Three weeks ago, Giants corner Eli Apple was practically convicted by fans in the court of public opinion for being one of the “rats.”
Three weeks ago, Giants corner Eli Apple was practically convicted by fans in the court of public opinion for being one of the “rats” that anonymously ripped Ben McAdoo to ESPN.
Then on Saturday, after Apple’s second straight healthy scratch spelled something fishy, a report citing anonymous sources discredited Apple’s effort and maturity and connected them to the decision to bench Apple on Thanksgiving.
Coincidences happen, but if you live long enough, you stop believing in them. And if this anonymous hit-job on Apple wasn’t return fire for an alleged attempted takedown of McAdoo three weeks ago, it sure felt like one and fed the rumors that Apple was behind those anonymous quotes.
I don’t know if Apple was one of the players who ripped the coach anonymously. You certainly can’t rule him out as a suspect. But Saturday’s story contributed to the perception that he was, and that an already-reeling organization is officially poisoned now from the inside-out.
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No one employed by the Giants looks good after this report on Apple that trashed a second-year NFL player and GM Jerry Reese, too. And it is Exhibit No. 38 (we’ve lost count) of why John Mara and Steve Tisch must clean house in January: the “culture,” as a disgruntled Apple said on Oct. 8, needs a major “fix.”
McAdoo looks bad because again he misled the media on a player’s status, claiming Apple’s second straight scratch on Thanksgiving was due to lack of practice time, when really the genesis of his decision reportedly was Apple’s immature reaction to criticism after loafing in the Week 10 road loss to the 49ers.
The organization looks bad because, well, who smears a 22-year-old by leaking negative information about him eight days after his mother had brain surgery, as Apple’s mother, Annie, did a week before the holiday? (Though it now makes sense why Giants staff has babysat Apple at many open locker rooms since his Week 5 “culture” comment.)
Apple looks terrible because he is responsible for his immaturity and lack of requisite effort and production in his second NFL season, the most alarming play still being Apple’s non-tackle attempt on Robert Woods’ 52-yard touchdown catch-and-run on 3rd-and-33 in that 51-17 Rams Week 9 rout of the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
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(And in case you missed it, two more examples of Apple not trying his hardest at San Francisco were listed in Saturday’s report in great detail, though not previously reported and analyzed publicly — isn’t that strange?).
Reese doesn’t need a report on his job to look bad. He’s taken care of that himself, especially with barely addressing his offensive line in the offseason. But in case you forgot, Saturday’s report went to great lengths to remind the public that Apple is another of Reese’s apparent mistakes, rehashing the painful events of that 2016 first-round draft:
Reese stood pat and watched both the Titans and Bears trade over the Giants to draft both of the players the Giants had coveted — and needed most: Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin at eight and Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd at nine, respectively. Left empty-handed, Reese went to his best player available and took Apple.
And though Apple had encouraging outings in his rookie year, he was benched in a home win over the Eagles last season due to struggles; he was one of the primary victims on the Green Bay Hail Mary in the playoff loss; and this second year has been nothing short of a colossal disappointment, and that’s just regarding his on-field play.
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But the dysfunction has spread up and down the organization. McAdoo and Steve Spagnuolo, for example, totally lost control of their secondary this fall.
Apple is responsible for his own effort and actions, no question. But how can anyone smear Apple’s effort and reaction to criticism without mentioning that Apple’s examples in the building are 10th-year vet Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and sixth-year vet Janoris Jenkins?
DRC walked OUT OF THE BUILDING on the head coach over being disciplined to draw a Week 6 suspension, while Jenkins SKIPPED A PRACTICE COMING OUT OF A BYE WEEK on Oct. 30 to draw a Week 9 suspension. And what, the 22-year-old corner is the root of all the problems? Please.
By the way, McAdoo doesn’t have to call this a suspension for it to be a suspension. And Apple’s healthy scratch from Thanksgiving means that all three of the Giants’ top corners have been suspended a game this season. Incredible.
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Not only that, but Apple’s reported threats to walk out of the building — wonder where he got that idea? — were in response to criticism he received from that Nov. 15 team film session that was pitched as a McAdoo epiphany to hold his players accountable. But guess what? Coaches who aren’t learning on the job are known to do that often.
Landon Collins, who has supported McAdoo vocally several times, nevertheless played at Alabama and when asked if a coach of his had ever done something similar, answered: “Done that? Oh yeah, Saban (five-time national champion Alabama coach Nick Saban). All your mistakes are gettin’ up there. I’m telling you, Saban had no (problem with it). You did not want to be on that screen. It was up there. I promise you.”
Now what is true is that Apple, separate from all of the nonsense, indeed needs to grow up. But listen, ESPN has reported before that the Giants’ DB’s frustrations over being disciplined with playing time was connected to the fact that McAdoo has let Odell Beckham Jr. get away with anything with no consequences and did not discipline left tackle Ereck Flowers with playing time either for shoving a reporter last season in Green Bay.
You think Apple’s threat to walk out on the team after taking harsh criticism in that Nov. 15 team film session is a distraction? Remember when the Giants lost a playoff game by 25 points after dealing with six days of talking about Beckham and the receivers’ partying on a boat in Miami before the biggest game of their careers to date?
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No excuses for Apple, but there are problems in the Giants’ facility stretching up to the highest level and the structure needs to be purged because this is no way to run an organization. The Giants can’t even start a week without controversy anymore, from Jenkins’ skip-out on the Monday after the Week 8 bye to Saturday’s report on Apple that sent the team into another game week with more B. S. to confront.
Apple’s always-vocal mother, Annie, tweeted Tuesday that the Saturday report on her son was “trash fiction.
