SiriusXM host and former NFL safety Solomon Wilcots talks Todd Bowles’ job security, the Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. and the Eagles’ emergence with The Post’s Justin Terranova.
Q: Is Todd Bowles completely safe?
A: Todd Bowles is a hell of a coach. You and I know they don’t have a whole lot [of talent], but they detoxified that locker room. The Jets have surprised me this year. They have young players who are developing. I wouldn’t be so quick to get him out of there. Tell me who is going to replace him? You tell me that then I’ll tell you if he should be gone.
Q: Do the Giants remind you of the Jets last season with a toxic locker room?
A: Do the Giants have that intestinal fortitude as an organization to self examine themselves and say, “What kind of culture do we want and what are we willing to do to get it?” Are they going to sever themselves from the players they have given contracts to, who are not buying in? Players reveal themselves when you go through tough seasons. You don’t ever hear Eli [Manning] complaining and it’s hard to be a quarterback in the New York City market. That’s a champion. He’s the last guy you should be trying to get rid of. If you look at some of the other guys and what they do. They are on board when things are going well, but not on board when things are going bad. The Giants have one great player, who has kind of done some things and if your don’t corral that it spreads to other players. The Giants have to figure that out.
Q: Odell Beckham, I assume?
A: Odell Beckham is such a great player that there is no way a team would consider divorcing themselves from him. So, he’s going to be here but how do we deal with these eruptions and histrionics when things aren’t going well? And if he gets away with it, which he has, it can spread like a cancer to other players: “I am going to do it, too.” The Giants have always been one of those organizations that carry themselves in a certain way. If [Ben] McAdoo knew what he was doing, he would say that: “Hey, this isn’t about me, you’re playing for the New York Giants. Do you know who you play for?”
Q: What is the biggest explanation for Jared Goff’s turnaround this season?
A: He just has a coach that knows what’s up. [Sean] McVay is helping him to understand those same things. He walked into a bad situation last year, I didn’t think that staff could help him.
Q: Are the Eagles the favorites in the NFC?
A: Yeah, because they are balanced and they play complementary football. Carson Wentz was perfect for them and they were perfect for Wentz. He came in from college from a pro-style offense and Doug Pederson and Frank Reich are the perfect teachers. You remember what this team looked like with Chip Kelly? The Eagles defense has been phenomenal. If you look at that game Sunday at Dallas, they had four sacks, four turnovers. If you would tell me a year ago that this secondary would be playing like this, I would have said “no way” because they were horrible. This story is bigger than Wentz.