He kept his job when Brian Daboll was fired, but a growing number of voices are calling for the New York Giants not to let general manager Joe Schoen choose the team’s next head coach to replace interim Mike Kafka.
Those voices grew louder after the Giants team Schoen has been directly responsible for building slumped to a 33-15 defeat to the New England Patriots in Week 13. The way Big Blue wilted under the national spotlight of Monday Night Football put the focus on Schoen’s failures to build even a barely competent setup.
One of the bluntest takes came from Ian O’Connor of The Athletic, who lamented “A kicker who doesn’t kick the ball…A top 3 pick who doesn’t show up for work on time…A gifted young QB who refuses to protect himself…A 2-11 team that can’t execute for more than 2.5 quarters. I don’t know what Joe Schoen is running with the Giants, but it’s not a program.”
A similarly brutal assessment of Schoen’s efforts came from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. He couldn’t have been clearer when asking, “How can the #Giants let Joe Schoen run the coaching search after tonight’s Boston Massacre? Cover your eyes for these stats. Whew boy.”
The chief numbers cited by Leonard inform a bleak judgement on Schoen’s ability to eventually turn the Giants into winners.
Numbers Don’t Line Up for Joe Schoen
As Leonard pointed out, “The Giants are 0-8 on the road this season. They extended their franchise record road losing streak to 13 straight games dating back to an Oct. 6, 2024, win in Seattle. Last season, they set a new franchise record with 10 straight losses overall. Schoen now has a 3-22 record (.120) in the Giants’ last 25 games, a 5-25 record (.166) in the last 30 games, a 5-17-1 record (.217) against NFC East opponents, a 2-14-0 record (.125) against the Eagles and Cowboys and a 20-43-1 overall record (.313) in four regular seasons.”
Those numbers don’t form any kind of endorsement for Schoen continuing to set the direction for a franchise mired in the NFL’s doldrums. Especially when the Giants are facing a key decision about who will be their next coach.
Schoen’s defenders will point to an apparently successful track record drafting talent. Yet, a closer look at the roll call reveals more worrying trends for the man in charge of the front office.
Giants Draft Record Doesn’t Stack Up
Schoen has been praised for putting a core of promising youngsters in place, but the reasons for optimism are only surface deep. Yes, Schoen went bold to solve long-standing quarterback issues by trading up to select Jaxson Dart in the first-round of the 2025 NFL draft, but the rookie’s penchant for taking big hits, and borderline stubborn refusal to adapt his playing style, raise valid concerns about his future.
Dart isn’t even the only first-rounder taken by Schoen giving the Giants ample reason to worry. Third-overall pick Abdul Carter spent time on the bench again for the second time in a few weeks, due to the edge-rusher’s “tardiness,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Frequent lapses in professionalism aren’t a good look for a highly-touted player who’s barely made a dent as a pass-rusher. Unfortunately, Carter isn’t the only one of Schoen’s prominent draft picks whose off-field discipline can be questioned.
Rookie running back Cam Skattebo is out for the season because of ankle surgery, so getting involved in a scripted brawl on WWE “Monday Night Raw” was an unusual approach to take to his recovery.
Skattebo was defiant about his actions, but concerns about his health and focus were understandable. It didn’t help Skattebo isn’t the only notable young talent dealing with a major injury.
Star wide receiver Malik Nabers, drafted by Schoen with the sixth pick in 2024, is recovering from a torn ACL. That hasn’t stopped Nabers from being publicly critical of Kafka’s decision-making, and this isn’t the first time Nabers has vented his frustrations out in the open.
Questionable professionalism from so many important youngsters reflects poorly on unity and accountability. The lack of both led to the nadir of scared coaching, reckless playing choices and widespread self-destruction seen against the Patriots.
Kafka did his own case to keep the job no favors by playing field position, despite trailing by double digits in both the second and fourth quarters. A decision Dan Schneier of CBS Sports couldn’t support: “I get that it’s hard to convert 4th and 8 or whatever but there’s no shot in hell you’re going to have enough time to win a football game where you punt with 8 min left in Q4 down 15 points. The Giants throw the towel in with that punt.”
If Kafka went ultra-conservative, it’s only because he was hamstrung by the limited roster Schoen has put together. That’s the best case possible against the Giants trusting Schoen moving forward.
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