West Coast Offense: Will It Work for the New York Giants?

Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
It seems to me that everyone is worried about the new west coast offense currently being installed by the New York Giants. After all, it’s being added onto a team that for ten seasons was running under a different scheme ran by the now retired Kevin Gilbride. Of course, it is completely justified to be worried given how poor the starters looked in preseason action. Now — with that justification being fully recognized, let me talk a lot of Giants fans off the ledge and explain exactly why I believe the Giants will get it together soon.
 
Much has been said about this (once-again) maligned offensive line that has not only seen longtime staple at RG Chris Snee retire, but also watched new LG Geoff Schwartz go down indefinitely with a dislocated toe. The good news is: this new west coast offense takes a lot of pressure off the O-line because of how quickly the ball must be released by Eli Manning in play design.

Quick question

Did Peyton Manning ever have any truly great offensive lines protecting him in his days with the Colts? The answer is no, but they looked that way because of a similar style offense the Giants are currently trying to implement. Ben McAdoo’s west coast offense system relies a lot on quick decisions by the quarterback — as well as sharp routes by the receiver — which decreases the overall time the big boys up front have to maintain their blocks. So as long as the offensive line is average (in theory), it really won’t be as much of an issue as we’re all making it out to be.

“So before many Giants fans jump off the ledge into full blown panic…” – Anthony Valerio

Another aspect of this offense is that it requires an intelligent quarterback, to not only learn the system quickly, but executing it efficiently with quick precision passes that will keep the ball moving downfield. Also, the west coast offense intends to keep defenses on their heels at the line of scrimmage, which will eventually (in theory), open up the deep strikes if the signal caller makes it through his short pass progressions. If any QB can learn this in a short time period, it’s Eli Manning, who despite last season, is still one of the most intelligent QB’s in the league and also has underrated footwork which is a must in this uptempo offense.

The Giants have the personnel at receiver to run quick routes and make plays after the catch, especially if Odell Beckham’s 4.43 speed ever comes in to play with his top shuttle times (3.94 and 10.93 respectively) and his ability to score from any spot on the gridiron. If the Giants can get OBJ healthy, even with the holes at tight end, this team has plenty of talent to spread the football all over the field. Keep in mind, the very underrated

at running back, can not only run hard, but can also pass protect and catch passes out of the backfield with skill, something the Giants have lacked since the departure of

.

So before many Giants fans jump off the ledge into full blown panic, consider these points and take comfort in knowing that the Giants are one of the most successful franchises in football for a reason. At the end if the day… they always find a way to get the job done.