SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - If Ben McAdoo faced questions about his job security as coach of the New York Giants heading into the week, just imagine what it will be like following a loss to the previously winless San Francisco 49ers.
A disappointing season in New York may have hit a new low as the Giants were thoroughly beaten 31-21 on Sunday by a team that hadn’t even held a lead at any point in a game the previous five weeks.
“We’re not a good team right now,” linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. “Not a good team right now. Hopefully we can go ahead and turn around to be competitive and compete. It’s sad that I’m sitting here talking about us competing in games instead of talking about winning but that’s the truth.”
It’s performances such as this that have raised questions about McAdoo’s future with the Giants (1-8), who came into the season with high expectations following a playoff berth last season.
McAdoo has been under fire after a report this past week from ESPN that quoted an anonymous player as saying the players have given up on the season and don’t view McAdoo as a leader.
The Giants have not fired a coach during the season since 1976 when Bill Arnsparger was let go after a 0-7 start and replaced by John McVay, who had more success as an executive who helped build the 49ers dynasty in the 1980s.
“That doesn’t have anything to do with anything,” McAdoo said of his job security. “We have to find a way to win a game. We have to address what happened out here on the field today, take a look at the tape and be honest with each other.”
There won’t be a lot of good to see on this tape.
The defense was gashed by big plays through the air and on the ground, the Giants were barely able to touch rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard after he had been sacked 14 times in three starts. Eli Manning celebrated a milestone start by failing to lead the Giants (1-8) to a score in the second half until a garbage time touchdown long after the game had been decided.
Even the special teams had issues with Aldrick Rosas setting up a San Francisco field goal by sending the opening kick out of bounds and then missing a 34-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half.
“We got schooled,” cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said. “I did not see enough relentless play, attitude. You name it, I did not see it. Everything we should have done, I felt we did not do it.”
The Giants allowed Beathard to throw TD passes of 83 yards to Marquise Goodwin and 47 yards to Garrett Celek in the second quarter, and then gave up a 33-yard TD run by rookie Matt Breida in the fourth quarter.
Manning committed a key fumble with the Giants driving in the first half of his 208th consecutive start , tying brother Peyton for the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history, trailing only Brett Favre’s 297.
Manning’s numbers looked good as he completed 28 of 37 passes for 273 yards and two TDs, but the offense generated only one first down on three drives in the second half when San Francisco expanded its lead from 17-13 to 31-13.
“We’re in this situation, we’re the reason we’re in it,” Manning said. “So we just have to keep working, compete every week and expect to win every week.”
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