Giants' GM Jerry Reese: 'I'm the reason we're 1-6'
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Enough pointing fingers at embattled left tackle Ereck Flowers or the New York Giants' offensive line. General manager Jerry Reese says to point them directly at him after the team's 1-6 start to the season.
The Giants head into their bye week with the NFL's third-worst record. Only the winless Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers have fared worse, and this Giants team entered the season with lofty expectations after finishing 11-5 last season while ending a five-year playoff drought.
"This is the roster that I put together. I'm the reason we're 1-6," Reese said at his annual bye week news conference. "We do have to play better as a team. So we lose together, we win together. I believe everyone is accountable here for what goes on. We're 1-6 together. But you can put it all on me."
Everything has seemingly gone wrong for the Giants this season. The offense which they tried to improve this offseason has continued to struggle. With an average of 16 points per game, they rank third worst in the league in points scored, and the key offseason acquisitions -- wide receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Rhett Ellison-- have made minimal impact.
Marshall is out for the season with an ankle injury. So is star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Even the Giants' defense, which was supposed to be the team's strength this season, has slipped. They are ranked 27th defensively and have allowed several late leads to slip away.
The general manager says the blame should be in his direction, and he knows where the spotlight shines.
"It's the National Football League. If you can't take criticism, you should quit," Reese said. "If you're a general manager of a football team, or a player, or a quarterback, or you play any position, if you can't take criticism, you should quit."
Giants coach Ben McAdoo and Reese have been common targets over the first seven weeks of the season.
Does Reese believe his job is in jeopardy?
"That's up to the owners of the New York Giants," he said. "You can ask them what they like. I just know that I come to work every day, and I know people come in here and work their behinds off every day, and so that is a question you should ask owners."
Reese's assessment of what has gone wrong included the Giants' listening too much to the preseason hype, losing all their close games and beating themselves with self-inflicted mistakes. He defended his oft-criticized offensive line, saying it has been comparable to a lot of other units out there.
He also insisted Flowers has shown improvement and was comparable to many other left tackles.
"This is a common theme. Everyone wants to beat up on Ereck Flowers," Reese said in his latest defense of the ninth overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft. "Ereck Flowers is not the reason we're 1-6."
But he is part of the reason the Giants are 1-6. So is Reese, who remains confident they can all turn it around.
"I know we've been left for dead by a lot of people, but don't count us out just yet," he said. "We're going to go into the second half of the season and give it everything we have."
