were going to run the ball.

The Giants have three questions that need to be answered:

1. Is Ben McAdoo a good offensive football coach?
2. Does a 36-year-old Eli Manning possess the arm strength and talent to take the Giants on another Super Bowl run?
3. And is Odell Beckham, Jr. a big time player or a big time douche? 

I don’t have the answers to any of the above questions, but the 2017 season should give us some evidence that will be a little more cogent than President-elect Donald Trump’s divestment plans.

Regarding OBJ, the guy is 24 years of age and is still more mature than a 24-year-old Johnny Manziel. I don’t care if OBJ hangs out with Bieber, takes a 2 Live Crew cruise, idiotically warms up shirtless at Lambeau; but the guy has to show up and deliver in the playoffs. Beckham’s inability to make plays versus the Packers – did not cost the Giants the game – but those drops will be used to define OBJ as a playoff pretender.

Johnny Manziel: The NFL’s version of Shane MacGowan 

To shed a negative light on New York’s 2016 season, which will sober up any Giants fan boy, the Giants only played five games against teams that made the playoffs. In those five games, the Giants went 3-2 with two wins coming against the Dallas Cowboys. In comparison, the Green Bay Packers played seven games versus teams that made the 2017 NFL Tourney and the Packers went 5-2 in those games.

The 2016 Giants beat up on the also-rans of the NHL. General manager Jerry Reese needs to provide more offensive tools to Ben McAdoo, which will allow us to see where McAdoo is as an offensive coach. The Giants are a team in flux and 2017 should provide us with more answers than a Donald J. Trump press conference.

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I feel alright. I feel alright tonight. Play the song Mr. Earle.