Giants Country

Legendary Sports Radio Host Sees Change in Giants HC Brian Daboll

Famous radio host Mike Francesa recently offered an opinion on what he perceives as a change in head coach Brian Daboll's demeanor.

Victoria Jonach

Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll stands on the sideline in the second half against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field.
Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll stands on the sideline in the second half against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field. / Luke Johnson-Imagn Images
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It’s only Week 3 and the New York Giants’ 0-2 record hasn’t left fans feeling blue. 

In the opinion of legendary NEw York sports radio host Mike Francesa, Giants head coach Brian Daboll is right there with the fan base.

“I’ll tell you something — when I see Daboll now, I don’t see the coach who had a little glint in his eye and a little swagger in his first year. I see a guy who wants to jump off a bridge,” Francesa said on The Mike Francesa Podcast.

“I see a guy who just wants to give you short answers … You can tell that he’s up to here with all of it. And he knows he’s looking down the barrel at a long season.”

Francesa noted how the Giants could have used a win against the Washington Commanders win due to their tough upcoming schedule which includes dates with Cleveland, Dallas, Seattle, and Cincinnati.

“0-2 hurts,” Francesa said. “0-4, 0-5 is deadly.”

Francesa’s intuition about Daboll being frustrated isn’t a stretch. After Washington scored their winning field goal on Sunday, Daboll was so visibly irritated that he angrily hurled his headset down on the field and stormed off.

A growing number of fans, at least those who responded to Francesa’s comments, are seeing their patience with Daboll growing thin.

The Giants head coach, for instance, was heavily criticized by fans and media alike for failing to have a backup plan for kicker Graham Gano after he popped up on the team’s injury report the day before the game, only to aggravate his hamstring on the opening kickoff (in the same leg) while chasing down Austin Ekeler on a play that was eventually nullified due to a penalty.   

The Giants turned to punter Jamie Gillan to do the place kicking, but after he shanked a PAT attempt wide right, that was the last of the Giants place kicking adventures for the day.  

Daboll, despite attempts to be even keeled at his postgame press conference, struggled to do so, even snapping at questions put to him. 

It’s easy to be disappointed when you’re in Daboll’s position. When he was first hired by the Giants in 2022, Daboll helped lead the team to their first winning record since 2016 and their first playoff win in over 10 years, earning AP “Coach of the Year” honors.

The Giants’ 9-7-1 record in 2022 spoke volumes about Daboll’s potential as a first-time NFL head coach since they had only produced 14 wins the previous three seasons. But from 2023 on, New York has lost 13 of 19 games, with fans growing impatient with each passing loss.  

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Victoria Jonach

VICTORIA JONACH

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