Players not taking Giants’ house-cleaning lightly: ‘Anybody can go’

Monday’s firings of Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese weren’t just damage control. The dismissals of the Giants’ head coach and general manager were more than tossing raw meat to a rabid fan base out for blood in this tire fire of a season.

It was also a message from co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch to those who remain that nobody is safe from the chopping block after the franchise’s worst record through 12 games in 41 years. At least that’s how one prominent Giant felt.

“Anybody can go,” safety Landon Collins, a staunch McAdoo supporter, said when asked his reaction to Monday’s bloodbath. “People take it as in anybody could get cut. This is a great organization. This is all about business here and it’s always about winning, and if you’re not winning, something is going to change and [it could be] a player or it could be a coach.

“You have to understand you can go [at] any moment and I guess that’s the feeling that [the owners] wanted to [give] us.”

Defensive leaders Collins and Olivier Vernon both felt the team let McAdoo down by its poor on-field performance. He didn’t forget how to coach from one year to the next. His coaching style didn’t necessarily change. The losses piled up and the organization had to make a move, though there were obviously other issues, like players’ suspensions and a lack of communication, that contributed to his dismissal. Collins was upset it led to his coach’s ouster, describing his emotions as “down” and “surprised” by the firings.

“Looking back at last year, you couldn’t tell me that we’d be in this position,” Vernon said. “So, as players, we put it on us. We’re the ones out there on the field, executing the plays and at the end of the day, it’s on us. It’s just unfortunate what happened.”

“Not only him, but [we let down] ourselves,” Devon Kennard said. “Including [McAdoo], we all had high expectations of what this year would be, and at this point, it hasn’t been that. I definitely feel like if we would’ve played how we’re capable of playing, we would be in a much different place right now.”

Four games are left to at least somewhat alter the narrative of this lost season that began with such promise. There is the opportunity to ruin the playoff hopes of the rival Cowboys on Sunday, and go out on a high note, perhaps giving defensive coordinator-turned-interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo a puncher’s chance at keeping his new position.

Most of the talk Thursday was about putting everything into Sunday’s game, playing with pride and determination that has at times been lacking this season. The players talked most about tasting victory again as their motivation after two straight losses and five defeats in their previous six games. The Giants are still in search of their first NFC East victory, losing once apiece already to the Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins.

“I’m worried about winning, just because the guys in this locker room deserve to win and I think we’re a good enough team to win this week and every week,” Kennard said. “We can go into next year on a better note.”

More than anything, though, several Giants could be playing for their futures. Monday’s firings sent a message from those cutting the checks that this year is unacceptable.

“To be honest, keep it about football,” Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said of how he interpreted McAdoo and Reese losing their jobs. “Make sure you’re about your business or changes may come.”