Giants Country

New York Giants Mailbag: "Fire Everyone" Edition

The Giants fans are upset with how the season has gone, and rightfully so, as you'll see in this week's mailbag.

Patricia Traina

New York Giants Mailbag
New York Giants Mailbag / Patricia Traina | New York Giants on SI
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If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, please use the link below or post your questions on X (formerly known as Twitter) to @Patricia_Traina, hashtag #askPTrain. Please note that letters may be edited for clarity/length.

Adam, I think there was a lot of frustration coming from the locker room from the players after that game--certainly, when you hear people use the word "soft," that's cause for concern.

I also think over the ensuing days, whatever frustration was felt about how that game unfolded was addressed, and I tip my cap to Daboll for getting out in front of that by sitting with them to show them the film and allowing cooler heads to prevail.

That all said, yes I do see a path for him to remain as head coach. I think if they address the quarterback situation and fix the issues on defense with the scheme fit and by getting some additional depth on the defensive line and at cornerback, this team can be more competitive next year.

Please show me where I ever said or wrote that everything wrong with the New York Giants was 100% Daniel Jones's fault. Also, please explain to me why this team decided to bench him and move on from him if he was part of the future.  Thanks in advance.

Johnny, first, I don’t necessarily agree that Schoen and Daboll are a package deal. I know that’s a common belief given how they both came from Buffalo, but I believe while that’s the preference, it’s not set in stone.

That said, if I have to choose one or the other, I keep the general manager. I can’t envision any general manager worth his or her weight in gold coming in here and agreeing to inherit a head coach that’s already in place as a condition to rebuild the franchise.

Bill, to be honest, I haven’t jumped into who might be available and how they size up, but I think that’s an article we probably want to address sooner rather than later on the site. My initial inklings were Sam Darnold or Russell Wilson, but if the Giants plan to draft a quarterback, I doubt either would want to be seat warmers until a rookie is ready to roll.

Cesar, the Giants will use every avenue to fill as many needs as possible. I haven’t really sat down yet and looked at it—I need to weigh the needs against what’s the better option, draft or free agency. That’s a project for after the season. I also think you have to look at each unit and ask yourself which would benefit the unit more, experience or youth.

Andrew, whenever you bring in a new general manager and head coach, you start from square one because they want their guys in place. The new general manager usually rebuilds the scouting department and the evaluation processes, and it can take at least a couple of years to get everything rolling in the right direction. 

I know this hasn’t been easy for the fans. It hasn’t been easy for me either, believe it or not. But sometimes, you have to have some patience during adverse times to ride out a storm. 

What prevents them from choosing a quarterback out of desperation, you ask? Did they reach for anyone last year when there were guys on the board? Doesn’t that count for something?

Vinny, I believe Schoen is on concrete, whereas Daboll is on less solid ground. That said, I also think Schoen will have some input into whether Daboll stays or goes, and if the two are as joined at the hip as they appear to be, I think they’re both back next year.

The wild card here is what the Tisch family thinks of the situation. We know what the Maras think as John has gone on the record. But if the Tisches disagree, maybe those of you screaming for Schoen and Daboll to be fired get your wish. 

What’s good Jay? Neal predictably struggled against Micah Parsons, his poor footwork and lack of balance put on full display. I know this isn’t a popular opinion, but I still think he would be better off inside at guard where some of his flaws can be minimized.  

The coaches can’t help Neal every week as they have since he returned to the field–the schemes, help-blocking, and limited responsibilities are wreaking havoc with the rest of the line. I also believe that the Giants will not exercise Neal’s option year next year.

My inclination is to say, “Why not?” but somehow I don’t think that’s the answer you’re looking for.

Chris, sure, anything is possible. I think a common misconception people have when they learn of a scouting trip to a school with a top quarterback is that the brass is only there to scout the quarterback. That’s not always the case, though.

Mets fan (great taste, BTW), I get it. Fans are upset. The season has sucked. There are a lot of questions, and people want answers and accountability. Trust me, I get all that. 

But one can’t make decisions driven by emotion, as those rarely, if ever, work out for the best. From our perspective (yours and mine), there are things we might not be aware of that led to certain circumstances, such as the quarterback situation or the drafts. 

That’s where a cooler head comes into play–you have to look at all the possibilities and draw your own conclusions to determine whether it was pure negligence or stupidity or if something else happened that influenced how things went.

I agree that penalties and discipline are a problem. Whether that’s youth, coaching, or something else, I don’t know, but it’s maddening to watch. And this team is much better than their record. 

John, what I said was that if they can get the quarterback situation straightened out and fill in some holes on defense–d-line, cornerback, and scheme–they could be better in the future.

I didn’t say they were close to being competitive right now. I have functioning eyes. I see what you see. I also try to look at the entire picture and the circumstances.

 And I’d ask you, as someone who has been a fan for over 45 years this–and I’m being sincere. Have you forgotten the 15 Years of Lousy Football, which, in my opinion, were rock bottom?

Emilio, I am assuming by “everyone” you mean me, and if not, we’ll I’m only going to speak for myself rather than “everyone.” 

As I said before and will probably say again before this column is done, fans are upset and frustrated. I get it. I understand it.

I grew up with a father whose moods after a Giants game were dictated by how the team did. I lived through the "Wilderness Years" of the 1970s and remember how bad those years were and how frustrated and angry my father would be about the Giants and the products they put out on the field.

Speaking for myself, running on emotion does no good. Do I enjoy covering a losing team week after week? No. But I have always tried to give people and circumstances the benefit of the doubt.

I have always tried to see the forest through the trees and be rational and fair with my opinions. That’s how I operate. If people don’t like it, then they are free to follow any other writer whose opinion aligns with theirs.  

Look at the end of the season, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe John Mara and Steve Tisch say enough is enough. That Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll were mistakes and they need to go in a different direction.

That’s their right to do so as team owners, and if that’s what they choose to do, I’ll keep as much of an open mind then as I do now.

Ctazzo, I think it’s been a combination of things.  When it comes to the defense, I always go back to how Schoen, in his first offseason s general manager, spoke about getting players that Wink Martindale felt he needed to run his defense.  

Then you part ways with Martindale and bring in a defensive coordinator who has a completely different philosophy and now suddenly those players who looked promising in Martindale’s system look lost? 

I know coaches claim players are interchangeable and next man up and all that jazz. We’re not talking machine parts here; we are talking about human beings.

Can a right-footed punter put a spin on the ball like a left-footed punter can? Probably not. And I wish coaches would just admit to that instead of trying to convince us otherwise.I

 Hi Andy. Teammates have told me he’s doing well with his recovery and rehab and that he’s looking forward to returning next year.

Giants Realist: This is how I understand each scenario played out. 

The Giants tried at least THREE TIMES to sign Saquon long-term. He didn’t want to sign here for whatever reason, despite saying that he wanted to be a Giant for life. I believe he signed for $1 million more in guaranteed money with the Eagles than the Giants offered him. And he went to a team with a much more established offensive line. 

What did you propose Schoen do, lock him in a room and force him to sign? It takes two people to make a contract. One clearly didn’t want to enter into an agreement for whatever his reasons. 

McKinney? He outpriced himself out of the Giants’ range. I knew at the start of the season he wasn’t coming back under any circumstances despite what he might have said publicly. Again, it takes two to enter into a contract.  

Jones’s contract was actually a two-year deal, thanks to the out. And if you go back and look at the money and what the franchise tag amounts were for the quarterback in 2023 and 2024, Jones was paid that plus a smidge over.

Yes, there is $22.2 million in dead money that’s going to hit the cap next year. But the cap is also going up to where the Giants should be able to absorb that hit provided they don’t have any other unexpected catastrophic spending. 

The o-line was promising at the start of the season. Then it lost Andrew Thomas, its best player, and now you have to plug in guys who have no business playing left tackle. That came about because the original plan was for Jermaine Eluemunor to be the backup left tackle.

Then Evan Neal had the setback, and Eluemunor went to right tackle. Now, when Thomas gets hurt, you’re playing a guy who is not an NFL tackle and then another guy who was a career right tackle.

You say they have three first-round busts in three years. Other than Evan Neal, on whom the jury is still out (albeit he’s trending in the wrong direction), how can you declare anyone a bust until they’ve been in the league for at least three seasons?

Have you forgotten that people were questioning whether Eli Manning would ever live up to his draft pedigree? I recall the same with Amani Toomer and Phil Simms. Those guys turned out to be okay, didn’t they?

Look, if there is one thing Schoen is guilty of, it’s that he misjudged the roster after 2022. I don’t often say this about making the playoffs and winning a game, but that was the worst thing to happen to the Giants.

I also always say that when you have a brand new coaching staff headed by a first-time head coach, that often gives you an advantage until the rest of the league catches up with your tendencies.

I have also questioned Brian Daboll's decision not to play his starters more in the preseason, using the excuse of joint practices as substitutes for live game snaps.

It’s my sincerest hope that if he’s back next year, he will drop that approach because the work done in the controlled environment of a joint practice is NOT the same as in a game.

I also questioned why certain guys were never really challenged for their jobs–Evan Neal at right tackle and Daniel Jones at quarterback. If a guy had a shaky season the year before, what’s the harm in having him compete for his job?

So no, Schoen and Daboll haven’t been perfect in what they’ve done. They are responsible for the state of the roster right now. And yes, I have always said that the right way to do things is to sweep out the GM, HC, and QB simultaneously. But I don’t think owners necessarily want to go down that path. We’ll find out in a little more than a month if that’s the case.

Lex, people can look at ownership all you want, but it’s not going to change anything.

Thanks for the question, Tim. Basically guys who aren’t getting many, if any snaps with the offense or defense–receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, linebacker Matthew Adams, cornerback Art Green, defensive lineman Jordan Riley, offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu (at guard) all come to mind. Maybe even call up some of the prctice squatters who haven’t contributed much on game days.

Ron, let me answer your second question first. Daboll won Coach of the YEar in his first season as head coach.

And last year, despite the roster being wrecked by injuries, he somehow got them to six wins on the year, which I know isn’t anything to write home about, but given the circumstances, I think that’s why he was given another year.

And while I’m of the school of thought that “a win is a win and a loss is a loss,” one potential argument in Daboll’s favor is that six of the team’s 10 losses this season were by one score or less.

As for your first question, of the three draft classes, this last one could be a home run. The first one wasn’t very good, but I wonder if that was because the coaching staff wasn’t fully assembled until the first week of February, and the scouting process was in a state of flux. 

But yeah, the draft classes need to make more of an impact moving forward.

Forge, I think there are two issues with Schoen that stand out to me. One, he overvalues his own players. 

If you’re not going to re-sign a guy and you have a chance to trade him for something knowing full well that you need as many draft assets as possible to fix the numerous holes still on your roster, why are you standing on principle? That makes no sense to me.

I also didn’t like how the quarterback situation was handled this year. As I wrote previously, I wouldn’t have chirped that Daniel Jones was the starter once healthy, not after how he played last year before his ACL injury. 

GMs and coaches always crave competition, yet they decided to automatically give Jones back the job without letting him compete for it. If they felt he was the best quarterback on the roster, then what was the harm in pushing him to new levels?

Sydnius, very good question. I haven’t really thought about it because I think you want to see how the coaching carousel spins. I know if they were to fire Daboll–and as of right now I don’t think they will–Ben Jonhson of the Lions is an intriguing candidate. 

I’d have to research some general manager candidates, though. I mean I see where people are screaming about getting an experienced head coach or general manager in here, but my counter to that is if they were fired by a previous club,  be careful what you wish for.

James, I haven’t done enough study on the quarterbacks to say for sure if there is one that they should draft in the top three. Let’s circle back on this come January when we know for sure where the Giants are drafting and when I’ve started to look at college candidates.

We posted this article on the Giants defense’s woes. And look, it’s not that Bowen is a bad defensive coordinator, but again, when you change systems that are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum to where now you have to question if the personnel fits the new system, that’s not good.

Kris, I think it’s a combination of things. At times, the game plan has been a headscratcher. Then you have the dropped passes–26, tied for second-most in the league.

Add in pressure–the Giants quarterbacks have been under pressure 23.1% of the time, which is tied for tenth-highest in the league (with the Saints). 

The Giants have also been blitzed 100 times this season, 16th in the league (and likely a stat because opposing defensive coordinators know that the quarterback doesn’t always get the ball out of his hand quickly).

So yeah, I don’t think it’s just one thing. That said, the team’s brass has a lot of work to mitigate some of these issues in the future.

Sean, I don’t think Jake Kubas will get a start this year unless there are injuries. I believe –and I’d have to check on this to confirm–they’ve been cross-training him at other positions so that he can offer more versatility in the future.

Keith, my guess is the Giants get a bridge quarterback that can keep the seat warm until a young player (assuming they draft one) is ready. And if they don’t draft a quarterback, then the bridge player better be able to keep them competitive. 

Amidst all of the speculation that Daboll and/or Schoen may be fired, I'm having a frightening thought. Shouldn't fans wonder if Mara and Tisch know how to hire a competent coach and GM? 

Since Coughlin's departure, they're 0-for-3, on the verge of 0-for-four. They can fire these guys if they want to, but there's no reason to be confident they'll bring in someone better. 

I'm inclined to think the current guys should get more time. It's possible--maybe even likely--that another change will fail to bring improvement. Makes your head hurt, doesn't it?-- Kevin C.

Very good point, Kevin. I can’t remember exactly, but wasn’t at least one of their head coaching hires done with the aid of a consultant? And didn’t Joe Judge come on the recommendation of Bill Belichick? 

I mention this because sometimes you just have to roll with your gut and not necessarily lean on others. 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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