When the Giants mercifully put this season to bed, and ownership and the front office sift through the rubble that was 2013, one of the first questions and one of the hottest topics to discuss will be the demise of the offense: Who and what is to blame, and how does it get fixed?
The conversation most assuredly will turn to Kevin Gilbride, in his 10th year on Tom Coughlin’s staff with the Giants, the past seven as the offensive coordinator. Gilbride told The Post on Thursday he believes the decision-makers will not point the finger at him and that the dramatic decline in production will not cost him his job.
“Certainly, because you’re been around you know the realities of the business, but do you give it any credence or thought? No,” Gilbride said. “Because you know and you think the people that are making judgments will recognize and are cognizant of the reasons why things aren’t as well as they should be.”
Gilbride did not elaborate on the “reasons why things aren’t as well as they should be,” but the list is fairly obvious. The offense played without two starting linemen, Chris Snee and David Baas. Starting running back David Wilson played the first five games and needed to be placed on season-ending injured reserve with a herniated disk in his neck. Andre Brown missed the first eight games on the physically unable to perform list, and the running game was non-existent until Brown was activated. Receiver Hakeem Nicks has not returned to form and has yet to catch a touchdown pass. The dysfunction around quarterback Eli Manning triggered his worst season as a full-time starter in his career.
Across the board, the offense has sagged. The Giants are 28th in the league in scoring (19.3 points a game), 25th in total offense (321.7 yards per game), 27th in rush offense (88 yards per game), 25th in third down efficiency (34.7 percent) and just 16th in pass offense (233.7 yards per game).
The numbers are damning, the record is 5-8, the playoffs are long gone and the argument certainly can be made this situation is screaming for something new.
It doesn’t get any easier Sunday, when Gilbride’s offense faces the Seahawks top-ranked defense at MetLife Stadium.
“New isn’t always the answer,” Manning told The Post. “I think we’re well-coached and we have a good scheme. It’s just a matter of, we got to execute a little bit better.”
Does Manning ever wonder if new ideas can help?
“We put in new ideas. It’s not as if we run the exact same plays we’ve been running for the last 10 years,” Manning said. “Each year we have new plays going in and new ideas and new concepts. Some are still the same we’ve had success with and are kind of your core plays. I think coaches do a good job each year of having some new things for us.”
Coughlin has exhibited loyalty to his assistants, but he has made changes in the past — dismissing John Hufnagel and replacing him with Gilbride in 2007 and getting rid of Bill Sheridan as defensive coordinator after only one year. If possible, he strives for continuity on his staff.
“It certainly helps that we can communicate in a speedy fashion and recognize the issues, perhaps have some thoughts about having been there before,” Coughlin said Thursday. “But by and large, the fact that we have been there and have worked together for a while is certainly a plus.”
If Gilbride is deemed to be part of a needed change, Manning said he would be disappointed.
“Yeah, it’s the only offense I know, and been here 10 years, and obviously one I’m very comfortable with,” he said.
But is comfortable always good?
“I would think so. What you know and what you’re comfortable with, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything bad with that.”
Gilbride, 62, has worked in the NFL since 1989, and in his 24 years he has been an offensive coordinator for 17 of them, including the last seven with the Giants — who have won two Super Bowls with Gilbride calling every play.
Now, he said, he does not acknowledge his job security could be tenuous.
“You have to be oblivious, whether it’s praise or criticism, because you know the job you do, you know what the difficulties are,” Gilbride said, “and you just continue to focus on the opposition and what you can do to give your guys the best chance to be successful.”