There’s this weird full-circle moment playing out in real time for fans, where the New York Giants just hired John Harbaugh as their head coach, and former Giants HC Ben McAdoo is heading to the Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots.
McAdoo kicked off the decade-long run of Big Blue getting it wrong at head coach -- a list that includes Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, and Brian Daboll. Now, it’s only fitting that someone with Harbaugh’s caliber is the one to finally end the cycle, while the guy who started it all quietly gets the last laugh.
The much-maligned head coach flamed out hard in 2017, as his tumultuous tenure with the G-Men came to a screeching halt after a 24-17 Week 13 loss to the then-Oakland Raiders. A 2-10 start, benching Eli Manning, losing the locker room, and creating total organizational dysfunction all became too much to overcome.
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate was shown the door, and he's been scouring high and low for new opportunities, one of which might end in a Lombardi Trophy. And Big Blue Nation is going to hate that.
Giants fans’ worst Ben McAdoo nightmare is somehow alive and well
McAdoo's career since being fired mid-season in 2017 has been something of a rollercoaster. He's come a long way since he ruined Eli's 210 consecutive starts streak:
- 2020: Jacksonville Jaguars hire McAdoo as their quarterbacks coach
- 2021: Dallas Cowboys bring him in as a consultant
- 2022: Carolina Panthers HC Matt Rhule mistakenly ties his fate to McAdoo as his offensive coordinator
- 2024: Patriots hire him as a senior offensive assistant
- 2025: Pats change his position to a senior defensive assistant
It's interesting to note that the "brilliant" offensive mind has been relegated to a "defensive assistant" position in Foxborough, but I guess we can save that for another time. What's really bothersome is how he's essentially about to fail upwards and stumble into a Super Bowl ring.
New England beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in Denver on Sunday afternoon for a chance to win their seventh championship in franchise history -- they could have been going for their eighth or ninth, but because of a pesky team from East Rutherford, they're missing two.
The Pats will play the Seattle Seahawks, who are led by two former Giants stars, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and safety Julian Love, in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.
Regardless, the thought that McAdoo could be parade-bound in two weeks, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after he set this franchise back a decade, is giving ultimate nightmare fuel. Fortunately, Giants fans have Harbaugh now, and if his initial staff decisions are any indication, things might finally start turning around in North Jersey.