EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — This wasn’t Joe Judge’s infamous 11-minute rant late in the 2021 season. But according to Brian Daboll’s press conference, New York Giants coach was very inclusive after his team snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Daboll, who typically mumbles monosyllabic answers after games, raved about his team’s character and work ethic Sunday. Much like Judge’s epic rant three years ago, Daboll’s message appears aimed at the ears of owners who will decide their fate after next week’s season finale.
“I have a lot of confidence in the people in our building and the way they operate,” Daboll said. “Obviously not the result, but coming back from injury pretty good and fighting back to perform at the end of the year. I was on other teams too. It’s a thankless job for coaches to battle it out with players who are injured, come back, compete, work hard every day, show up early and have extra meetings in December. “The record is not very good.”
Judge’s impassioned monologue backfired, and he was fired 10 days later after going 4-13 in his second season. Daboll has avoided going off the rails like Judge, but it’s unclear whether the owner will hear his message to keep the team fighting for results like Sunday’s, when the offensive explosion saw the Giants go winless at home for the first time in 50 years. We have to watch.
After the match, John Mara said nothing as he continued his weekly ritual of refusing to comment when approached by reporters. But Mara made it clear in October that she never wanted to clean house again, so Daboll must use every opportunity to convince her boss of the value of continuity.
“There is a process that we believe in and they continue to fight through it,” Daboll said. “I’m really happy that they were able to win with a smile on their face. I am proud of my people. I was proud of them in some of the games we lost. We just have to keep fighting.”
The theme of Daboll’s press conference was the importance of “good quarterback play.” Daboll was hired three years ago in an effort to develop Bills quarterback Josh Allen from a raw prospect into a perennial MVP candidate.
Daboll won NFL Coach of the Year honors in his first season in New York after leading a career-best season from Daniel Jones. That magic touch was gone after the Giants signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract. Jones was released in November after two dismal seasons.
Backups Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle have been even worse, and using Daboll as the offensive play-caller this season has contributed to the Giants’ last-worst ranking in the league. But that changed Sunday when Lock completed 17-of-23 passes for 309 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Lock added a rushing touchdown as the Giants scored their most points since 2015.
“I think if you have good quarterback play, you have a chance in every game,” Daboll said.
Drew Lock executes.
📺: fox pic.twitter.com/5m2v3z0zWd
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 29, 2024
Daboll’s comments about the need for better quarterback play coincided with reports emphasizing that the coach and general manager Joe Schoen are not a package deal. This is an interesting wrinkle because the GM’s job security appears more secure despite the Giants putting together a terrible quarterback room in Daboll’s make-or-break season.
Ironically, Lock’s performance has hindered Daboll’s chances of getting the top quarterback in the draft if he returns for a fourth season. The Giants would have been guaranteed the No. 1 pick if they lost their final two games, allowing them to choose between the top quarterbacks in the draft, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.
deeper
Patriots take first pick in 2025 NFL Draft after Giants win
The win moves the Giants to fourth in the draft order with one week remaining. Landing a quarterback will be trickier at that point, but Daboll can only focus on the present.
“This is how the offense should be conducted,” Daboll said. “This is how a quarterback should perform. So that way, if you win off turnovers, you get points and you have a chance to win.”
But Daboll can’t escape poor quarterback play. It took until Week 17 for his team to score 30 or more points, a stain on his reputation as a supposed quarterback whisperer.
Dabol said, “It is not an easy position. “Look, we all have to do better. “You can leave that to me.”
The 3-13 Giants have one game remaining against the Eagles, who cannot play in the finale after winning the NFC East title and the NFC’s No. 2 seed. The outcome of that game, which will likely be played against Philadelphia’s backup team, should not influence ownership decisions regarding the future of Daboll and Schoen. But it could only help Daboll if he can deliver another strong performance before ownership decides his fate. And it was confirmed on Sunday that he is seeing promising signs despite his dismal record.
“Every day I see coaches coming in and being consistent,” Daboll said. “It’s hard to be consistent when things are going in an inconsistent league. It’s not good. We don’t have a good record. I firmly acknowledge that and take responsibility for it. But their commitment to doing things the right way every day, staying up late and making plans, like the players did when we won two games — we have the right kind of people.”
Here’s more from Sunday’s win:
don’t quit
Sunday’s results will dispel any notion that the Giants have underperformed during their 10-game losing streak. The Giants were that bad.
The reality is that NFL teams are hard to lose every Even though the Giants have looked easy at times this season. A performance like Sunday was inevitable. At some point, a player as talented as rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers will have a breakout like seven catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
Nabers was included in the lineup despite Daboll being listed as questionable with a “very good” toe injury. Nabers are fiercely competitive and must also pursue individual achievement. He has 104 catches and 1,140 yards this season after Sunday’s huge performance.
Outside linebacker Brian Burns has struggled all season, but continued to play hard on Sunday. He recorded three tackles for a loss and called on Colts quarterback Joe Flacco for a game-sealing interception of cornerback Dru Phillips.
INT for Luke!
📺: fox pic.twitter.com/Yzs0eESBpF
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 29, 2024
Burns’ busyness was evidenced midway through the third quarter when he chased Colts running back Jonathan Taylor across the field on a third-and-1 pitch from the Giants’ 23-yard line. Burns’ chase sent Taylor out of bounds for no gain. The Giants stuffed Taylor on the next play for a pivotal turnover on downs.
It was this effort that ensured that players would not engage in tanking for draft picks.
“This is not basketball. That’s not golf. That’s not tennis. In soccer, you can get hit. I’m not going to go out there and just let people tank me.” said wide receiver Darius Slayton, who caught a 32-yard touchdown pass Sunday. “At the end of the day, we always try to win. “I think we showed that fight today.”
The players and coaches will do their best every week, but the results of Sunday’s win cannot be ignored. The Giants lost the opportunity to draft Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye by winning three games with DeVito last season.
It’s debatable whether Sanders and Ward are in the same class as those quarterbacks, but the prospect of the No. 1 pick was the light at the end of the tunnel during this miserable season. Just don’t expect the players to share fans’ anguish about having their team’s draft ranking damaged by Sunday’s win.
“I don’t believe in (tanking) at all,” tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said. “When you have a losing season, the best way for fans to see it is to keep losing and secure a draft position. But when you start creating a culture of defeat, that’s not what you want. That’s why we have GM. You have both assistants and scouts to help you get in a position to get the players you want in the draft.”
good naver
Look on the bright side of potentially missing out on a top quarterback prospect. Nabers is so talented that he might not need an elite QB. The No. 6 pick in this year’s draft had his best game as a pro on Sunday, displaying the catch-after-yardage ability that made him a star at LSU.
Nabers did most of the work on his two touchdowns. He took a screen from Lock in the first quarter and broke the tackle for a 31-yard score. The Giants strangely did not target Nabers on their first three possessions of the second half, but wisely got him involved early in the fourth quarter. Nabers caught a simple curl route, separated two defenders and outran everyone for a 59-yard touchdown.
LEEEEK 59 yard TD
📺: fox pic.twitter.com/TLYk5pUqdX
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 29, 2024
Nabers added a leaping 34-yard catch on an underthrow fade and a pinpoint 19-yard catch on a back shoulder fade that set up Lock’s 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“What a beast.” Rock said. “He’s going to be a great guy for a really long time.”
Fellow rookie running back Tyrone Tracy contributed to the explosive offense, breaking up a 40-yard run behind a quality interception in the first quarter. The rest of the day was a tough one for Tracy, who finished with 20 carries for 59 yards.
Tracy increased his rushing total to 780 yards and his receiving total to 277 yards. This gave him 1,057 yards from scrimmage, making Tracy and Nabers just the third rookie teammates in NFL history to gain 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
grounded
Overcast weather allowed Mara to avoid the embarrassment of having a plane fly over the stadium carrying a message about the state of the franchise for a third straight home game. Disgusted fans reportedly ordered three different banners, including one with a message imploring Mara to “clean house or sell the team.” The plane was unable to land Sunday, but will likely fly to Philadelphia next week, weather permitting.
(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
