The New York Giants defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 34-10, in Week 17. It was a bounce-back game for Jaxson Dart, who finished with 207 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns. The rookie quarterback didn’t need to do much but looked comfortable and composed against a team that doesn’t seem eager to win. Nevertheless, Dart’s offense had 343 total yards and was 7 of 14 on third and fourth down.
New York played complementary football for, seemingly, the first time this season. Not only did the defense hold Ashton Jeanty to 60 yards on 16 carries, after he ran all over the Houston Texans last week, but they also forced two interceptions that proved costly for the Raiders. The offense moved with ease, and the special teams added a touchdown with a Tae Banks return.
Overall, the Giants played respectably and won the game. They now lose the first overall pick unless the Giants defeat Dallas next week and the Raiders defeat the Chiefs. Nevertheless, here are the five plays, or sequence of plays, that led to the Giants’ victory.
Play(s) 1: Jaxson Dart!
The Giants responded to the Raiders’ field goal with an eight-play, 65-yard drive that featured a lot of Dart’s legs – 21 yards total on the drive, including this 12-yard touchdown run:
Mike Kafka dialed up a fast four to the three receiver side, which lightened the box on the designed QB draw (once Devin White No. 45 followed Tyrone Tracy Jr. (28). Dart did the rest and finished the play while taking a big shot. Dart also connected for 21 yards to Darius Slayton on a first-and-10 completion. Dart added a second rushing touchdown on fourth-and-1, which was the dagger that ended the Raiders’ slim chances to compete in the game:
Jaxson Dart against the Raiders:
• 22/30 (73.3%)
• 255 total yards
• 2 rushing touchdowns
• 0 turnovers
• 34-10 victory
But sure, the Giants should draft Fernando Mendoza
pic.twitter.com/y3IjxNikny
— Ensign Gridiron (@EnsignGridiron) December 28, 2025Jaxson Dart vs the Raiders:
84.6% adjusted completion rate
— PFF (@PFF) December 29, 2025Play 2: Bobby Okereke’s interception
Geno Smith (7) threw an interception right to the veteran linebacker when Okereke (58) passed off the clearout and undercut Michael Mayer (87). Okereke returned this red zone turnover to set up the offense’s first touchdown, which Devin Singletary seized with a 1-yard touchdown rush. This was the Giants’ seventh interception of the season.
Play 3: Dane Belton with an interception
Dane Belton intercepted Geno Smith on third-and-6 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and that would be Smith’s last snap of the game after he was blindside blocked by Rico Payton. The Raiders, down 17 points when the interception happened, had a feeble pulse; the Giants’ offense was moving the football, Deonte Banks returned a kick for a touchdown, and Geno Smith had little time to throw the football with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and the defensive tackles easily getting pressure.
Play(s) 4: Wan’Dale Robinson gets 1,000+
Wan’Dale Robinson HUGE gain! Race to 1000pic.twitter.com/6YbDDp2cb5
— Fireside Giants (@FiresideGiants) December 28, 2025
Wan’Dale Robinson caught 11 of 14 passes for 113 yards, putting him at 1,014 total yards on the season. It is the first time Robinson has secured the thousand milestone, and I’m sure it will be yet another negotiation chip for Robinson, who The Sports and Entertainment Group represents. Robinson may be in demand and is likely looking at a deal north of Khalil Shakir’s four-year, up to $60.2 million contract, featuring $32 million guaranteed with incentives.
The Giants will have to retain Darius Slayton, who will enter the second year of his three-year, $30-million contract. Releasing Slayton would cost the Giants just over $15 million in dead cap, so expect him on the roster. But will the Giants be in the market for Robinson, or did his impressive 2025 season up his market value out of the Giants’ range? That is a question we’ll be pondering as this season ends.
Still, Robinson was more than just a gadget player against the Raiders. He was the catalyst of the offense, and Mike Kafka designed several first-read plays for Jaxson Dart to the undersized receiver. He was a massive reason for the Giants’ victory.
Play 5: Were Special Teams special?
First kick return TD for Tae Banks
: CBS pic.twitter.com/boVNUrFEmt
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 28, 2025
Giants’ 2023 first-round pick, Tae Banks has carved a valuable role out for New York, but it’s not on the defense. Banks has quietly been a good kick returner for New York this season. Before the Week 17 game, Banks had averaged 29.7 yards on 15 kick returns. He showcased his vision on Sunday, galloping through a crease while also flashing impressive acceleration to eliminate angles. Banks is a great athlete, and I’m happy to see him trusted with a role and to watch him thrive within that responsibility. Still, I hope to see his natural skills manifest on the defensive side of the football.
Good morning, New York Giants fans!
From Big Blue View
- NY Giants coach Mike Kafka: No doubt Jaxson Dart is a franchise QB
- Giants-Raiders ‘Kudos & Wet Willies’: The Giants won … and lost at the same time
- PFF grades and snap counts from the Giants’ victory over the Raiders
- Jaxson Dart downplays report NY Giants will ‘look at Fernando Mendoza’
- Marcus Freeman spurns Giants, NFL to remain head coach at Notre Dame
- New York Giants head coaching search 2026: Everything you need to know
More Giant observations
What we learned from Giants’ Week 17 win: Jaxson Dart’s telling response to worst game | New York Post
It happened.
The Giants won a game, for the first time since early October. And, they looked quite good in all three phases. Their offense, directed with poise and patience by rookie Jaxson Dart, had no trouble moving up and down the field and into the end zone. Their defense harassed Geno Smith and intercepted him twice.
Alex Smith: Dart’s mobility is a super power
"[Jaxson Dart's] ability to create is such an asset."
Alex Smith would rather have Dart than drafting a rookie QBpic.twitter.com/BGWXEzfRQU
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 28, 2025Should Giants draft a new QB? Jaxson Dart quiets chatter about future with win vs. Raiders | The Athletic
Recently, however, as the losses have piled up, Dart didn’t seem to be having quite as much fun. On Sunday, amid the Giants’ rout of the lowly Raiders, Dart looked more like the player that fans have come to love.
Giants are Jaxson Dart’s team and that must resonate for the franchise | The Record
NFL stats and records, Week 17: Patriots QB Drake Maye makes case for MVP | NFL.com
Dart has two games with at least 200 yards passing and two rushing touchdowns in 2025 (with his other coming in Week 10 against the Bears), joining Cam Newton as the only rookies in NFL history with multiple such games.
The 25th overall pick in the 2025 draft also joined Newton and Josh Allen as the only players with at least 12 passing touchdowns and eight rushing touchdowns in Year 1. Dart has 13 touchdowns through the air and nine more on the ground.
NFL Week 17: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game | ESPN.com
It ended a nine-game skid and 13 straight losses on the road. It also made them a long shot to land the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, but the Giants are still front-runners for the No. 2 selection. A top-2 pick could allow the Giants to get a significant return by trading the selection to a quarterback-needy team because New York believes it has its long-term QB answer. Quarterback Jaxson Dart rebounded Sunday after a few down performances. He went 22-of-30 for 207 yards with a pair of rushing touchdowns. Dart has nine rushing touchdowns this season, second most of any rookie quarterback in NFL history behind Cam Newton (11).
Tae Banks’ reward? Random drug test
Giants’ No. 1 draft pick odds plunge but win pleases players | ESPN.com
Giants Offensive Tackle Jermaine Eluemunor Reaches Special Career Milestone | SI.com
Starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor has also hit 1,000, as in 1,000 offensive snaps played this season. Eluemunor, who is in the final year of his two-year, $14 million contract that he signed with the Giants in the 2024 offseason, has now appeared in 1,014 snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus. That mark tops his previous career high of 925 snaps, which he had in his first season with the Giants. Last season with the Giants, Eluemunor played 610 snaps at right tackle and 313 at left tackle, with a quick cameo at left guard for one snap. This year, he’s played all but five of his snaps at right tackle.
Is this the most miserable Giants season in a decade? Let’s rank the pain | The Athletic
This week’s opponent
NFL Week 17: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game | ESPN.com
Does finishing with a non-losing record matter? It does to Brian Schottenheimer, who has frequently referred to this being the first year of the program. The Cowboys are 7-8-1 with their Week 18 finale against the New York Giants looming, and Schottenheimer has given no indication that the Cowboys plan to sit regulars such as Dak Prescott to avoid injury. The quarterback has said he wants to play and will fight to remain in the lineup. If the Cowboys lose to the Giants — whether they play their main guys or not — it will be the first time Dallas has had consecutive seasons with a losing record since three straight 5-11 finishes from 2000 to 2002.
Dak to start in Cowboys’ finale vs. Giants | DallasCowboys.com
Stephen Jones: We’ll be talking to Jadeveon Clowney about returning right away | Pro Football Talk
Coming one of his best games of the season, Jadeveon Clowney not only expressed his desire to be back with the Cowboys, but also wanting to get a deal done sooner so he can have a full offseason and training camp. And it sounds like the Cowboys are on the same page. Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones was asked about wanting Clowney back on 105.3 “The Fan” on Monday.
Around the league
The Big Picture: These Eagles’ Super Bowl Hopes Rest on Their Defense | FOX Sports
John Harbaugh: Lamar Jackson’s status is to be determined, we’ll know more on Wednesday | Pro Football Talk
Baker Mayfield: Buccaneers ‘blessed’ to have shot at NFC South title after Sunday’s loss to Dolphins | NFL.com
Myles Garrett says Steelers ‘were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron’ than winning game | CBSSports.com
Kevin Stefanski mum on future, ‘privileged’ to be Browns coach | ESPN.com
Matt Nagy knows what he’d do differently if he gets another NFL head coaching job | The Athletic
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The New York Giants beat a forlorn Raiders team in Week 17, ending a nine-game losing streak and securing their first road victory of the season. Rookie tackle Marcus Mbow filled in for Andrew Thomas, who is done for the season after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 16. It was Mbow’s second start of the season, and it was less than ideal, with some flash highlights.
Mbow surrendered five pressures and three hurries in the game, and continued to struggle with power rushes; sand must be poured down the pants of Mbow in the off-season, but his overall movement skills and quickness are reasons for excitement:
The overall control and movement skills in this play are part of the impressive foundation that Mbow possesses as a developmental offensive lineman who could be a fixture in the New York Giants’ plans.
Mbow plays with a mean streak and can finish with authority, as shown above. Still, he looked like a rookie in Week 17—which is to be expected, especially given that he played right tackle in college, not left tackle.
We’ll go through some of his pass and run snaps to illustrate how the rookie fifth-round pick performed.
(Marcus Mbow is No. 71)
Pass blocking
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Mbow had solid pass-blocking reps—such as the second-and-17 play above—that resulted in a first-down scramble by Jaxson Dart. He was patient with his inside hand, waiting for Malcolm Koonce (51) to commit to an inside move after Mbow’s pass set cut off the veteran rusher’s angle. Although Mbow was initially impatient with his outside hand and briefly leaned, the rookie was able to reset and latch onto Koonce’s inside shoulder, effectively creating a rushing lane for Dart.
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Mbow was not perfect in the patient battle against Koonce, a pass rusher with just 30 pressures on the season, six of them against the Giants. Mbow trusted his movement skills on this play-action and framed Koonce, who waited to see the Giants’ plans after Dart went into the mesh-point. Once the pass was declared, Koonce swung his inside arm at Mbow, who reached and gave the pass rusher plenty of space to the inside. Koonce dipped his inside shoulder and broke into the pocket, forcing Dart backwards until he eventually slipped for a massive loss. I’m unsure if Mbow thought there would be running back help; judging by Tyrone Tracy Jr’s (29) actions, I’d say no, which leads me to Mbow, who must do a better job protecting his inside when on an island and exercising patience on a play-action pass.
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Mbow had other reps where pressure was surrendered to his inside, like this one against Koonce above on this 36-yard completion to Wan’Dale Robinson on first-and-10. It’s play-action, and Mbow attempts to fit his hands inward, but Koonce gets into his chest and presses Mbow’s inside shoulder, successfully dictating on the initial parts of the rep. However, Mbow does a fantastic job opening his hips and shuffling his feet inward to mirror Koonce, while not allowing him to separate until it’s too late. That activeness and adjustability is something to appreciate with Mbow:
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Jahfari Harvey attempted to use power on a bull-rush during this Dart throwaway, but Mbow did well to sit back and absorb the contact, while establishing control of Harvey’s inside wrist upon contact. Then, on Harvey’s second effort, Mbow stayed in front of the young pass rusher to eliminate his ability to penetrate the pocket. Mbow’s anchor is a problem, though:
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Mbow too often looks like he’s on ice skates, struggling to reset and anchor. He has shown he can do both, but a handful of snaps each game resemble the two plays above. He was also guilty of these two plays below:
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It appears that Mbow expected Devin Singletary (26) to contact Koonce, and that would prompt Mbow to handle Koonce to the inside and, more than likely, finish by violently throwing an off-balanced Koonce to the deck. Koonce, however, slipped past Singletary and to the outside of Mbow, who had already anticipated Koonce to be bounced inward; this put Mbow off-balance and out of sync, leading to a Jaxson Dart sack.
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Patrick Graham did an excellent job scheming a two against one toward Mbow with a blitzing Greedy Vance (41) behind Koonce. Mbow stepped to Vance and abandoned Koonce on what appears to be a miscommunication in protection, since the Giants slid, and a three-technique covered Jon Runyan (76). It was a seven-man protection in the red zone with Tracy Jr. and Daniel Bellinger (82) in the backfield. Mbow allowed Koonce to get into the pocket untouched, as he and Tracy Jr. went after Vance.
Run game
The aforementioned highlight was the brightest spot for Mbow against the Raiders, but there were other solid run reps, as well as mistakes:
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Mbow flashed active eyes after seeing linebacker Elandon Roberts (52) quickly blitz. Mbow came off the double team and removed Roberts from the play, although his penetration forced Singletary to cut the run inside. Still, I appreciate the quick adjustment by Mbow. Here’s an adequate combo block by Mbow:
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Mbow stayed low and drove through the outside portion of the defensive linemen, which allowed Runyan Jr. to climb up to Devin White (45). Mbow didn’t generate a massive amount of push at the point of attack, but he did get Jonah Laulu (96) to concede a couple of yards.
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Mbow climbs after helping Runyan Jr. secure his block of the three-techinque. Mbow does well to stay low and meet Roberts right as the veteran was approaching the hole. Mbow eliminated the angle and drove him outside and away from the running back’s path. An impressive play for the rookie. While there were several solid run plays by Mbow, there were also plays like the ones below:
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Mbow’s responsibility made too many plays when the Giants were running the football. He didn’t control the point of attack, and his push at the line of scrimmage is adequate at best. A lot of these issues stem from strength and sustainment through plays; some can be rectified with technique and experience, but Mbow does need to add strength and power in the offseason.
Final thoughts
Mbow’s performance was acceptable—it wasn’t good, and there’s still plenty to clean up—but the same issues that have plagued him throughout his rookie campaign resurfaced against a weak Raiders’ roster. With fellow tackle Jermaine Eluemunor set to hit free agency at season’s end, the Giants face an important decision: are they confident enough in Mbow to let Eluemunor walk?
I’m not thrilled with that idea, even though I like Mbow as a player. For the first time in a long while, the offensive line has played well, and with Jaxson Dart on a rookie contract, maintaining continuity while bolstering depth should be a priority. That would mean re-signing Eluemunor and keeping Mbow as the swing tackle—or possibly cross-training him—leaning on the adaptability he appears to possess, something Josh Ezeudu lacked.
The 3-13 New York Giants host the 7-8-1 Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in the season finale for both teams. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing the Giants as 3.5-point underdogs.
For the Giants, the most important thing about this game might be what position they end up in for the 2026 NFL Draft. A victory on Sunday and the Giants could fall as low as the No. 7 overall pick. A loss and New York would get the No. 1 pick if the Las Vegas Raiders defeat the Kansas City Chiefs. If the Raiders lose, the highest pick the Giants could receive would be No. 2.
Both teams are planning to play whatever starters are healthy, though it would not be a surprise to see key players pulled from the lineup at some point during the game.
The Cowboys defeated the Giants 40-37 in overtime in Week 2 despite a 450-yard passing performance from Russell Wilson.
Follow this StoryStream all week for all of the news, previews, analysis, and opinion you need to be ready for the season finale.
The New York Giants are not planning to pull starters early or limit playing time in Sunday’s season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, according to interim head coach Mike Kafka.
Giants starters will play “all the way through” on Sunday despite the 3-13 Giants and 7-8-1 Cowboys playing for nothing but pride.
“We’re playing the game. Everyone’s rolling all the way through,” Kafka said. “We’re not even thinking that way [about limiting snaps] at all. Going straight through. Straight through all 60 minutes or whatever it takes.”
Many fans, of course, won’t be happy if that is indeed how the Giants play the game. With a loss to the Cowboys and a victory by the Las Vegas Raiders over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Giants can still secure the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With a victory on Sunday, the Giants could slide to No. 7 in the draft order.
“I think guys, they’re in the right frame of mind. They have been all season,” Kafka said. “They’re preparing themselves to win, they’re preparing themselves to get their minds right and go out there and execute with their teammates. I think this week, it’s a division game. It’s a division game, it’s at home. That’s important to all of us, so I think it’s important that we put in the work and be detailed throughout this week to prepare ourselves to go play the game.”
For Dallas, star quarterback Dak Prescott is expected to start, but Prescott and other starters might not finish.
Injury updates
A number of Giants did not practice.
Edge defender Abdul Carter, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt and tight end Theo Johnson were sent home due to illness. Safety Jevon Holland (knee), cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (knee), wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (ribs), wide receiver Beaux Collins, and offensive lineman Evan Neal were not practicing.
Kafka said Robinson had “some soreness.” He said Holland is “day to day.”
Giants Wednesday injury report
Did not practice
LB Abdul Carter | Illness
CB Cor’Dale Flott | Knee
S Jevón Holland | Knee/Concussion
WR Jalin Hyatt | Illness
TE Theo Johnson | Illness
OL Evan Neal | Neck
WR Wan’Dale Robinson | Rib
Limited participation
DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches | Ankle/Toe
DL Roy Robertson-Harris | Knee
We have mercifully reached NFL Week 18, the end of another disappointing New York Giants season. That means it is our final ‘5 questions’ segment of the season. We turn to an old friend, Dave Halprin, of Blogging The Boys for some insight. Halprin has some advice for Giants ownership — Just Say No to Mike McCarthy.
Ed: The Micah Parsons trade is still the big story of the Dallas season. As we get to the end, what is the perspective on whether or not the Cowboys did the right thing by moving on from Parsons?
Dave: I don’t think the perspective has changed, at least for me. It was a bad idea then and a bad idea now. Sure, it’s nice having the extra first-round pick and Quinnen Williams, and who knows how it will turn out down the road, but Parsons’ talent is a game-changer. You just don’t give up generational talent that plays one of the most important positions in football. The Cowboys pass rush this season was bad, along with the rest of their defense. Even before Parsons’ trade, stats showing the difference between when Parsons played and when he didn’t in previous seasons were stark. Ask the Packers about that over the last few weeks. He really lifted our defense. Moving him did give us more contract maneuverability to sign people, so you can stack together reasons why it might make sense. But special talent at pass rusher is a rare commodity, everybody wants one.
Ed: What are your impressions of Brian Schottenheimer after his first year as the Cowboys’ head coach? This was an unexpected move to Jerry Jones. Has Schottenheimer done enough to make it look like the right one?
Dave: My perspective on this actually did change over this year. When it was first announced, I thought this was just a Jerry Jones special, someone he was comfortable with that he could control. But Schottenheimer has proven he’s got skills. He assembled an excellent offensive coaching staff, and modernized the offense to work better in this age of football. More pre-snap motion, more play-action, smaller splits that help with the running game. Running and passing out of the same formation to keep the defense unsure. He also navigated through a tough season with the Parsons trade, the death of Marshawn Kneeland, and an under-performing, injury-riddled defense that has a coordinator (Matt Eberflus) that many believe was hand-picked by Jones, not Schottenheimer. We have issues to fix in Dallas, but no one is talking about Schottenheimer as being one. His players truly like him, and he has the right mix of being a player’s coach and being a disciplinarian in him.
Ed: Dallas waived former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs this week. Why, and why now?
Dave: Well, there are reports about a travel disagreement between Diggs and Schottenheimer around Christmas and flying home with the team, which you can read about here. But that just accelerated what was going to happen anyway. The Cowboys and Diggs were headed for a divorce this offseason without a doubt. There is very little dead cap left on his deal so it only saves the Cowboys cap space going forward. Diggs has fallen out of favor with the front office for multiple reasons. Injuries being one, but also rehabbing those injuries. The Cowboys don’t feel he’s gone about that the right way, and fined him half a million for not meeting his contractual requirements around rehabbing at the Cowboys facility. His play has also dipped, likely because of the constant injuries. He just can’t seem to get healthy so he’s not the player he was at the beginning of his career, and the Cowboys basically don’t see him trying hard enough to get back to that level. There seems to be some real behind-the-scenes drama here, and his play is not enough for the Cowboys to overlook it.
Ed: Reports are that Dak Prescott and other Dallas starters are going to play on Sunday, at least for a while. Dallas is 7-8-1. Does it mean anything to the Cowboys to finish at .500?
Dave: To the players it seems to. I can understand that considering the year-round preparations and all they pour physically into playing football, they don’t like to lose. Competitive spirit and all. Coach Schottenheimer might care too, as he tries to make his inaugural season a non-losing one. But the fans have mostly checked out. We’re ready for free agency and the draft. Our minds have already turned, and going 8-8-1 isn’t really that important. Heck, losing has its own benefits in draft position. To the players and coaches getting to .500 is important, not so much for the fans.
Ed: Your cohort at BTB, RJ Ochoa, believes former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy would be a good choice for the Giants as their next head coach. What are your feelings about that?
Dave: I think I would have to disagree with my friend RJ. Mike McCarthy talked a good game about updating his offense and using analytics when he came to Dallas, but after a while it didn’t really feel like he had. He also seemed to have a little more drama going on in the locker room than we knew when he was coaching. To me it would feel like a step backwards for your organization. It is true he is pretty good with QBs so he might help Jaxson Dart grow, but everything else about his coaching, including some brutal in-game decisions around time management, would make me wary of hiring him. Of course, now that I have said that you guys will hire him and go on to a new dynasty! You can thank me later.
Let’s ring in the new year by catching up on the latest news and rumors regarding who will be the new head coach of the 2026 New York Giants.
Kevin Stefanski: “Ideal fit”
The Cleveland Browns’ head coach is not currently available. That could be about to change.
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said recently that the Browns have done “preliminary research” about a potential Stefanski replacement.
A two-time Coach of the Year, Stefanski is about to complete his sixth season as Browns head coach. There have been plenty of questions about his future, and there is speculation that the Browns and Stefanski may mutually decide to part ways.
Jared Mueller of SB Nation’s Dawgs By Nature told Big Blue View he thought the chances of Stefanski staying in Cleveland were “50/50.”
“I think they decide on a mutual split,” Mueller said.
The Browns have gone 7-26 over the past two seasons and are 44-56 (.440 winning percentage) with two playoff appearances during Stefanski’s tenure.
I asked Mueller if Stefanski was a victim of circumstances in Cleveland, or if the 43-year-old coach was part of the problem.
“He’s a very good coach,” Mueller said. “A little risk adverse, but overall great.”
Fowler wrote on ESPN that Stefanski “might be the strongest retread candidate” and that “the Giants would be an ideal fit.”
For me, if Stefanski becomes available he jumps to the top of the list of candidates for the Giants’ job.
He spent seven of his 14 years as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings coaching quarterbacks, and one with Minnesota as offensive coordinator. That checks the vital “would he be able to develop Jaxson Dart?” box.
He obviously checks the “head-coaching experience” box. His two Coach of the Year honors check the credibility box that might be critical for a team where culture and player accountability became a problem over the past couple of seasons. It might be considered miraculous that Stefanski won those two awards, considering the dysfunction of the Cleveland organization in recent years. If Stefanski can handle that, he can certainly handle the sometimes muddy lines of authority in the Giants’ organization.
In an alternate universe, Stefanski might already be Giants’ head coach. When the Giants hired Pat Shurmur in 2018, Shurmur wanted Stefanski to come along from Minnesota as offensive coordinator. The Vikings blocked that lateral move.
Mike McCarthy: “Step backwards”
The 62-year-old McCarthy has the best resume of any currently available coach. He is 174-112-2 (.608 winning percentage) with 12 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title over 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. He has had 11 double-digit victory seasons.
McCarthy is offensive head coach and long-time play caller who would certainly seem to be a natural fit for Dart. Does that make him the best candidate? Dave Halprin of SB Nation’s Blogging The Boys told Big Blue View he does not think so:
“Mike McCarthy talked a good game about updating his offense and using analytics when he came to Dallas, but after a while it didn’t really feel like he had. He also seemed to have a little more drama going on in the locker room than we knew when he was coaching,” Halprin said. “To me it would feel like a step backwards for your organization. It is true he is pretty good with QBs so he might help Jaxson Dart grow, but everything else about his coaching, including some brutal in-game decisions around time management, would make me wary of hiring him.”
Dan Graziano of ESPN said of McCarthy that “I’m not sure McCarthy gets another shot, but he could get some looks.”
I don’t know if McCarthy would be considered a serious candidate for the Giants’ job. I would not be surprised, though, if he is one of the first potential candidates interviewed. He is available, meaning the Giants wouldn’t have to wait until after the divisional round of the playoffs to conduct an in-person interview.
Jeff Hafley: “Seems to have some traction”
In my recent “Building the perfect coach for the Giants” post, Hafley scored highly. In fairness, so did McCarthy and — great resume or not — I am not sure McCarthy would be a great choice for the Giants.
Fowler said this about the Packers’ defensive coordinator:
Hafley has been a head coach, albeit at Boston College. He is considered a leader. He played football at Siena College in upstate New York and coached at UAlbany and Rutgers. As I wrote previously, “Hafley is a Jersey guy who just has not coached an NFL team in New Jersey yet.”
Is that connection to the market, or to the Giants, important? It is to me. I think the Giants have lost the connection to their successful history, and would be well-served to look for someone who remembers or experienced it in some way.
It’s like Mufasa telling Simba in ‘The Lion King’: “Remember who you are.”
The biggest question with Hafley is whether or not he would be able to assemble an offensive coaching staff that would properly support Dart.
Brian Burns vs. the Cowboys.
The New York Giants 2025 season finally comes to an end this week when the Giants have their long-awaited rematch against the Dallas Cowboys.
The last time these two teams met, Russell Wilson had (arguably) the finest game of his career, quarterbacking an offensive explosion which should have been enough for the Giants to beat their division rivals.
Unfortunately, Shane Bowen’s defense was unable to slow the Cowboys’ offense when it mattered most. They couldn’t get off the field on fourth-and-3 just before the two-minute warning to prevent Dallas from going ahead with 48 seconds remaining, nor could they stop the Cowboys from getting in position to tie the game after Russell Wilson’s go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds remaining in the game.
It became a familiar patter for the Giants, with an undermanned offense putting the team in position for an upset victory, only for an undisciplined defense to fold in the clutch.
The Giants placed Kayvon Thibodeaux on injured reserve and the defensive secondary has been beat up for most of the season. That, of course, doesn’t bode well against the team that’s fifth in passing touchdowns, fourth in total points scored, second in offensive EPA and first in total yardage.
Can the Giants’ defense match up against the Cowboys’ prolific offense?
What if Charlie Bullen took over sooner?
There has been one significant change for the Giants’ defense since the last time these two teams met: The firing of head coach Brian Daboll — and with him (eventually) defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
The Giants have suffered from a lack of discipline on the defensive side of the ball all year long, dating back to the preseason. Missed assignments, players out of position, and poor technique have played the defense throughout the season. The result of the sloppiness has been the Giants playing dominant football for stretches, only for the defense to shatter and fail when the margin for error runs out.
When Daboll was fired — and Bowen a couple weeks later — we learned that there was little accountability and discipline demanded of the players. That was most evident in Abdul Carter, who was benched twice by interim head coach Mike Kafka, but also helped to explain why so many players either failed to consistently play up to their potential or regress from previously strong play.
Kafka and new defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen have re-emphasized discipline, accountability, and fundamentals.
There wasn’t much to sho for it initially, with the Giants once again giving up fourth quarter leads to the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. But we also shouldn’t expect poor habits built over a year and a half to be undone by a few practices in the middle of the season.
We mgiht finally be seeing some dividends, and the Giants’ defense has shown remarkable improvement over the last three weeks. It’s a small sample size, but the Giants have been seventh in points allowed and fifth in run defense over that span.
That’s borne out by their efficiency from Week 1 to Week 10, and then over the last three weeks.
Since Week 15, the Giants’ defense has been 5th in overall EPA per play, and have been playing at a very high level.
That matches what we saw on the field as well.
While the Raiders are terrible and also missing their best players, that doesn’t impact the how the Giants defense executed. They played with much greater discipline fidelity to their assignments. That meant players were in position to fill gaps in the run game as well as rally to the ball in space. Spacing and communication in coverage was much improved as well, leading to multiple interceptions.
It’s a enough to make you wonder how good the Giants could have been with better coaching from the start.
The Burns and Carter show
The Giants are not the blitz-happy team they’ve been in the past.
Their overall blitz rate of 22.2% is on the lower side of league average, though their blitz rate is hardly uniform. The Giants tend to save their bltizes for second down. They send extra rushers (usually a five-man pressure) 43.9% of the time on second and medium (third in the NFL) and 39.2% of the time on second and long (second most). Their blitz rates on first down and third down are significantly lower, which could be a real factor in this game.
Dak Prescott is solidly on the NFL’s “Do Not Blitz” list. He is one of the few quarterbacks who plays better against the blitz than when not blitzed.
While an imperfect measure, Prescott’s PFF grade agaisnt the blitz is an 88.4, compared to an 82.8 when not blitzed. He has a higher completion percentage (70.0 to 66.2), more yards per attempt (8.6 to 7.1) when blitzed. He also has just two interceptions when blitzed compared to eight when not blitzed. In other words, Prescott has thrown 10 interceptions overall, with just 20% of them coming when blitzed — 31% of his drop backs.
The flip side of all that is that Prescott is worse when pressured without blitzing. His completion percentage is just barely above 60, and he has a 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio.
The Cowboys’ offense generally does a very good job of providing answers for Prescott, and he’s legitimately excellent at identifying the blitz. He processes quickly, either finding his hot route or replacing the blitzing player with the ball. And given that blitzes weaken coverage in order to send extra pressure, it creates the opportunity fo easy completions or big plays.
That, in turn, puts the onus on Giants’ pass rushers Brian Burns and Abdul Carter.
Burns has been playing at a DPOY level all year long, while Carter has been a disruptive force since his second benching.
The key to containing and disrupting Prescott has to come down to generating pressure without resorting to the blitz. The Giants will obviously need Dexter Lawrence to play like he did against the Raiders, when he looked much more like the “Sexy Dexy” of previous years and less like the player he’s been for most of 2025. But the bulk of the pressure will need to come from the Giants’ star pass rushers.
Few teams can boast the raw athleticism and versatility that Burns and Carter present. And the fact that the Giants can use them to create pressure off the edge to influence blocking schemes as well as up the middle through changing their alignment is a big advantage.
They’ll need to show up to force Prescott to be mediocre, instead of an All-Pro candidate.
Can the secondary hold up?
The flip side of the coin when it comes to generating pressure is playing coverage.
The Giants’ pass coverage has been better than their run defense this year, but that’s not saying much.
As noted above, Giants have had problems with communication and discipline, often leading to coverage breakdowns in big moments. Those have improved significantly in recent weeks and play has (predictably) improved across the board when every player is executing the same play.
The Giants could struggle this game, as their secondary has once again been hit with injuries. Fourth-year cornerback Cor’Dale Flott missed the last game with a knee injury, while safety Tyler Nubin was placed on injured reserve.
Flott has emerged as a legitimate starting corner this year, and has been one of the few defensive players to truly take a step forward and develop this year.
If Flott misses the final game, the Giants will be matching the duo of Paulson Adebo and Deonte Banks against CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
The Giants can’t afford to bracket both receivers on every play, as that would create far too many easy opportunities elsewhere. Bullen may opt to ask Adebo to shadow Lamb (and Dru Phillips, as Lamb frequently plays out of the slot), while trusting Banks and one of the safeties to deal with Pickens.
Pickens has been a valuable addition for the Cowboys, thanks to his physicality in contested catch situations. Banks has a rare blend of size and athleticism, and is one of the league’s best at forcing tight window throws. That might make him a bit better suited to covering Pickens, as opposed to Lamb, who is a more dynamic route runner and a natural separator.
Whether the Giants’ secondary can hold up long enough for the pass rush to disrupt the offense could be the difference in this game.
We’re here, ladies and gentlemen — the 2025 New York Giants’ season is almost over. The Giants host the 7-8-1 Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Bot teams are eliminated from playoff contention, but Dak Prescott and the Cowboys aren’t sitting their starters.
Losing is on the minds of many Giants’ fans. New York possessed the number one overall pick last week, but the Giants beat up on a hapless Raiders team, which ended their nine-game losing streak. The Giants now have the second overall pick, but a victory against Dallas could drop the Giants to the seventh overall pick. My Twitter friend, Doug Analytics (follow the man!), lays it out nicely:
For the third week in a row, draft position is the deliberated topic regarding the Giants’ game. Nevertheless, there’s a competitive game to play, where the players will try the hardest to win; and, for the Giants, that’s been an incredibly arduous task against Prescott.
The Giants have not defeated the Dallas Cowboys since 2020, and they have not beaten the Cowboys, led by Dak Prescott, since the quarterback’s rookie season of 2016 — EMBARRASSING! Dallas is going for 10 wins in a row against their NFC East rival.
The Giants were close in Week 2 when Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards in a 40-37 overtime loss that the defense surrendered due to questionable coverage and decisions. Still, the Giants left Dallas with yet another loss. I’m sure it would mean a lot to the team to defeat Dallas in Week 18 to get this metaphorical monkey off their back.
Dallas defeated Washington on Christmas, 30-23, which ended their three-game skid. The Cowboys have experienced some turmoil since the win; the Cowboys released cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is now a Green Bay Packers, and the release was reported as a personal disagreement:
Diggs and rookie Shevon Revel were the starting cornerbacks, and the latter did not practice on Wednesday, so the Cowboys’ defense may have two new starting cornerbacks. Dallas has a few new faces on defense since Week 2. They made a mid-season trade for defensive line star Quinnen Williams, who has 32 pressures and a pair of sacks since joining the Cowboys in Week 11; Williams has been an absolute terror for opposing offenses.
Jadeveon Clowney joined the team in Week 4 and has 4.5 sacks with 34 pressures. Fast and physical linebacker DeMarvion Overshown returned from injury as well. They traded for linebacker Logan Wilson, but he did not play in Week 17.
The matchup
The Dallas defense is improved from its comically bad performance in Week 2, but it’s still a bottom-tier unit under Matt Eberflus. They’ve allowed the sixth most points over the last three weeks and still rank last in points surrendered on the season. They surrender the third most yards on the year (357.8), and they’re also third to last in third-down percentage (46.52%).
Dallas has allowed a touchdown on 68.85% of its red zone appearances, ranking 31st in the league. They surrender 123.3 rushing yards per game (20th in the NFL), and they’re last in passing yards surrendered (253.6 per game).
The Giants will be without their top two pass catchers, wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (rib) and tight end Theo Johnson (illness).
The Giants should start with a strong rushing attack to set up play-action, with an RPO and quick-game attack mixed in. The passing game should attack the new cornerbacks and the rules of Eberflus’ match defense — flood concepts for zone, stacked releases to attack man coverage with back-side options crossing the field. Dallas is vulnerable in the middle of the field — Wilson exploited that in Week 2; while the defense has improved, it still has its issues inside the numbers.
Jaxson Dart must take what the defense gives him, but he should initially keep his eyes on downfield concepts against a sustainable defense with new pieces in the back end. He should also not be afraid to run, but be cognizant of impending contact.
Final thoughts
The Giants and Prescott have quite the one-sided history, and New York is looking to lay some foundation that can close a disappointing chapter in the Giants’ history. At the same time, Big Blue focuses on growing the youth movement that’s residing with the coachless Giants. The Giants will be fiery in this final week and I’m going with a Giants’ win to close this horrible season with a two-game winning streak that drastically changes their draft situation.
The New York Giants season is almost over, but their week 18 game agaisnt the Dallas Cowboys is just the appetizer to what promises to be a very busy and consequential off-season.
The 2026 NFL Draft process will be running concurrently with the Giants’ off-season process, but how the Giants approach the draft will depend on how the first steps of their off-season play out.
The Giants have to find their next head coach, and he’ll have to assemble his coaching staff. The Giants’ front office will also have to make decisions and engage in negotiations with a whole host of free agents. Their priorities in those negotiations will be determined by the new staff’s scheme and vision for the team as much as filling out the roster.
But we do have to keep one eye on the draft process, as how the draft board shapes up will also inform the later steps of the Giants’ off-season program.
Personally, I think we can take the second round of the College Football Playoffs as the start of that process. And so far it has been a fascinating collection of games.
Mendoza vs. Moore
Fernando Mendoza is generally considered a lock to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, and he’s widely expected to be the first overall pick. That was only reinforced when Indiana took Alabama back behind the woodshed to the tune of 38-3. Mendoza was accurate, efficient, and poised, making “NFL” throws in the face of Alabama’s pressure packages.
But he also might not be the best quarterback in the playoffs, and perhaps not the best quarterback in the upcoming draft class.
That’s because Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is still in the dance, and might be doing enough to make declaring for the drat a real possibility. Moore is a dynamic athlete in the mold of Jayden Daniels, and an excellent pure passer in the pocket. He throws a very catchable ball, and is able to throw with timing, touch, and anticipation. He looks extremely comfortable layering the ball between defenders, even in the face of an excellent Texas Tech defensive front.
Depending on what Moore’s camp is hearing from sources around the NFL, the conversation could shift from whether Moore will declare to whether he or Mendoza will be the first pick.
That could set up a situation similar to the top of the 2016 NFL Draft with Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.
If the Giants finish with the second overall pick (which might be the most likely outcome at this point) they could be in a valuable position if both Moore and Mendoza declare.
Don’t sleep on Miami
Indiana’s win over Alabama wasn’t the only statement win of the weekend. If anything, the Miami Hurricanes’ 24-14 win over Ohio State was even more impressive.
Personally, I can’t wait to watch freshman Malachi Toney develop. The former dual-threat quarterback turned receiver/offensive weapon is just dynamic. He has 8 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns this year, while also being a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands out of the backfield — and as a true wildcat quarterback.
Giants fans should also be watching WR C.J. Daniels as a potential add. He’s a red-shirt senior who has solid size and can be a possession receiver with scoring upside
But that isn’t why I think Miami is dangerous. More than anything, they remind me of the 2007 Giants. They play physical and efficient football on offense, and pair that with a gnarly bully of a defense.
Ohio State is stacked with future NFL players on both sides of the ball, but Miami just beat them up on offense and defense.
Rueben Bain Jr. had a good game, but he didn’t quite put up video game numbers — 3 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack. But he was an absolute force in the game in the same way that Michael Strahan was in his prime. He was disruptive on his own, but also did a great job of creating opportunities for his teammates.
I can’t count Ole Miss out after their wild win over Georgia, but this
Living on the Edge
Speaking of Rueben Bain, this class of pass rushers is potentially awesome. The Miami edges, Bain and Akheem Mesidor, Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Romello Height, Arvell Reese at Ohio State, and Cashius Howell from Texas A&M could all be first round picks. And that doesn’t even take pass rushers like Auburn’s Keldric Faulk and Clemson’s TJ Parker into consideration.
I’ve been a proponent of extending Kayvon Thibodeaux. He’s a well-rounded edge who can be a “glue guy” for your defense, while also being a playmaker who can make game-changing plays (when the refs don’t decide it didn’t happen), and have double-digit sack seasons.
Something like a young Justin Tuck.
However, I can also see an argument for moving him before the draft considering this year’s edge class. It’s entirely possible that the a Giants could find overwhelming value at the position, even after a trade back.
That could be doubly true if the NFL gets hung up on Bain’s arm length, does a stupid, and allows him to drop out of the top 3.
Whether the Giants even consider a move like that, or which edge they might target, would likely depend on the philosophy of their next defensive coordinator.
Oh, and one more thing: I’m definitely glad I chose to highlight Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavien Harris. The big (BIG) man definitely made his presence felt in Ole Miss’ upset won over Georgia.
Expand the playoffs
I want to finish up by taking a 30,000-foot view of the college football playoffs.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that it’s time for the playoffs to expand to 16 teams. I don’t think the bracket should expand beyond that, but that would avoid some of the problems we’ve seen crop up. For starters, there would be room for deserving teams to get in. For starters, that would avoiding extreme mismatches in “regular” bowl games. From a draft perspective, that would also have more “good against good” games with highly regarded prospects opting out to prepare for the draft.
I believe pretty strongly that Duke should have been in the playoffs. They probably would have been bounced in the first round, but winning a conference championship SHOULD punch your ticket to the post season. In snubbing Duke, the selection commitee essentially declared the championship games inconsequential and meaningless if the “wrong” team happens to win.
Likewise, Notre Dame deciding to not participate in any bowl game after being snubbed was a bad look for the school and college football as a whole.
Perhaps more importantly, I think there’s enough evidence now that the bye week demanded by the 12-team bracket is more of a curse than a blessing. Since the bracket expanded to 12 teams, teams with a bye are 1-7, with Indiana being the only top seed to advance in two years. There was an argument last year that a small sample size and mistakes in seeding conspired to make top seeds 0-4. That argument goes out the window with the reigning champions and Georgia getting bounced after their bye.
There are already get two weeks off between Championship Weekend and the first round of the playoffs..
More than that seems to be enough for rest to give way to rust, and that isn’t good for anyone.
The New York Giants made a series of moves on Saturday to set their roster for Sunday’s season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.
Wan’Dale Robinson, 2 others placed on IR
The Giants placed three starters — wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (ribs), cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (knee), and defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle/toe) on injured reserve Saturday.
Robinson passed 1,000 receiving yards for the season for the first time in his career in Week 17. Interim head coach Mike Kafka said during the week that Robinson was “sore.”
The Giants will be without Robinson and tight end Theo Johnson (illness), their top two receivers on Sunday. They have, of course, been without Malik Nabers since he tore his ACL in Week 4.
Flott established himself as a starting cornerback this season. Both Robinson and Flott are headed to free agency. Nunez-Roches is a key member of the defensive line rotation.
Dante Miller, 2 others signed to 53-man roster
It might finally be ‘Turbo’ time for the Giants.
Running back Dante ‘Turbo’ Miller, a speedster who has spent most of the last two seasons on the team’s practice squad, is one of three players added to the roster. The other two are cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse and wide receiver/return man Xavier Gipson.
The Giants were awarded Bernard-Converse off waivers from the Cleveland Browns on October 28. They waived him on Dec. 13 and subsequently signed him to the practice squad.
Gipson has been with the Giants twice this season. He was claimed off waivers from the Jets, then lost on waivers to the Eagles, before being re-signed to the practice squad on Dec. 10.
2 players elevated from practice squad
The Giants are elevating defensive tackle Casey Rogers and tight end Tanner Conner for Sunday’s game. Rogers played two games for the Giants in 2024. He was signed to the practice squad on Dec. 8. Conner, a four-year veteran, played in nine games for the Miami Dolphins this season. He was added to the Giants’ practice squad on Dec. 18.
The New York Giants (3–13) host the Dallas Cowboys (7–8–1) on Sunday, Jan. 4, in a Week 18 matchup at MetLife Stadium.
Sunday’s game marks the 128th all-time meeting between the longtime NFC East rivals and the sixth time the teams have met in January during the regular season. In their most recent matchup, the Giants fell to the Cowboys 40–37 in overtime, sealed by a 46-yard Brandon Aubrey field goal.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
How to watch, listen, wager
What: Giants vs. Cowboys
When: Sunday, Jan. 4
Where: MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, New Jersey
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (analyst), Allison Williams (sideline)
Streaming: NFL+
Giants Radio Network:
- WFAN 101.9 FM / 660 AM
- Play-by-Play: Bob Papa
- Analyst: Carl Banks
- Sideline: Howard Cross
- Pre- and post-game: John Schmeelk, Tiki Barber
Sirius XM: Giants: Channel 823 | Cowboys: Channel 808
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: Giants +3.5 | Moneyline: Giants +150
Weather: Indoors (dome)
The New York Giants can begin lining up interviews for their head-coaching vacancy on Monday. Will Kevin Stefanski be available? John Harbaugh? Mike Tomlin? We will know soon.
The more we discuss potential head-coaching candidates for the Giants, the more it becomes clear that among currently available coaches there is no perfect, slam-dunk choice. The few guys who might be are all coaching other NFL teams right now.
With that in mind, I wanted to look at the categories I believe are most important for the next head coach. I have identified four. Within each are probably sub-categories I am not going to dive deeply into.
Below are my categories, the reasons I believe them to be important, and the coaches who I feel at least to some degree possess those characteristics.
I will grade the coaches I list in each category, using a scale of 1-5 points with five being the highest score, based on how I see their fit in each category. At the end, each candidate will get a point total.
This is a subjective rather than a scientific exercise. I recognize there will be disagreement. It is, though, a reference point to discuss candidates, detail what you would like to see in the next head coach, and who you currently prefer.
Head-coaching experience; winning pedigree
Why it matters
The Giants have been through Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, and Brian Daboll since removing Tom Coughlin as head coach after the 2015 season. Of those, only Shurmur had head-coaching experience, and his 9-23 (.281 winning percentage) with the Cleveland Browns hardly established him as a coach players knew they could win with.
The Giants, a proud franchise once capable of fielding great teams, have lost their way. They have no identity, beyond as a losing team. They have no standards, and too little accountability. The shortcomings we often see on the field come from lack of attention to detail, lack of discipline, lack of standards, lack of accountability — all of which lead to not being able to do the things it takes to win when it matters.
The Giants, in my view, would be best served at this point in time by a coach who walks in the door at 1925 Giants Drive in East Rutherford carrying instant credibility and automatically elevating the expectations for everyone around him.
A first-time head coach might be able to establish that. A coach who has been there and done that with a winning pedigree brings it with him.
There is one other factor in favor of an established coach with a winning track record. The Giants’ decision-making structure, with dual ownership, family members and some untouchable people who have been in the front office for decades mean there are a lot of voices beyond the coach and general manager. A strong-willed coach with a track record of success likely has a better chance of navigating that and getting what he feels he needs.
A coach with that kind of cachet would also seem more likely to be able to attract the best assistant coaches.
Which candidates are the best fits?
Mike McCarthy (5 points) — Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, and Kevin O’Connell would all be on this list if they were available. Right now, none of them are. The Super Bowl-winning coach who is is McCarthy. In 18 years with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, he has taken teams to the playoffs 12 times. Only six coaches have been there more often. He is 15th in career coaching victories with 174. He has a career winning percentage of .608.
He might not seem like an exciting candidate, but he would walk in the door with instant credibility.
Steve Spagnuolo (4) — Spags has four Super Bowl rings and is probably headed to the Hall of Fame as a defensive coordinator. His time as head coach of the Rams was awful, but he has worked for Tom Coughlin and Andy Reid and knows what winning looks like.
Jeff Hafley (3) — The Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator was head coach at Boston College for four years. His record there was mediocre (22-26, .458).
Kliff Kingsbury (3) — Kingsbury went 28-37-1 (.432) as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and 35-40 (.467) at Texas Tech. Experience, yes. Tremendous success, no.
Antonio Pierce (2) — A 9-17 (.346) record with the Las Vegas Raiders, including 4-13 in his only full season as head coach. Pierce won a Super Bowl as a player with the Giants.
Robert Saleh (2) — Four unsuccessful seasons as head coach of the Jets during (20-36, .357) which he raised questions about his fit as a head coach and whether or not New York was the right place for him.
Mike Kafka (1) — Kafka has got to get some credit for being the current interim head coach. It isn’t the same as running and building a team from scratch, but he has had to fire and hire coaches, deal with disciplinary issues, try to course-correct as much as possible, mid-stream, make roster decisions, and manage games.
Culture setter; leader of men
Why it matters
This matters for a lot of the reasons we have already discussed. The Giants have no identity. They talk about standards, but don’t really have them. They have had a laissez-faire leadership style that had led to a lack of accountability. The players won’t want to hear it, but the organization has become used to losing and there are players who have simply it as a way of life.
The only way all of that changes is for a strong leader to set standards, demand and enforce accountability, and be able to get dozens of strong-willed, highly-paid, often-coddled athletes to buy into what he is selling ad play as a team.
Which candidates are the best fits?
This category is difficult to judge. Often, you don’t know for sure if a coach can set and maintain a culture until you see him do it for an extended period of time. Guys like Tomlin and Harbaugh fit, but we are — technically — not considering them due to lack of availability.
Steve Spagnuolo (3) — I don’t think “culture-setter” first when I think about Spagnuolo, but his credibility and what he knows about success with the Giants would be a big part of why you have to think he can do that.
Jeff Hafley (3) — “Culture-setter” and “leader of men” are phrases that pop up consistently when you research Hafley. What we don’t know is if he can do that for an entire NFL team and not just a defense.
Chris Shula (3) — Don Shula’s grandson has only been a defensive coordinator for two years. Can he carry the kind of work he has done with the Rams’ defense to a full team?
Jesse Minter (2) — I really don’t know for certain that the Chargers’ defensive coordinator fits here. He has learned under Jim Harbaugh, though, at Michigan and with the Chargers. So, I’ll give him a couple of points here.
Mike McCarthy (2) — I don’t think of McCarthy as disciplinarian or true culture-setter, but he wins. So, his culture is winning. That counts.
Lou Anarumo (2) — He would have to prove his “culture-setter” bonafides. You don’t hire him, though, unless you think he can be an effective CEO. He is a good defensive coordinator, but I don’t think you hire Anarumo and just let him focus on the defense. You would want him to run the show.
Antonio Pierce (2) — Leadership is the only real reason for hiring Pierce.
David Shaw (1) — The long-time Stanford head coach was front and center on the NFL coaching carousel for many years. That has faded, but Shaw is now in the NFL as passing game coordinator with the Detroit Lions and seems willing to take interviews if they come along. If a team hired him it would be as a CEO.
Anthony Campanile (1) — The Ringer put Campanile in their “culture-setter” coaching candidate category. So, I will play along.
Understanding of the Giants; ties to New York-New Jersey region
Why it matters
This is a category some may find superfluous. I do not.
When you think about the best Giants teams of the Super Bowl era they were coached by Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin. Both were CEO-style head coaches and culture setters who demanded excellence and pushed players, even when they hated it.
Both also had something else in common. They both had deep ties to both the Giants and the New York/Ne Jersey market before becoming head coach of the Giants.
Parcells was born in Englewood, N.J. and went to River Dell High School, both just a few miles from East Rutherford. He had been Giants defensive coordinator twice (1979 and again in the 1981 and 1982 seasons) before becoming head coach in 1983.
Coughlin was born in Waterloo, N.Y., played for Syracuse, and was Parcells’ receivers coach with the Giants from 1988-90.
Both men knew exactly what they were getting into when they signed on to coach the Giants. They also knew the culture and personality of the market and what the region was all about.
I think history tells us that is important. You can’t turn the Giants into the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, or Buffalo Bills. The region and the franchise both have a personality. The championship teams throughout Giants history —- even the pre-Super Bowl ones — had a tough, gritty, defense and pass rush first personality.
I am not advocating nepotism. I am not advocating that the Giants look only inside their organizational bubble for answers. I am saying that the best Giants teams have had a similar “type,” and that type extends to the people who coached them.
I think the Giants should lean into their history and try to find someone who fits that type again.
Which candidates are the best fits?
Steve Spagnuolo (5) — Spagnuolo won a Super Bowl as Tom Coughlin’s defensive coordinator in 2007. He built a defense that took a Ben McAdoo-coached team to the playoffs in 2016. He knows the Giants’ organization well, and they know — and love — him.
Jeff Hafley (4) — Hafley is a Bergen County (Montvale) native. His family is still there. He played college football at Siena in upstate New York. He coached at UAlbany, Rutgers and then followed the Coughlin path by becoming head coach at Boston College. Hafley is a Jersey guy who just has not coached an NFL team in New Jersey yet.
Lou Anarumo (4) — Anarumo is a Staten Island native who stayed home to attend college at Wagner. He started his coaching career at Wagner, then did a two-year stint at Syracuse. He coached defensive backs for Pat Shurmur’s Giants in 2018. Anarumo’s son, Louis, has been a Giants scout for four years.
Mike Kafka (4) — He has already been in the organization for four years. Ownership and the front office know him well, and vice versa.
Anthony Campanile (3) — The Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator is a long-shot candidate, but his New Jersey roots make it worth putting him on the list. The 43-year-old Campanile is a Fair Lawn, N.J. native who played college football at Rutgers. He has been an assistant coach at Fair Lawn, Don Bosco Prep, Rutgers, and Boston College.
Antonio Pierce (2) — Pierce was the heart of the Giants’ defense for five seasons, and has a Super Bowl ring from that time.
Robert Saleh (2) — He makes the list simply because of his stint as Jets head coach for 3+ seasons.
Davis Webb (2) — Webb was drafted by the Giants in 2017, and had two stints with the team as a player.
Ability to develop Jaxson Dart … or bring offensive coaches who can
Why it matters
Do I really have to explain this one? The Giants traded up to draft Dart in the first round. The last thing they really wanted to do was draft a quarterback in the first round and then fire the head coach they hoped would develop him before Dart’s rookie season was over.
The Giants are scarred from the mess they made out of Daniel Jones’ time in New York, with three head coaches, two general managers, and five different play callers (Pat Shurmur, Jason Garrett, Freddie Kitchens, Mike Kafka, Brian Daboll).
Dart is the most important Giant, and developing him into the quarterback they think he can be is the most important thing they need to do. Should the Giants get this head-coaching hire wrong, they will be living the Jones scenario all over again.
Which candidates are the best fits?
Mike McCarthy (5) — McCarthy is an offensive-minded coach who has worked with Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Dak Prescott. He knows what good quarterback play looks like.
Kliff Kingsbury (4) — The Washington offensive coordinator has had a hand in the development of Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams. The only reason he doesn’t get five points here is because I don’t see his work with Murray while he was head coach of the Arizona Cardinals as an overwhelming success.
Klint Kubiak (3) — Kubiak is running a successful offense with the Seattle Seahawks. He has the family lineage as son of long-time NFL coach Gary Kubiak. He has worked with Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, and Brock Purdy.
Davis Webb (2) — The ex-Giant quarterback has never been an offensive coordinator, but he gets a ton of credit in Denver for the development of second-year quarterback Bo Nix. Anyone who has been around him a bit, which I have, understands he has a bright coaching future.
Mike Kafka (3) — Kakfa has, of course, already been working with Dart for a full season. He has had the best vantage point of the quarterback’s rookie season. He also has the advantage of having been part of Patrick Mahomes’ development with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Final tally
This does not mean this is my preferred list of candidates. The Giants might weight one of these categories more heavily than others. They might have a completely different set of criteria. This is just how the math worked out.
Mike McCarthy (12)
Steve Spagnuolo (12)
Jeff Hafley (10)
Mike Kafka (8)
Kliff Kingsbury (7)
Antonio Pierce (6)
Lou Anarumo (6)
Robert Saleh (4)
Anthony Campanile (4)
Davis Webb (4)
Chris Shula (3)
Jesse Minter (2)
David Shaw (1)
Joe Schoen will continue as New York Giants general manager despite a 13-38 record over the past three seasons, 7-27 the past two years. The Giants announced the decision on Monday morning.
Giants’ co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch released the following statement:
The Giants are opting for allowing Schoen to continue to try to build a roster they believe has a core of young talent, including a franchise quarterback in Jaxson Dart, that they believe needs to be properly developed and supplemented.
They will aim to pair Schoen with a head coach who can develop that talent, hold players accountable, and help the Giants — who blew five double-digit leads in 2025 — learn how to win games.
Schoen’s mistakes in his first four seasons are many.
Highly-drafted players like Evan Neal, Deonte Banks, and Jalin Hyatt not working out; Largely underwhelming work in free agency; A high number of talented, core players leaving the Giants and succeeding elsewhere; Hiring Brian Daboll as head coach.
Yet, there have been successes.
- Getting both Abdul Carter and quarterback Jaxson Dart in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft by properly reading the draft board.
- Selecting Malik Nabers at No. 6 in the 2024 NFL Draft rather than reaching for a quarterback like J.J. McCarthy the organization was not completely comfortable with.
- Finding the pieces for what became the best Giants offensive line in years in 2025.
- Finding players like Cam Skattebo, Marcus Mbow, Tyrone Tracy, Theo Johnson, Micah McFadden, and Dane Belton on Day 3 of the draft.
- Bringing in a number of players in the last two draft classes who look like pieces the Giants can go forward with.
- Trading for Brian Burns.
- Re-tooling and updating the Giants’ technology and processes.
- It is debatable just how healthy the Giants’ salary cap situation is, but to at least some level making the Giants healthier in terms of the cap than they were when Schoen became GM/
The Giants are banking on the idea that despite Schoen’s flaws and mistakes that enough progress has been made that the Giants want to move forward and build rather than tear down and start over. Again.
They are banking on the idea that the right coach, and right coaching staff, along with continued building of the roster, can make the difference in many of the close games the Giants have lost over the past two seasons.
When the Giants fired Daboll after Week 10, they said Schoen would lead the search for that new head coach. That does not mean Schoen will make the final decision, but his input will obviously be important.
We already learned on Monday that Kevin Stefanski could be a candidate after he was fired by the Cleveland Browns. Perhaps John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, as well.
These meaningless final games of the season for losing teams that are about to move in a different direction don’t offer much in the way of insights for the future. We’ll do a quick look at Pro Football Focus grades for the New York Giants’ 34-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys anyway just to see who left a good final impression on the people at 1925 Giants Drive who will be trying not to throw the baby out with the bathwater in re-tooling the roster for the 2026 season.
Offense
PFF grades
First, the offense as a whole:
Many players sat out Sunday – e.g., only 15 players on offense saw the field. A few played well, no one played great, a few played poorly. A microcosm of a season in which elite players and performances were few and far between.
First, the passing (with a reminder that one of these passes was by Gunner Olszewski):
Jaxson Dart played pretty well though not spectacularly. That’s been pretty much par for the course the last third of the season or so. He’s working behind an offensive line missing two starters, his one elite receiving target has been missing since a quarter of the way through his first start, his second best target did not play yesterday, and the Jimmys and Joes he did have to throw to are not very impressive. What we can say is that he handled the infrequent blitzes admirably, and although he was bothered by pressure and had one turnover-worthy pass, he also had two TD passes, both of them considered big-time throws. The TD pass to Tyrone Tracy was a beautiful thread-the-needle throw after escaping pressure, and the back-handed shovel pass to Daniel Bellinger that became another TD was Mahomes-esque. The Giants are set at quarterback for 2026 with Dart and Jameis Winston. All they need to do is bring in a QB3 for emergencies.
Next, the pass blocking:
One of the positives to come out of the 2025 season is that the Giants finally fixed their pass blocking. It wasn’t a top five unit, but it was at worst in the top half of the NFL and at times it was knocking on the door of top 10. Credit goes to Carmen Bricillo; I hope that whoever becomes head coach keeps him. Hopefully Andrew Thomas returns fully healthy in 2026; he was playing at a borderline All-Pro level before his injury. I also hope that the Giants re-sign Jermaine Eluemunor; Eluemunor is not a Pro Bowl-level right tackle but he is the best we have seen at that position for the Giants in a long time. Yesterday he had another clean stat line. Marcus Mbow shows promise, but he is definitely not ready to step in as a starter. Yesterday he gave up 4 QB hits and 2 hurries. The interior linemen generally played well, though not spectacularly, this season. Greg Van Roten defied Father Time and had a good season, only giving up 3 sacks all year; I’d love to see him return in a backup role behind a draftee. Jon Runyan Jr. had a similar season, with only 2 sacks surrendered all year. Austin Schlottman filled in admirably for John Michael Schmitz after his injury; he did not give up a sack in four starts.
Now the receivers:
The chart above summarizes the dire state of the Giants’ receiving corps. The only two full-time wide receivers who played yesterday had 2 of the 3 lowest grades. Darius Slayton had a terrible year. He had chemistry with Daniel Jones and also with Tyrod Taylor; he hasn’t developed chemistry with Dart yet, although maybe that is because he was robbed of several explosive TDs by bad interference calls, including a 70-yarder yesterday. I am fully on board with the Giants using the No. 5 pick on Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson, and signing a significant free agent WR as well as bringing Wan’Dale Robinson back. Dart deserves a multiplicity of potential targets next season. That said, Tyrone Tracy really came on this season after becoming the starting RB, and receiving is definitely an important part of his game. And props to Gunner Olszewski, who has actually been involved in some of the Giants’ biggest pass plays of the season, on both ends.
Now the running backs:
Tracy has really established himself as a viable part of a two-headed rushing attack with Cam Skattebo. Devin Singletary actually played well when called upon this year but is likely to be a cap casualty. Dart seems to have found the sweet spot between running recklessly and not running at all; yesterday he ran 5 times, 3 of them scrambles and 2 designed.
Finally, the run blocking:
The Giants got pretty good run blocking yesterday from Greg Van Roten, TEs Chris Manhertz and Daniel Bellinger, and Austin Schlottman, considering that Dallas played its stout first-string defensive linemen. Marcus Mbow had a rough day however; he needs to build strength. Jon Runyan also was poor in run blocking. A true run-grading IOL needs to be a priority for the Giants this off-season.
Snap counts
- Dart and the entire OL played the entire game except for Eluemunor, who gave way to James Hudson for one snap as a going-away present.
- Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and Olszewski played most of the game, while Dalen Cambre got in for a few snaps.
- Tracy and Singletary split snaps roughly 2:1 as has been typical since Skattebo’s injury.
- Likewise, Bellinger and Manhertz split snaps roughly 2:1 as the Giants played mostly 11 personnel with Theo Johnson busy attending Knicks games.
Defense
PFF grades
First the entire defense:
Overall the defense played pretty well yesterday. We of course did not see the full-up Dallas offense for half the game, and I think we know that the existing Giants secondary, linebacking corps, and interior defensive line are not up to the task and need to be improved in the off-season by any means possible. And that means spending some free agent money in the right places, since the Giants only have 2 draft picks on Days 1 and 2.
Let’s look first at the pass rush:
Another really good game from Abdul Carter. He has really come on in the second half of the season. The rest of the pass rush had a fairly quiet day, although Dexter Lawrence had 2 hurries and Brian Burns concluded his standout season with a hit and a hurry. One of the Giants’ biggest question marks is whether Lawrence was just limited by his previous elbow injury and can return to his form of previous years next season, or whether we have seen his best and will not see it again going forward.
Now the pass coverage:
These numbers don’t mean much since Prescott, Lamb, and Pickens only played half the game. Paulson Adebo did have a good game, though, allowing only two short completions and having one forced incompletion. The Giants’ first-round kick returner, Deonte Banks, gave up 42 yards on 2 completions.
Finally, the run defense:
For a change, the Giants scored relatively well overall on run defense…although they did give up 143 yards. They only had two missed tackles on the day. Still, the worst performances were from the two starting linebackers, Bobby Okereke and Darius Muasau. Dru Phillips took a big step backward in run defense this season, as did Dexter Lawrence, who used to be one of the league’s best run defenders.
Snap counts
- Safeties Dane Belton and Raheem Layne played the entire game.
- Paulson Adebo played almost every snap, Dru Phillips about 3/4 of the snaps, Deonte Banks about half the snaps, and Rico Payton almost half the snaps, with Jarrik Bernard-Converse and Korie Black making cameo appearances.
- Bobby Okereke played almost every snap, and the rest of the linebackers, in descending order of playing time, were Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Darius Muasau, and Neville Hewitt.
- Abdul Carter played almost every edge snap (remember how fans complained about his lack of PT in Week 1?), Brian Burns about 2/3 of snaps, Chauncey Golston a little less than half the snaps, and Tomon Fox a few snaps.
- Darius Alexander was on the field more than three-quarters of the time, Roy Robertson Harris exactly three-quartersof the time, and Elijah Chatman a bit less than one-third of the time, with Casey Rogers seeing 4 snaps as well. Dexter Lawrence had a season low (by far) 15 snaps.
Mike Kafka, who spent the final seven games of the 2025 season in the role of interim head coach for the New York Giants, was in an awkward position on Monday. Kafka, who doesn’t know if he will be the head coach next season, the offensive coordinator, fired, or will end up getting an offer to work elsewhere, was trotted out by the Giants to speak a hungry media waiting anxiously to grill GM Joe Schoen.
Kafka, basically, was served up as the appetizer.
As he has done everything else in the two months since taking over from the fired Brian Daboll, Kafka handled the situation with grace.
Kafka has been with the Giants since being named offensive coordinator before the 2022 season. There has been more bad than good, but you wouldn’t have guessed that from Kafka’s appreciative tone.
“I love working here. I love working for Mr. Mara and Mr. Tisch. This family’s unbelievable, this ownership group is unbelievable, this city is unbelievable. The team, the players, the coaches, the staff, I really, really love it here,” Kafka said. “So, I’m going to continue to enjoy it till they tell me I can’t anymore.
“So again, it’s been a pleasure and an honor to be in this position, in this role. It’s a privilege, not a right, and I understand that. One thing I can say is I gave it everything I had and will continue to do that for this organization as long as they have me.”
Kafka said “I do plan on interviewing” when asked about the Giants’ full-time head coaching position.
GM Joe Schoen said Monday that Kafka, 2-5 in his seven-game stint, had earned an interview.
“He’s going to get an interview, and he’s done a good job,” Schoen said. “He’s been on the interview for the last several weeks. Enjoyed working with Mike. His leadership offensively, he was able to still handle the play calling. I believe we ended up 13th in the league in offense. I think we were 30th last year. Fifth in the run. Fifth in the league in rushing. So, it was impressive.
“You put on that head coaching hat, and now you’ve got to evaluate the defense, too. Obviously made a change with Shane (Bowen), that’s difficult to do, and he handled all that very well, and obviously impressive, two wins down the stretch here.”
Kafka has interviewed for head-coaching openings in every offseason since coming to the Giants. Being in that role for the past two months has made him “much more confident” that it is a role he can handle. And wants to handle.
“I’m very proud of the work I did here,” Kafka said. “Obviously, from a results wise, we need to get a few more wins. But I’m really proud of how our guys responded, really proud of our coaching staff, everyone working together towards a common goal and then finishing the season strong with two great wins.
“It was a great experience, a great learning experience. I certainly learned a lot about myself, certainly learned about others, leadership, the game. You’re asked to do different responsibilities, more game management, operating with the special teams, operating with the defense a little bit more. So, those are all great experiences and absolutely made me much more confident in my abilities to be a head coach.”
Now, like everyone else, Kafka will have to wait to see what the Giants do.
John Harbaugh
The Baltimore Ravens have fired long-time head coach John Harbaugh.
The New York Giants have reportedly had conversations regarding Harbaugh with respect to their vacant head coaching position. It’s expected that the Harbaugh would be the top candidate, hurdling former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski.
While nothing has been announced yet, Harbaugh could be scheduled for am immediate in-person interview as an unemployed candidate.
The Ravens have become the seventh team to have a head coaching vacancy after firing Harbaugh. The Giants have widely been regarded as having the top opening, but the Ravens are clear competition for the top candidates — save Harbaugh.
There does appear to be a mutual interest between the Giants and Harbaugh. Ian O’Connor of The Athletic is reporting that Harbaugh is likely the Giants’ top target, and the Giants are likely the top opening for Harbaugh.
Harbaugh will be sought after, per Adam Schefter.
Stefanski will interview in-person on Wednesday, which he is allowed to do because he is not currently employed by a team. Harbaugh would now also fit into that category.
The Giants have also either requested or are expected to request interviews with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator and Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka.
Writers at SB Nation’s Baltimore Beatdown are trying to process Harbaugh no longer being the Ravens’ coach.
The first week of the 2026 off-season has already been a whirlwind of news for the New York Giants.
The Giants themselves haven’t made much news directly. Their massive headlines were made weeks ago when they fired Brian Daboll and retained Joe Schoen. However, their coaching vacancy has placed them at the nexus of some of the biggest news to come out over the first two weeks of the offseason.
The Giants weren’t the first team to announce scheduled interviews with coaching candidates, but they quickly secured interviews with candidates believed to be at the top of most teams’ lists like Vance Joseph and Lou Anaroumo. They were also quickly connected to a Kevin Stefanski and Kliff Kingsbury when they were released from their positions and will be among the very first teams to interview both men.
And then the real bombshell of the coaching cycle dropped on Tuesday night, when the Baltimore Ravens fired long-time head coach John Harbaugh.
It didn’t take long for the reporting to include notes that Harbaugh likes the Giants’ job opening, and the Giants are serious about him — as well as Kevin Stefanski.
It’s also been reported that as many as three teams without coaching vacancies could fire their own head coaches in a bid to lure Harbaugh to their facilities. There have been rumors that the number could include the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins.
Frankly, we haven’t seen a free agency like this since the Indianapolis Colts released Peyton Manning, and the Giants will be in the thick of it all.
So that brings us to our questions for the week.
First and foremost, who should be the Giants’ top coaching target? Should it be the more experienced and accomplished John Harbaugh? Or the younger and offensively-minded Kevin Stefanksi?
Second: Do the Giants have enough talent to turn their fortunes around with good coaching? Are Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Andrew Thomas, Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, Theo Johnson, Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Bobby Okereke, Paulson Adebo, Dru Phillips, Jevon Holland, and Tyler Nubin a good-enough core? Could they convince a coach like Harbaugh or Stefanski that the Giants are where they could build an Andy Reid-like second act for their careers?
And finally, how do you feel about the future of the team now? Are you confident the Giants are heading in the right direction as the coaching search gets underway?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
