Former Vikings coordinator Pat Shurmur takes over as coach of Giants

Roughly 20 seconds into his introductory news conference as coach of the New York Giants, Pat Shurmur ran into his problem.

The lights went out in the auditorium where he was speaking.

Like everyone else in the packed room, the former offensive coordinator of the Vikings laughed, and then handled the situation without missing a beat.

"And we're off," Shurmur quipped. "We have to keep adjusting. Anyway, I was going to tell a joke, so I'll stop."

Speaking and answering questions for more than 25 minutes after being introduced by co-owner John Mara, Shurmur was poised, funny and open, thanking his mother in Michigan for teaching him to be competitive, compassionate and not allowing anyone to tell him you can't do something.

Shurmur faces a major task in taking over a team that went 3-13 after making the playoffs in 2016. The injury-ravaged Giants slipped so quickly that Ben McAdoo was fired in early December after less than two years on the job.

"There's a lot of work to be done," Shurmur said. "There are changes that need to be made."

Shurmur wants to get to know his players, particularly superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr., joking it makes sense to throw him the ball. He added everyone will start with a clean sheet.

This will be Shurmur's second head coaching job, and he says he is a lot more knowledgeable now than when he ran the Cleveland Browns in 2011-12.

Shurmur has already started assembling his staff. Former Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher will be his defensive coordinator.

The status of the offensive coordinator is uncertain. Shurmur intends to call his own plays on an offense that will have a West Coast influence, but also one that seeks to run the ball.

"We're going to do what we can to get better each day," Shurmur said. "How fast that happens? I'm as impatient as the next fan, but we're going to try to get better each day.

• Eric Wood's first NFL career playoff appearance will have to be his last. The Buffalo Bills veteran center and respected leader stunningly revealed on Friday that a debilitating neck injury has left him with no choice but to retire after nine seasons. In a statement released by the Bills on the team's Twitter account, Wood said the injury was discovered during his season-ending physical.