Heading into their week seven game against the Denver Broncos on Oct. 19, the New York Giants seemed to have found new life. Coming off a 34-17 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles in the previous week, the G-men appeared primed to pick up their third win of the season.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart got the offense rolling, throwing two first-half touchdowns to put the Giants up 13-0. When Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran up the middle for a 31-yard touchdown, it looked like the Giants would coast to their third win of the season. Then the fourth quarter began.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix led his team on four scoring drives within 15 minutes, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for two more. This gave the Broncos a four-point lead, but Dart responded with a one-yard touchdown run.
However, with the game on the line, Giants head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen showcased a complete lapse of judgment. The Broncos had the ball on their 29-yard line with 33 seconds left. Nix went for a deep pass, and in that situation, you’d expect the Giants to send multiple defenders at the Broncos quarterback.
Instead, Bowen sent three defenders at Nix, while All-Pro tackle Dexter Lawrence II and rookie linebacker Abdul Carter were off the field. The defensive coordinator left seven defensive backs, including former first-round pick Deonte Banks, to defend Marvin Mims Jr., who hauled in a 29-yard catch.
This set up a 22-yard completion by Nix and Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal. Ultimately, the Giants fell to the Broncos 33-32 in a game that revealed their most prevalent issues: subpar decision-making.
Bowen’s defensive scheme wasn’t strong enough to stop Denver’s offense, which was easily exploited in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos put up 33 points in 15 minutes, ending the game with 407 yards of total offense en route to picking up their fifth win of the year.
A defensive performance like this, giving up 265 passing yards and 142 rushing yards, does not look good for the Giants. But Bowen’s defensive scheme wasn’t the only wrong decision.
Daboll started Jude McAtamney at kicker; Graham Gano, sat on the sideline with a groin injury. McAtamney received four extra-point attempts and missed two.
The first miss came during the second quarter, and the second was with a chance to put his team up by three points after Dart scored his fourth and final touchdown. McAtamney’s missed kicks prevented the Giants from taking a one-possession lead.
However, McAtamney may not be the only one at fault. Daboll should have started Younghoe Koo.
Koo, a former NFC ProBowler, is signed to the Giants practice squad and likely could have made both kicks McAtamney missed. He would have given the Giants a chance to win, as he previously had an 86.8 field goal percentage with the Atlanta Falcons.
Therefore, given the circumstances, it wouldn’t be surprising if Daboll and Bowen are fired at some point this season. The Giants have already lost five games, and if the situation worsens, both could find themselves out of a job.
Owner John Mara had previously expressed frustration with Daboll’s leadership following back-to-back losing seasons. If the frustration reappears after losses like the one against the Broncos, it won’t take long for Mara to terminate Daboll and Bowen’s contracts.
With 11 weeks remaining in the season, only time can tell if the Giants will move on from Daboll and Bowen’s misguidance.
