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00:00The Giants, they came up short once again at MetLife Stadium as they fell to the Packers 27-20 in the Big Blue debut for Jameis Winston and head coaching debut for Mike Kafka.
00:10So, let's talk some Giants football.
00:12We're going to do it with a host for WFAN, the one and only, my good friend, Daniel McCartan, joins me now.
00:18Danielle, how are you doing?
00:20Dexter, another Giants loss.
00:22We have to stop meeting like this.
00:25You know what?
00:26We should stop meeting like this.
00:28I guess my question back to you is, do we have any confidence that this is going to change?
00:33The next time we meet, likely we'll be after a loss.
00:35Sorry, Giants fans, but just how the season's gone.
00:39It's rough times.
00:40I would like to talk to you after a win.
00:42Hopefully that happens sometime soon.
00:44Maybe not this year.
00:45We'll see.
00:45But, Danielle, tough result for the Giants today at MetLife Stadium.
00:49What did you make of what you saw from Mike Kafka in his coaching debut as head coach for the Giants?
00:54And also, the effort from this Giants team following the firing of Brian Dayball.
01:00So, the first thing I was looking for is the energy of the team.
01:02The team looked energized.
01:04They were making a lot of, you know, tackles in the open field.
01:07It looked good.
01:08Outside, of course, of no effort, Deontay Banks.
01:11We can talk about him if you like.
01:13But, I mean, he is softer than Charmin, Deontay Banks.
01:17And we'll see next week if this was kind of just a burst because there was a change, any change.
01:23And we'll see if they can sustain that energy through next week.
01:27But, look, should I have been expecting a win today?
01:31I mean, maybe, since everybody thought Mike Kafka would be a better head coach than Brian Dayball.
01:36But I did want to cut him some slack today in his first game ever as a head coach.
01:40All I really wanted to see from Mike Kafka today was good clock management and effective use of the challenge flag.
01:46There were no issues, major issues even, with clock management.
01:50But there was a challenge he missed.
01:52Let me take you back.
01:53It was third and three with 12.36 to go in the first half.
01:58The ref called it an incomplete pass that Wondell Robinson bobbled it.
02:01To me, Robinson made a football move upfield that should have been ruled a completion and a first down.
02:08Mike Kafka kept the flag squarely in his pocket.
02:12The Giants got no points, punted it away, and the Packers, on the very next drive, scored a touchdown.
02:18So, plus seven in the point differential for Green Bay because Kafka was too afraid to throw the flag too close to the other flag he threw earlier in the half.
02:27So, I just want you to look at that final score and tell me, did that make a difference ultimately?
02:32Maybe, maybe not, but I wish he would have thrown the challenge flag there.
02:37So, I don't know if I'd give him a failing grade for today.
02:40It's just those were the two things I was looking for.
02:42One was all right.
02:43The other one, not so all right.
02:45You know what was interesting is even after that non-challenge, he was a little aggressive.
02:50He did go for it on fourth down a couple of times.
02:53I did like seeing that.
02:54For the Giants, I was like, why not?
02:55You have nothing to lose.
02:56It was something I think Giants fans would have liked to have seen Brian Dayball do the week before, but you did see some aggressiveness in that regard.
03:03And there was effort from the team minus Deontay Banks.
03:06I have a feeling we'll get to him again later.
03:08Giants fans not very happy with him, including my producer Tommy Cohen.
03:12He didn't want to see him anymore.
03:14But James Winston, first start for the Giants.
03:17Pretty solid for James Winston until the end when he threw a costly pick, which some people may say that is the James Winston experience.
03:25And he did do that pick for the Giants trying to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
03:28Danielle, how do you evaluate his performance?
03:30And was it the right move to make him QB one today in Jackson Darts absence?
03:36Yeah, I don't want to block my face here, but but on James Winston's NFL career tombstone, it will say something along the lines of interception machine.
03:45I mean, that is just like, as you said, the James Winston experience for those that are none that are, you know, that don't that my cousin, he's a Tampa Bay fan.
03:54He's like, well, he's a good, great quarterback.
03:56He doesn't do turnover.
03:57Wait a minute.
03:58What the guy's a turnover machine three times earlier in this game.
04:02The Packers, it hit him in the hands.
04:04They dropped the ball when he threw it to him.
04:06So based on his track record, having no interceptions all the way through that point in the fourth quarter, you knew he was bound to throw one at least today.
04:14It just so happened to be in such a crucial spot.
04:17But for the most part, he played well.
04:19And I just I'm sitting there watching on TV and I couldn't help myself from thinking this.
04:24I said, being that Green Bay had such a problem stopping the Giants rush today, I was thinking to myself, the Giants would absolutely have won this game with Jackson Dart.
04:35Regardless, Winston was the right move over Wilson for this week.
04:40And Dexter, I don't think that's a hot take.
04:42No, no, I don't think so, especially with what we've seen from Russ and just how he looked in no shade to Russ, given the effort, but just wasn't looking good.
04:52I think the team in a whole needed a little bit of spark that you talked about.
04:56Part of the fight that we saw today is not just Mike Kafka, but also, you know, a fusion of saying, OK, this guy can give us a chance to win.
05:03And look, James Winston gave them a chance.
05:06He did.
05:07Until he didn't.
05:08Until he didn't.
05:09I was just going to say that.
05:10But that is the James Winston experience.
05:12But yes, I thought you made a good point about the fact that the Giants ran the ball effectively well today.
05:18High percentage of their plays were run.
05:20So I think it was over 65 percent in this game.
05:22So they ran the ball really well today.
05:25And James Winston was good until he was not.
05:28But let's talk about what you want to talk about.
05:30The Giants defense.
05:32Because if we're going to be fair, they did blow another lead in this one.
05:37It was not a double digit lead.
05:39Right.
05:40So for me, you're right.
05:42For once, Giants didn't see them blow a double digit lead.
05:44But do you look at this as a better effort from the Giants defense under Mike Kafka that should be celebrated?
05:52Or do you view this defense as a group that still needs more talent?
05:56There still is a long way to go for this defensive unit.
05:59I don't even know where to start with this.
06:01It's like, oh, let's celebrate the fact that they didn't blow a double digit lead.
06:04It was just a single digit lead.
06:05Be happy for that.
06:06I mean, come on.
06:07The question I still have is this.
06:09And I opened with this last night or I guess earlier this morning at 2 a.m. on the fan.
06:13You can still check it out on the Odyssey app.
06:15But my question is this.
06:16Like, how did Brian Dable, how is his head the first head to roll here?
06:22I think it should have been Shane Bowen.
06:24He, 33 points in the final quarter against the Broncos, when the Broncos played the Giants in Denver.
06:30I can't believe he was allowed on the team playing home, to be quite honest with you.
06:34This unit is just so, so bad.
06:37And there's really only one guy to blame.
06:39Believe it or not, it's not Brian Dable.
06:42And it's not Mike Kafka.
06:44It's Shane Bowen.
06:46I mean, look, I know there's games still going on now at the time of filming.
06:49But as we sit here right now, for as much as we've heard about this fearsome defensive line and Brian Burns and Abdul Kar,
06:56Kayvon Thibodeau, Dexter Lawrence, the Giants rank 21st in sacks this season so far.
07:03That is a unit that does have talent on it.
07:07And it's unacceptable that this defensive coordinator can't extricate that talent from that line.
07:13The next two levels of defense, which we knew had a serious question marks in terms of talent moving forward.
07:18But yet another game where this unit as a whole gave up a fourth quarter lead late in the game.
07:24I'm sick of it, man.
07:25And I am astonished that Brian Dable's head was the first to roll.
07:29And I cannot believe, Dexter, that Shane Bowen is still employed by this team.
07:34There are a lot of Giants fans I've heard from that feel that same exact way.
07:40And we have to take another step.
07:42I guess I'll follow up with you on this.
07:44Because you talked about the talent.
07:45And you're right.
07:46The talent was talked about in the front that the Giants would be able to get sacks this year.
07:51They're 21st in the league in sacks at the time of us recording this and all that you said.
07:55And you talked about the second level.
07:56The secondary hasn't been good.
07:58Deontay Banks has not played well and has had the ire of Giants fans.
08:02But then how much of this falls on Joe Shane in terms of the talent that he's assembled together here on this defensive side of the ball?
08:10Do you blame him for any of the defensive struggles that this team has had?
08:15Yes.
08:16I mean, look, he made a good deal for Brian Burns.
08:18I mean, there were some good things about it.
08:20Deontay Banks, when he was drafted, I was like scratching my head like, yeah, really?
08:24That's the way you're going to go here?
08:25I mean, we could talk about the – I'm sure at the end of the season we'll talk about the failure that was the New York Giants this year
08:32and where it went wrong.
08:33And Joe Shane absolutely has a part in this as well.
08:37But as far as like – he can't do anything about it now.
08:40Like the team is the team.
08:42And it's up to Shane Bowen to get the most out of his team.
08:45And when I was in Chicago with my dad last week and we watched pass after pass, it seemed,
08:50by Caleb Williams was just targeting, looking for number two on the field and then targeting him,
08:55I mean, that's completely unacceptable.
08:57Today on a touchdown run right up the gut by the Packers from like, I don't know,
09:01it was like the six or the – the six, the seven-yard line,
09:04I watched Deontay Banks almost with his hands in his pockets even just try, oh, yeah, look, look at him go.
09:10I mean, that's on the defensive coordinator to pull it out of the players to play hard.
09:14And I'm not seeing these defensive players playing hard for their defensive coordinator.
09:20And that's a huge motivational problem.
09:23I think it's time for him to go.
09:24Let them pull in somebody else, the linebackers coach, the defensive line coach.
09:28Give that guy a shot because it's not working for Shane Bowen.
09:31And the sooner, the better.
09:33So here we go.
09:34We've got Danielle calling for changes in terms of the defensive coaches.
09:37Danielle, you're also the first guest to come on with me to work in a 6-7 reference.
09:42Pretty good there.
09:43Pretty good.
09:43I can't – I hate myself for doing it.
09:45You know what?
09:46I kind of understand for you how that probably came about.
09:49But good for you.
09:50You were able to work it in.
09:51Last thing for me here, Danielle, tough spot with Kafka taking over for Dayball here
09:56and then trying to get guys to respond the rest of the way.
09:59But when you see this when the team is 2-9 and you look at Kafka the rest of the way,
10:04what do you think Mike Kafka needs to show for the rest of the season
10:08to have a legitimate shot at landing the Giants head coaching job?
10:12Kafka's got to win some games.
10:13I mean, he was promoted to do just that.
10:17The Giants felt that Brian Dayball wasn't winning them enough games.
10:20Well, here is Mike Kafka's shot to win some games.
10:23He's 0-1 so far.
10:25And I also go back to the main objective for the 2025 New York Giants.
10:29It is – still is – to develop the rookie quarterback.
10:34So I need to see, under Mike Kafka's tutelage, I need to see Jackson Dart improve,
10:40not just stay the same and certainly not regress.
10:43He needs to actually improve over these final weeks of the season.
10:46I know this is an offensive-minded guy running the show,
10:49so I need to see Jackson Dart take steps moving forward.
10:53But personally, for me, I talked to Emmitt Smith at Radio Row back in February,
10:57and I was listening to him tell me how the Giants, Mike Kafka,
11:02didn't game plan properly for Saquon Barkley.
11:05So that's enough for me to say, Dexter, no thanks on Mike Kafka.
11:08How could you not figure out how to use – utilize the most prolific running back
11:13currently in the game in the right way?
11:16That's on Mike Kafka.
11:17And he also doesn't have head coaching experience.
11:20So in the last couple cycles, the Giants have seen that that has not worked
11:24in their favor, hiring these guys without NFL coaching experience.
11:28And I know he's got a couple – he'll have a couple games under his belt.
11:30But this cycle, the Giants should be looking for someone
11:33with significant NFL head coaching experience, and that is not Mike Kafka.
11:38We will see what the Giants do, how they finish out the season.
11:41Six more games to go.
11:42They are 2-9 on the season.
11:44Mike Kafka will be coaching the team the rest of the way,
11:47and we will see how Jackson Dart also is able to develop
11:50when he is able to return to the field.
11:52That is Danny McCartan.
11:53Check her out on WFAN, doing a great job there.
11:57Also, always coming on with me to talk to the Giants.
11:59Unfortunately, too many times after a loss.
12:03Hopefully, we can do it after a win.
12:04Danielle, appreciate you.
12:05I hope so.
12:05I hope so, too.
12:06All right, Dexter, I'll win.
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