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Brian Daboll on Failed Flea Flicker: Wish I Had That One Back

Daboll took the blame for the failed flea flicker, even though it looked like it might have worked had the quarterback thrown the ball.

Patricia Traina

Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) is pressured by Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson (23) in the second half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) is pressured by Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson (23) in the second half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll thought he had the perfect, surprise call dialed up for a second-quarter 3rd-and-1 from his own 49-yard line.

The play was a flea flicker in which the Giants, going against zone coverage, had not one, but two receivers–Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson–wide open over the middle.

But instead of hitting either one of them in stride, quarterback Daniel Jones, either feeling the pressure from his blind side closing in or perhaps spooked by a frantically waving Carolina defender in front of him, tucked the ball in and took a sack.

Jones’s decision left his head coach furious as a promising-looking scoring drive came to an end, but after the game, Daboll refused to chew out Jones or anyone for that matter as blame for the play’s failure. 

“Yeah, I wish I had it back. I wish I had it back. Didn't work,” Daboll said when asked about the play.

When someone followed up to ask about guys being open, Daboll again bit his tongue. 

“Yeah. I wish I had it back. Bad coaching.”

While the timing of the play was curious, the execution appeared to be on point–except for Jones’s reluctance to throw the ball in what seemed like the umpteenth time, he doubted what he’s seen after the snap.

“You can see that we were open, but there are many things that are going on in Daniel's face that us receivers don't see," Nabers said, adding that he asked Jones about the play and was told that the quarterback didn’t see them.

Nabers, who expressed mixed emotions after the game, said the loss couldn’t be pinned on just one person.

"As a group, you can't point the fingers at each other. It takes 11 men on that field to win a game," he said.

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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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