Absolutely the Giants can’t be critical.
Or possibly they’re critical. And don’t name them Shirley.
Airplane seating apparently was the ultimate straw that led to the firing of assistant defensive position coach Bryan Cox through the crew’s bye week.
“You’d have to ask him,” head coach Mike Kafka stated Wednesday of Cox.
The Giants’ assistant coaches usually sit close to the entrance of the crew’s aircraft on street journeys, however on the flight residence from the Giants’ blowout loss in New England, the assistants had been moved to the again of the flight as a substitute, per the Athletic.
And Cox’s response to that change, though the small print are nonetheless murky, in the end grew to become his final strike. There’s clearly extra to this story that can proceed to trickle out in due time.
“I’m not going to get into the weeds and the details of everything there,” Kafka stated.
Cox is the third coach fired prior to now month, following head coach Brian Daboll (Nov. 10) and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen (Nov. 24) out the door.
The truth that defensive position coach Andre Patterson remains to be working for the crew, whereas Cox has been fired, reinforces that the choice was about one thing apart from soccer. In any other case, Patterson would have been axed too for spearheading the worst run protection within the NFL.
The Giants rank lifeless final among the many league’s 32 defenses in rush yards per recreation allowed (154.2) and yards per carry allowed (5.8). And the 6.2 yards per carry they had been permitting on designed runs coming into their blowout loss at New England was the worst mark within the historical past of NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, which began monitoring in 2016.
Coincidence or not, Cox additionally was fired the identical week that pupil Jordon Riley, a 2023 Joe Schoen seventh-round choose, was poached off the Giants’ observe squad by the Inexperienced Bay Packers. Riley had not performed an everyday season snap this fall.
On high of the Cox distraction, it was additionally identified to Kafka by ESPN earlier than Wednesday’s observe that there was pushback on the defensive teaching workers to the group’s choice to make outdoors linebackers coach Charlie Bullen the interim defensive coordinator.
It might be comprehensible for coaches to really feel that method contemplating one of many gamers in Bullen’s place room, rookie Abdul Carter, has been habitually late, missed a gathering and gotten benched twice prior to now three weeks.
Bullen as soon as labored with Schoen on the Miami Dolphins, so he had the proper folks in his nook on the proper time.
It’s not just like the Giants had a ton of nice choices there, both. None of their main place coaches have gotten their gamers to play anyplace near adequate on protection this season.
And each week that passes, that teaching workers will get smaller and smaller because the Giants’ dysfunction persists within the wake left by Brian Daboll’s mess of a tenure with Schoen on the helm.
NO JAYDEN ON SUNDAY
The Washington Commanders are sitting franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels on Sunday after he didn’t make it via final week’s 31-0 street loss in Minnesota resulting from his dislocated left elbow. So veteran backup Marcus Mariota will begin towards the Giants.
Washington (3-10) has misplaced eight straight video games. The Giants (2-11) have misplaced seven in a row. The Commanders beat the Giants with Daniels at quarterback, 21-6, when Russell Wilson began the Giants’ Week 1 season opener at Washington.
Mariota has a 1-5 file with two time beyond regulation losses in six begins this season. The Giants and Washington are two of the eight NFL groups with two or three wins vying for the highest picks in subsequent April’s NFL Draft.
A NEW PUNTER, KAYVON STILL ON SIDE
The Giants signed three new gamers to their observe squad: returner Xavier Gipson, punter Cameron Johnston and defensive lineman Casey Rogers. Gipson and Rogers each have performed for the Giants earlier than.
Johnston looks as if he would be the Giants’ punter on Sunday towards Washington. Jamie Gillan has “knee inflammation,” per Kafka, and has had a nasty season.
The crew additionally opened up the 21-day return window from injured reserve for 4 gamers: offensive lineman Josh Ezeudu, broad receiver Beaux Collins, linebacker Darius Muasau and nook Artwork Inexperienced.
Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder), who was focusing on a post-bye return to the lineup, was nonetheless working on the aspect Wednesday and didn’t observe.
Sort out Evan Neal (hamstring), who’s on injured reserve, additionally was seen working on the aspect.
