So we've talked about Bountygate in 2012. Joe Vitt took over for Payton as HC for 1 years. Several suspended players on Defense. Very good excuse for 1 year of failure.
This is absolutely worth a read. The Giants were the #2 scoring Defense in 2016. In case you want to be reminded of how big a disaster Ben McAdoo was.
https://deadspin.com/report-giants-p...doo-1820276114
Think this maybe has something to do with the Giants downfall in 2017? McAdoo had players playing full practices on Saturdays. Suspends 2 CBs. Spagnuolo forced to suspend Eli Apple at the end of the year. Players walking out of practice. So yeah... is it possible that the Giants 2016 defense, in the hands of a good head coach, could have been successful in 2017 under Spagnuolo? Again... for now it's an excuse, but there's a chance that it's actually a fair explanation.