How the West Coast offense relates to the 2014 Giants

For the last decade new Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has been an assistant coach for Mike McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers. For the entirety of that time he has been immersed in McCarthy's version of the WCO. For much of the same period of time the Giants have been running a Run and Shoot flavored offense under Kevin Gilbride. Unlike the WCO, the R&S offense seeks to attack vertically down the field. Instead of precise timing between quarterback and receiver, it relies on the quarterback and receivers making the same pre- and post­snap reads based on the body language of the defenders.

This is the multi­million dollar question: How will McAdoo adapt his background in the WCO to the New York Giants?

Off the field, head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning should take to the meticulous nature of the WCO like fish to water. Coughlin is known as a detail-oriented coach who thrives on organization. Eli, much like his brother, Peyton, thoroughly prepares for every game, watching hours of film and helping his offense to prepare as well.

On the field, the quarterback and receivers alike will likely benefit from the reduced complexity of the routes. As well, the running game, which was stagnant at best in 2013, should benefit from an offensive system that seeks to spread the opposing defense out and force it into smaller sub­packages.

From a personnel perspective, the Giants' receiving corps should fit passing tendencies of the West Coast Offense very well. Receivers Victor Cruz, Jerrel Jernigan, Odell Beckham Jr., and when healthy Mario Manningham, all possess exceptional quickness. They can create separation off the snap and get yardage after the catch. As well, running back Rashaad Jennings is the type of all-around running back WCOs have traditionally used to great effect.

The keystone to it all is Manning. All of Eli's career has been spent in Gilbride's vertical offense. Over that same period, the Giants' quarterback has been known as a talented but inconsistent passer. The Giants will be anxious to see how Manning adapts from an offense that was predicated on a long­developing, relatively high-risk, high-reward passing attack to an efficient, defined, quick­strike passing attack. Manning will have to refine, even re­learn, his throwing mechanics after a 2013 season that saw them degrade under a series of defensive assaults.