Giants HC Brian Daboll’s latest comments on a controversial decision he’s avoiding will infuriate New York fans

The New York Giants defense is an underperforming mess, and it’s clear whose fault it is.After blowing a 19-point lead and surrendering 33 points in the fourth quarter to the Denver Broncos in Week 7, Giants fans are fed up with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. New York has reached a point of no return with […]

Joe DeLeone NFL News Writer
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Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll looks on in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The New York Giants defense is an underperforming mess, and it’s clear whose fault it is.


After blowing a 19-point lead and surrendering 33 points in the fourth quarter to the Denver Broncos in Week 7, Giants fans are fed up with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. New York has reached a point of no return with a long list of failures by Bowen. Head coach Brian Daboll must fire his defensive coordinator after he clearly cost them the game, especially for more poor late-game decision-making.

Many were expecting Bowen could be let go today. However, when speaking to the media, Daboll backed Bowen.

“No, I’m not considering that,” Daboll told reporters regarding making an coaching changes, “But we all gotta do a better job. It starts with me.”

Brian Daboll’s indecision is inexcusable

The Giants defensive roster is loaded with Pro Bowl caliber talent after multiple years of trade investment and early draft picks. At defensive line, they have Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence. Their defense is anchored by Bobby Okereke at linebacker. In their secondary, they’ve had breakouts from Tyler Nubin, Dru Phillips, and Cor’Dale Flott and recently signed Paulson Adebo.

Despite having a litany of players that would be key contributors on championship-caliber teams, they’re statistically one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They’re 29th in total yards per game allowed, 23rd in points per game allowed, and 22nd in EPA/play allowed.

During a season in which they have the NFL’s leader in sacks with Burns, they are 2-5 with multiple blown late leads. At a certain point, enough has to be enough when the man running the defense clearly cannot elevate the group.

The most disturbing aspect about the defense’s collapse is that it’s extremely clear that the leaders of the defense are not bought in. Burns was caught on camera shouting over a coaching gaff that set up the Broncos’ game-winning field goal. When Burns and Lawrence spoke to the media after the game, their tone couldn’t be more clear that they do not trust Bowen.

A head coach’s responsibility is to effectively combine the tools given to him to build an engine that will make a franchise hum. He’s responsible for recognizing who are the right assistants to maximize the players on the roster. And when those assistants aren’t working, they must not hesitate to make a change.


All faith should be lost in Daboll’s ability to handle decisions like this effectively. His unwillingness to effectively solve problems and instead make the same mistakes continuously is what got him on the hot seat.