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Week after week, as the offense struggles and the losses continue to mount, New York Giants rookie head coach Ben McAdoo is asked if he will consider giving up the play-calling duties. Each week, he continues to call the plays.
McAdoo was asked about the play-calling duties again Thursday during his weekly appearance on WFAN radio with Mike Francesa. He told Francesa calling the plays himself was "the best way to dictate the game."
"Instead of sitting back and have another hand in managing the game, I think you have the best of both worlds. We have a chance to dictate the outcome of the game," McAdoo said.
"I think if it’s your first year as a play caller and first year as a head coach, I think that would be a lot to handle. But with a few years under my belt calling plays and the pedigree and the feedback and the communication I’ve had with other coaches in the league who have done it, I think it’s pretty natural."
So, Giants fans, should McAdoo be calling the plays? Would you like to see him turn that job over to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan and concentrate managing the entire game? Vote in the poll below and let us know what you think.
McAdoo, of course, called plays the past two seasons for the Giants when he was offensive coordinator. He spent most of his NFL coaching career working under Mike McCarthy who, of course, calls the plays for the Green Bay Packers. With those things in mind, it was predictable that McAdoo would want to maintain that responsibility as head coach.
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Giants’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was a head coach for three seasons with the St. Louis Rams, and thus has some perspective on play-calling as the boss. He said he began his tenure in St. Louis as the defensive play-caller, but said he "gradually turned it over."
Spagnuolo said McAdoo has sought his counsel regarding the transition from coordinator to head coach.
"I’ll tell you what’s great about Ben. He’s a great listener. Always looking to learn. That’s one thing that I respect a great deal of. He’s always asking. He’s not one of those people that has all the answers or thinks he has all the answers," Spagnuolo said. "We’ve had a lot of conversations. I hope I’ve been able to help. It’s not easy. First time doing anything. You can have all the books and education that you want but you have to go through it."
So, back to the question. Should McAdoo continue to call the offensive plays, to would the Giants be better served if he gave up that duty to focus on game management?