Not to put too fine a point on it, but it was hard to find the point in the Giants offensive performance last night which seemed professional.
So Giants coach Ben McAdoo didn’t bother.
“No part of the offense was functional,’’ McAdoo said, via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
And that might have been an understatement.
The Giants not only lost 19-3 in their opener to the Cowboys, they did it in an anemic fashion, gaining just 233 yards and not crossing midfield until the third quarter. And while the absence of wide receiver Odell Beckham was clearly an issue, the issues were deeper than one guy.
“Obviously he’s a tremendous player but we have players and we have to play better than that,’’ quarterback Eli Manning said.
Manning can’t block for himself, and though he was only sacked three times, there was never much of a chance to get into a rhythm running or passing because of the shabby state of his offensive line. And the results were evident early, as the Cowboys outgained them 265-49, and they managed just two first downs before the break.
“Obviously you miss the best player in the NFL not being out there, but we need to be able to run the ball, control the ball, get first downs, at the very least don’t go three and out,’’ guard Justin Pugh said.
But doing so would require functional, which the Giants aren’t at the moment, and may struggle to be until their line gets better.