The New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll amid a disappointing 2-8 start to the season. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will serve as the Giants interim head coach but the organization opted not to make sweeping changes, electing to keep defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and general manager Joe Schoen in order to provide some continuity during a challenging season. That said, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both Bowen and Schoen fired once the regular season is over.
Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen Likely To Be Fired During Offseason
With Daboll gone, the next Giants head coach will likely bring in his own coordinators and position coaches. Bowen will likely be among the first offseason casualties, especially given the Giants ineptitude on defense in recent weeks. Over the past four games, the Giants have given up 32.3 points per game while blowing double-digit fourth-quarter leads in two of those contests.
In Week 7, the Giants defense gave up 33 fourth quarter points in a historic loss to the Denver Broncos. Prior to that loss, NFL teams had won 1,602 consecutive games when leading by 18 points or more in the final 6 minutes of a game.
New York has surrendered 152.1 rushing yards per game, the second-worst mark in the NFL. The Giants also rank 29th in total defense and 27th in scoring defense through 10 weeks.
GM Joe Schoen’s Big Time Acquisitions Haven’t Panned Out
It’s hard to imagine a world in which the Giants will allow general manager Joe Schoen to oversee another rebuild after the team’s sharp regression in 2025.
But as of today, he has the backing of owner John Mara.
“We feel like Joe has assembled a good young nucleus of talent, and we look forward to its development,” Mara said in a statement on Monday.
Schoen is expected to lead the search for the Giants next head coach, a sign that he could be given another year to assemble a roster around rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
But it’s fair to wonder whether or not Schoen is the right person to lead the search for the Giants next head coach.
Schoen’s tenure has been marked by a series of questionable draft picks and free-agent acquisitions that have left the roster devoid of top-end talent at key positions on both sides of the ball.
While he’s done a better job of drafting over the past two seasons, several of his first-round selections have yet to develop into consistent difference-makers. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Evan Neil, and Deonte Banks were among his draft day misses. Meanwhile, No. 2 overall pick Abdul Carter has just 0.5 sacks this season despite flashing his potential on occasion.
Unless Kafka engineers a dramatic turnaround in the final stretch of the season, it’d be wise for ownership to hit the reset button this offseason.
After two-and-a-half turbulent years under Daboll and Schoen, the Giants appear destined for yet another rebuild — one that will once again test the patience of an already frustrated fan base.
