As Brian Daboll enters his third season as the head coach for the New York Giants, he’s looking to capture some of that magic he had in his first season in New York in 2022. After a season last year with so much excitement and anticipation, the Giants fell well short of expectations in 2023 and missed the playoffs with a 6-11 record. It was the eighth time in the last ten seasons for the Giants they had 10 or more losses in the regular season.
So, there is no question that 2024 is a crucial season for the Giants. With the other three teams in the NFC East continuing to improve their rosters, are the Giants in for another rough season? The Giants and Daboll need to prove that this Giants team is good enough to compete in the ultra-competitive NFC East, so he’s on the hot seat entering 2024. Here are the three main factors of why that’s the case.
Giants Ownership Tired Of Losing
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This should come as no surprise for Giants fans to realize because Daboll is already the fourth head coach to be hired for the job since Tom Coughlin resigned in 2016. Co-owner John Mara as well as other members of the Giants ownership has made it clear that they’re tired of losing and not playing January football.
“Big Blue” has missed the playoffs five out of the last eight seasons and has also not won the NFC East since 2011. That was the year they went and won the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Daboll needs to understand that as he enters his third season as the head coach for the Giants, there is a real sense of urgency.
You got your quarterback back in Daniel Jones after injury, you drafted an elite wide receiver with your first-round pick in Malik Nabers. You also got a star pass rusher in Brian Burns. Mara and company want results this season.
Daboll To Call Plays On Offense
This would sure be exciting for Giants fans if the reports are true. After two lackluster years on offense under Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka, Daboll may be taking over the play calls. And if that’s the case, there is certainly a lot of pressure on him.
When Kafka was calling plays for the Giants in two seasons on the job, the Giants averaged just 21.5 points per game and in 2023, they were even worse averaging just 15.6 a game. That’s not going to do the job and Daboll understands that.
Daboll was great as a play-caller for the Buffalo Bills before he took the Giants job and Giants fans would certainly be much happier seeing him with the play-call sheet on the sidelines. If Kafka was the main problem for the Giants offensive woes over the last couple of seasons, Daboll needs to prove that under his leadership, the Giants can produce results.
The absence of Saquon Barkley
For the first time since the 2017 season, the Giants running back position will not feature Saquon Barkley. The Giants former first round draft selection, after weeks of dramatic contract negotiations, is now taking his talents to Philadelphia. While Daboll was not involved in much of the contract negotiations with Barkley, he still has to prove that Barkley was not the sole reason for the Giants offensive prowess.
When Barkley was out with injury during his time with the Giants, their record was a woeful 9-16. Daboll now has to prove that the Giants can still be successful on offense without him. And there should be no excuse for Daboll if the Giants offense continues to struggle under his leadership.
New York still has dynamic weapons on offense with the aforementioned Nabers, second-year wideout Jalin Hyatt, and Wan’Dale Robinson to name a few. They also added a running back to replace Barkley by signing Devin Singletary who can certainly play at a high level. Brian Daboll must show that this Giants team is still good enough to score on offense.
