INDIANAPOLIS — Tom Coughlin offered up his first detailed preview of the Giants’ offense under new coordinator Ben McAdoo Friday:
Anyone expecting it to be Packers East will be disappointed.
McAdoo is a product of Mike McCarthy’s version of the West Coast offense in Green Bay, but Coughlin made it sound as if the Giants will run more of a conventional, pro-style attack with Kevin Gilbride’s 36-year-old replacement calling the plays for Eli Manning.
“He does not describe himself as [a] West Coast [adherent],” Coughlin said of McAdoo during a break from watching the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. “He thinks more in terms of the ball going vertical and down the field if the opportunity presents itself.”
The West Coast offense — which got the name because its primary creator, Bill Walsh, was coaching Stanford and the 49ers when it took off — is a finesse scheme centered on horizontal routes with a lot of receivers catching short passes, which are considered just as effective as handoffs.
But as well as emphasizing the deep ball, the Giants’ offense under McAdoo will remain firmly committed to the running game and maintaining relative balance between pass and run, according to Coughlin.
The Giants were extremely pass heavy last season because of key injuries at running back, but usually had a 55-45 pass-run ratio with Gilbride at the helm, and Coughlin indicated those percentages would be in the same ballpark under McAdoo.
“We’ll maintain a commitment to the run, and that’ll be a factor no matter what,” Coughlin said. “That’s been agreed upon by all.”
But after ranking 28th in points scored and 28th in total yards in Gilbride’s final season, Coughlin promised the Giants’ scheme won’t be “Gilbride: The Sequel.”
“I would say that you’ll notice some differences, for sure,” Coughlin said. “There may be some subtle changes and some drastic ones, too.”
Coughlin isn’t turning the keys over to McAdoo entirely, but said the former Packers tight ends and quarterbacks coach will play the biggest role in what the offense looks like from a strategic standpoint.
“I’ll be involved very much in it,” Coughlin said. “Everyone will make strong contributions, but Ben will have the final say on that and on play-calling. But I’ll be very much involved.”
McCarthy told The Post on Friday the he didn’t know “if anybody could be as prepared as Ben is for this,” and Coughlin agreed.
McAdoo wowed the Big Blue coach with a meticulously detailed approach to his job interview, and nothing Coughlin has seen in the meantime has dampened his enthusiasm for the change.
“I like Ben because he did a superb job in terms of his preparation,” Coughlin said. “He’s very fundamentally sound.”
Recent NFL rules severely limit the amount of time coaches can spend with players in the offseason, so McAdoo has had little chance so far to tutor Manning on the new scheme.
Coughlin, though, said it’s no mystery what the initial focus will be after the Giants committed 44 turnovers last year, including a career-high 27 interceptions thrown by Manning, and saw their line struggle to block basically everyone.
“The ball-security issues are first and foremost,” Coughlin said. “As is the offensive line.”
Although he most likely would have had to fire Gilbride if Gilbride had not retired, Coughlin sounded as if McAdoo would be able to teach an old coach — Coughlin, in fact, is the NFL’s oldest at age 67 — some new tricks.
“What I like about it is, I have a chance to challenge myself with some new learning,” Coughlin said. “That’s stimulating and exciting. It’s an exciting time, and I feel good about it.”