The New York Giants are 0-2 for the season following a Week 2 loss to the Washington Commanders, which saw a head-spinning seven Austin Seibert field goals and 21-18 final score. Now, the double losses are leading some to question whether Daboll is in the hot seat, including a former New York Giants wide receiver, who says that if the Giants “aren’t potentially in the hunt” this season, he could see John Mara “looking for a different head coach.”
‘Up Until This Point, We Love Coach Brian Daboll’
In a September 16 interview with ClutchPoints on behalf of his partnership with Captain Morgan, former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz gave some love to Daboll, but he didn’t shy away from saying that he believes the pressure is on Daboll to turn things around.
“It’s interesting, up until this point, we love coach Brian Daboll,” Cruz said. “I think he provided a necessary spark. The players love him.” He added that Daboll is a players’ coach “that guys love but he also has that strong mentality to galvanize the guys, which I also love.”
He added, “But as you know in this league, it’s what have you done for me lately? So I don’t know. I think if he doesn’t have a good year, if they don’t have a year over .500 and potentially in the hunt (playoffs), I could see John Mara in the front office looking for a different head coach and looking for someone that can get them over the hump.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Cruz said that Mara “enjoys his team winning and competing for Super Bowls, and I think he’s trying to get back there as much as possible and the best way he can. If he feels like he needs to make a change at the head coaching position at the end of the year, I think he’ll do so.”
Cruz isn’t the only one saying Daboll’s seat is getting hot. Following the Commanders loss, Daboll has come under scrutiny for not calling up kicker Jude McAtamney from the practice squad after Graham Gano hurt his groin in practice. On the opening kickoff, Gano hurt his hamstring, so the kicker situation wasn’t ideal.
“Only two games into the season, the scrutiny is awfully intense on New York Giants Coach Brian Daboll,” Mark Maske of the Washington Post stated in a September 16 feature.
He added, “It’s never a particularly promising sign when a coach is facing questions about his job security two games into the season. That was the case for Daboll during his postgame news conference Sunday.”
‘The Giants Have the Right Coach’
It’s not all doom and gloom. NFL writer Mark Maske of Pix11.com says he believes Daboll is the guy to turn the Giants around.
“Daboll is a very bright offensive mind. He is also extremely passionate,” Maske wrote. “That is why you saw his reaction on the sideline and after the game. He is just as frustrated as Giants fans watching at home. The difference is, he is in charge of fixing it.”
He added, “It is darkest before the dawn. Things might get worse before they get better, but I do believe the Giants have the right coach in place to stay the course.”
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