Ladies and gentlemen, Giants fans everywhere, let’s have an honest conversation about the state of our beloved franchise. We (the fan base, media members, insiders, and yours truly, along with my podcast crew) have all speculated that the worst thing to happen to the New York Giants in recent years was making the playoffs in 2022.
Yes, you heard me: making the playoffs was a curse in disguise. Why? Because it gave us a false sense of hope, a mirage that the Giants were rapidly ascending to contender status. But as anyone who watched that ugly loss in Philadelphia during the Divisional Round will tell you, that hope shattered the moment we walked into the Linc and got annihilated. The carriage turned back into a pumpkin that night, and in the time since, the cracks in the foundation have only widened.
From injuries to contract disputes to the circus that was this season’s Hard Knocks—which chronicled Saquon Barkley’s departure—this once-proud franchise celebrating its 100th season has become a punchline. Instead of being mentioned alongside the Steelers, Cowboys, or Chiefs, we’re viewed as a side show—a franchise grasping for an identity.
It begs the question: Do Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen deserve to stick around to finish what they started? Or is it time to hit the reset button again? Let’s break it down.
The Pros: Why Stability Matters
Let’s start with the case for keeping Daboll and Schoen. This is a franchise that has been in perpetual flux, cycling through three GMs since 2017 and five head coaches since 2015. You can’t build a winning culture if every few years you’re tearing it all down.
When Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll arrived in 2022, fresh off successful stints in Buffalo, they were strategic. They brought in players familiar with their system—guys like Isaiah Hodgins, Matt Breida, and others who could help reinforce the message and bridge the gap between regimes. It worked, at least initially. The Giants overachieved in 2022, and there was optimism that the culture was shifting.
But here’s the issue: the veterans who helped lay that foundation in 2022 are largely gone in 2024. What’s left is a roster full of young, inexperienced players who don’t yet understand Daboll’s system or the culture he’s trying to instill. Without leaders to reinforce the message, we have a team that looks—and plays—like it has no identity.
Additionally, the Giants faced a brutal strength of schedule to open the 2023 season, which was compounded by the struggles and eventual injury of Daniel Jones. When Jones went down, it left the team relying on a revolving door at quarterback, alternating between Tyrod Taylor and rookie Tommy DeVito. Predictably, the offense fell apart, and any hope of salvaging the season disappeared.
The argument for patience is simple: It takes 3-5 years to rebuild a franchise. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are championship rosters. Daboll inherited a mess and got the most out of it last year, but he hasn’t yet had the chance to truly build his team. The Giants have been through enough turnover. Stability could finally pay dividends if ownership has the patience to see it through.
The Cons: Is Daboll Already in Over His Head?
But then we get to the heart of the matter: Has Daboll lost the locker room, and is Schoen’s roster construction to blame?
The 2023 offseason was a ticking time bomb from the start. Both Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones entered free agency, and the way Schoen handled their situations rubbed many in the locker room the wrong way. Barkley, the heart and soul of the offense, was slapped with the franchise tag after contentious negotiations, leaving him frustrated and causing a rift between the player and the front office. Meanwhile, Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million deal with a team option after two seasons but a $23 million injury clause that complicated matters when he went down.
The result? A fractured locker room and a season that spiraled out of control.
On the defensive side, tensions also began to rise. Xavier McKinney, a holdover from the Dave Gettleman era, publicly voiced frustrations about the team’s leadership and direction, creating more division. Meanwhile, rumors of a disconnect between defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and Brian Daboll only added fuel to the fire. When your coaching staff and players aren’t on the same page, it’s nearly impossible to succeed.
And then there’s Daboll himself. This season, we’ve seen him make several rookie mistakes that have raised serious questions about his ability to lead. The debacle with play-calling, the kicking disaster against Washington, and the overall lack of discipline on the field all reflect poorly on the head coach. There’s a growing sense that Daboll’s message might not be resonating anymore, especially with such a young and impressionable team.
As for Schoen, his decision-making hasn’t inspired confidence either. After last season, it was clear the Giants needed significant upgrades to stay competitive, especially on the offensive line and at wide receiver. Instead, they doubled down on the flawed roster they inherited, and the results speak for themselves: two wins, a revolving door of injuries, and no clear direction for the future.
The Bottom Line: Where Do We Go From Here?
So, what’s the verdict? Do you stick with Daboll and Schoen, trusting that they can turn it around with time and the right quarterback? Or do you admit that this regime has already failed and start over once again?
Here’s the rub: Daboll and Schoen were dealt a bad hand, but they haven’t exactly played it well. The roster lacks leadership and identity, the coaching has been suspect, and the fan base has every reason to be skeptical.
But firing yet another head coach and GM would mean yet another rebuild, another lost 3-5 years. At some point, you have to commit to a plan and see it through, even if it means enduring some growing pains along the way.
The question ownership has to answer is simple: Do Daboll and Schoen still have the faith of the locker room? If the answer is yes, give them the time they need to finish what they started. But if the answer is no, then maybe it’s time to admit that the Giants’ 2022 playoff run wasn’t a sign of things to come—it was a fluke.
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