The New York Giants will not make any changes to their coaching staff after Sunday’s most recent loss to the Green Bay Packers, according to interim head coach Mike Kafka.
“We’re going to go and attack this week. I’m excited for this week of prep. The coaches are excited about it,” Kafka said via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan.
Some questioned whether defensive coordinator Shane Bowen could’ve gotten the axe after yet another blown fourth-quarter lead, but the embattled coach will stay in place for now.
But should Bowen be fired?
The Giants‘ defense has talent, with multiple first-round picks from the defensive line to the secondary.
Yet for some reason, they haven’t been able to find a way to put it together all season.
Why Haven’t the Giants Moved on From Shane Bowen?
According to Sumer Sports, the New York Giants’ defense currently ranks 29th in the league in EPA/play, 21st against the pass, and dead last against the run.
So why haven’t changes been made yet?
According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, the Giants’ upper management didn’t want to put the first-time head coach Kafka at a “disadvantage.”
“Many were surprised Bowen wasn’t let go alongside head coach Brian Daboll after last week’s loss to the Bears. But that wasn’t a vote of confidence. The Giants simply didn’t want to put Kafka — previously the offensive coordinator — at a disadvantage,” wrote Hughes.
“Kafka had limited interaction with the defense before his promotion. He schemed against them in practice and said ‘Hi’ in the hallways, as defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said, but that was about it.”
“Asking him to fire Bowen and promote a replacement without knowing the defensive staff would have been counterproductive. The Giants wanted Kafka to spend a full week in control, attend defensive meetings and come to his own conclusions.”
Hughes thought that Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers may have been the last straw for Bowen, but that isn’t the case.
He’ll have the opportunity to coach this Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
Giants Defensive Talent and Shortcomings
With all of the high-profile names on the New York Giants’ defense, you would think the unit would be much better than it actually is.
The defensive front is stacked with first-round talent.
IDL Dexter Lawrence is widely considered one of the best nose tackles in the NFL, but hasn’t been as big a factor as in years past.
They have a stable of first-round edge rushers in Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter, yet Burns is the only one making a difference among the bunch.
Burns is second in the league in sacks with 13, which is more than half the entire team’s total.
The secondary is a real weakness, with inconsistent play amongst their corners and safeties.
Paulson Adebo, Cor’Dale Flott, and Deonte Banks have been middling at best, and Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin have missed multiple games due to injuries.
All of this culminates in a defense that gives up 383 yards and 27.3 points per game, both ranking in the bottom four of the league.
New York has their fair share of problems right now, that’s true, but defense just might be its biggest issue and something that Big Blue’s next head coach will have to emphasize in 2026.
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