The hands clap and the huddle breaks and the receivers jog out to their positions. Kevin Gilbride has already relayed the play to Eli Manning, but the receivers still have no idea where they’re going to go.
That’s part of the beauty of the Gilbride offense. Everything the receivers do is based on what happens next. Is there man-to-man coverage or a zone? Which way are the safeties shading? Are the corners pressing on the line or leaving a cushion?
Then, when the ball is snapped and the defense goes in motion, everything could change…again.
“Yeah, it’s definitely tough,” says receiver Victor Cruz. “It’s one of the biggest things I had to adjust to, learning how to read coverages and adjust mid-route. We had a few read-routes in college, but nothing to this extent where it’s 15 yards down field and you have to make an adjustment. Sometimes they may line up one way, then when the ball comes they move to somewhere else. So you have to see all of that.”
It’s a demanding system. It can be confusing. It can be frustrating, too, especially to a young player. It’s also explosive, “quarterback-friendly,” potent, and the most prolific offensive system the Giants franchise has ever seen.
That’s what the 60-year-old Gilbride has created in his eighth season with the Giants and fifth since taking over as the offensive coordinator. He’s helped turn Eli Manning from an erratic, interception-prone quarterback into a near-5,000-yard passer. He’s built an offensive machine that has rallied from six fourth-quarter deficits this year. It can strike so quickly, the Giants never feel like they’re out of a game.
And he’s done that with a rebuilding offensive line, the 32nd-ranked rushing attack in the league
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