Ben McAdoo Comments on Giants' Illegal Use of Walkie-Talkies vs. Cowboys

New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo was fined $50,000 in addition to the team's $150,000 penalty for illegally using two-way walkie-talkies during Big Blue's 10-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, and he apologized for his actions on Friday. 

"Obviously, I don't want to rehash what happened," McAdoo said, per ESPN.com's Jordan Ranaan. "I made the decision in the heat of the moment, and I violated the rule. I own that decision. I take responsibility for it. There are no excuses. I deserve to be held accountable for my actions. I accept the penalty and move forward."

Beyond the financial ramifications, the Giants will watch their fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft plummet to the bottom of the order as a result of the league's review of the incident. 

However, the punishment evidently could have been worse if McAdoo had violated NFL rules further and communicated with quarterback Eli Manning past 15 seconds on the play clock. 

Citing a source who communicated with ESPN's Adam Schefter, Ranaan reported that although McAdoo didn't use the walkie-talkie to keep lines of communication with Manning open beyond the 15-second cutoff, he had the "opportunity" to take advantage of the restriction-free window. 

But for now, the Giants can't fret over previous indiscretions. 

Following Thursday's 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants (10-5) are still searching for ways to punch their ticket to the postseason. At present, they can qualify with a loss or tie by the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A loss by the Atlanta Falcons would also propel them to the playoffs. 

Should the Giants find their way to the postseason one way or another, they'll need to remedy their offensive woes and find a way to give their third-ranked scoring defense a break. 

New York's offense is currently generating a paltry 19.4 points per game, and its 29th-ranked rushing attack hasn't been able to provide Manning with any relief. 

Making good on immense promise won't be easy if they can't find some semblance of equilibrium, but considering the Giants swept the season series with Dallas, they could make some noise if they're able to crash the postseason party and eventually clash with the Cowboys for a third time.