UPDATE (1/15/16): The Indianapolis Colts have hired Joe Philbin as offensive line coach.
With former offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo getting promoted to head coach (formal announcement and press conference coming shortly), the New York Giants are now reportedly going to hire former Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin as offensive coordinator.
My knee-jerk reaction is negative. Just about everything we heard out of Miami about Philbin was bad. He lost control of players at practice, he wanted to get rid of Ryan Tannehill and draft Derek Carr, he was holding back offensive coordinator guru / wunderkind Bill Lazor. Google “Joe Philbin” and you’d be hard pressed to find any positive headlines.
With the First Pick
McAdoo and Philbin have history together. They met in 2006 when both were coaches with the Green Bay Packers. McAdoo was the tight ends coach, Philbin was the Offensive Line coach. The next year, Philbin would get promoted to offensive coordinator, a position he’d hold until 2012 when he was hired as Dolphins head coach.
With Philbin as OC, the Packers were fourth in the league in points scored, second in the league in total yards and passing yards in 2007. In 2008 (Aaron Rodgers’ first year as starter), Green Bay was fifth in the league in points scored. In 2009, the Pack was third in the league in points scored, fourth in passing touchdowns, least giveaways, and second least interceptions. In Philbin’s fourth year as OC in Green Bay, the Packers were 5th in the league in passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns. Philbin’s last year in 2011 saw the offense have its best season passing the ball: third most total yards, most points scored, second least giveaways, third most passing yards, most passing touchdowns, and second least interceptions.
But, in all five seasons as OC in GB, Philbin’s running game was never better than middle of the pack. Thrice the offense was in the bottom five of the league in rushing attempts, and rushing yards. The only positives I can pull from the rushing attack were the rushing touchdowns in 2009 and the fumbles lost.
As Dolphins head coach, his offenses were in the bottom five of the league in total yards and points scored for three of his four seasons. Bottom eight of the league in three of four seasons for rushing attempts.
All of that doesn’t bode well for the Giants. As mentioned before, the Giants don’t win most games when Eli throws more than 40 times. The key to Big Blue’s success is balance. Knowing that Philbin stifled Lazor, who was a proponent of balance, further sours the decision to bring Philbin in.
The Giants offense doesn’t have issues passing the ball. They’ll get Cruz back, pick up another guy in the draft, maybe free agency. If the G-Men want to win the division and make the playoffs and be a Super Bowl team, they have to be able to run the ball and pick up first downs in short yardage on the ground.