It used to be that Eli Manning was the smartest guy in the room, that he knew the offense inside and out, better than everyone else. So naturally, when it was time to fix a problem or come up with a solution, the other players in the huddle or in the meeting room deferred to Manning.
There’s a new offense in town, and as the Giants grind along trying to figure out what works (so far, the running game) and what doesn’t (so far, the passing attack), the probing and dissecting has caused an equalizing effect with Manning and his younger teammates.
“It makes things easier when we’re working together and it’s not just I’m 10 years behind Eli Manning,’’ Justin Pugh, the second-year right tackle, told The Post on Thursday. “Now we’re on the same page.’’
Manning might still be the prize pupil, but he’s learning the ways of Ben McAdoo’s West Coast offense just like everyone else. In some cases, those around Manning are more comfortable with the change than he is.
Pugh said in every offense of which he has been a part, the starting center is responsible for the “declarations’’ at the line of scrimmage — alerting the linemen which blocking assignments they have depending on the alignment of the defensive front. That was mostly Manning’s responsibility in the previous offense he ran for a decade.
The new center, J.D. Walton, is accustomed to making the declarations because he did it for two years as the Broncos’ starter.
From an offensive line point of view, Pugh said this year’s offense is friendlier.
“If we had to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, I would say this is easier than last year’s,’’ Pugh said. “For me, I believe this one’s easier for me. It takes some things off the quarterback’s plate and puts it on the center, which is how I did it in college. It allows people to do their job. We’re not putting everything on No. 10. That’s something that can make it easier on him and make it easier on us because we’re not relying just on him.’’
So far, Manning has certainly not looked unburdened as he struggles to find a rhythm with the passing game — his longest completion in seven series in the preseason is for 10 yards. But there is a sense, as Pugh says, “There’s a lot of new faces on this offense and we’re all learning this offense for the first time together.’’
That has led to some situations that would not have happened in the past, when Manning was assumed to be correct and usually was. In previous summers, when the offense was examining a certain play, he would figure it out and provide the solution because he knew it better than anyone else. Now it is more of a give-and-take.
“Now it’s ‘E, I see it this way too’ and he’s like ‘Hey look, that’s a good idea, maybe we’ll solve a play this way,’ ’’ Pugh said.
Including Pugh in the decision-making is probably a smart idea. Last season he became the first Giants first-round draft pick to start every game as a rookie since Lawrence Taylor in 1981.
A left tackle at Syracuse, Pugh made the transition to right tackle — despite having a revolving-door wing-mate at right guard most of the season — and appears to be a fixture on the line for years to come.
Pugh’s first go-round in the NFL was a success individually but a dud for his team, as the Giants’ renowned offensive line of the past deteriorated and turned into the team’s most glaring weakness. Walton was signed to play center, Geoff Schwartz was signed to play left guard and Will Beatty, coming off a dreadful season and a broken right leg, returns looking for retribution at left tackle. Brandon Mosley, a bullish 318-pound, third-year player with very little experience, is for now the heir apparent at right guard in place of the recently retired Chris Snee.
The starting line has looked sharp in its run-blocking assignments, but not nearly as crisp in pass protection as McAdoo’s grand plans slowly take hold.
“It’s about finding our identity and establishing our identity,’’ Pugh said. “We have to go out there and find out what works best for us with the guys in the room. A player or a coach can say ‘I want to do this,’ but if you don’t have the personnel to be a running team, you can’t be a running team or vice versa.
“I don’t care what it is as long as it’s working.’’