What went into the Giants decision to fire Shane Bowen?!

New York Post

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00:00All right, you guys know the news by now.

00:01The Giants officially fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen

00:04after another loss where they held a double-digit lead

00:07in the fourth quarter.

00:08Interim head coach Mike Kafka just got off of a Zoom call

00:11with the media where he addressed the Bowen firing.

00:14So let's break it down the decision with our NFL reporter,

00:17Ryan Dunleavy, who was on the call and even asked some questions.

00:21Ryan, thanks for hopping on with this so fast after that call.

00:25Fans feel like this is something that should have been done a while ago.

00:29So what did Mike Kafka say about his decision to finally fire Shane Bowen

00:34and who did Kafka say is now going to call plays on defense?

00:39So the timing for Bowen, Kafka said he didn't want to make any rash decisions

00:45when he took over two weeks ago as their interim head coach.

00:49Obviously, things haven't changed.

00:51He spent a lot of time around the defense.

00:53The results just aren't changing.

00:55It's the same game every week.

00:56So Kafka said he felt like now was the right time to make the decision

01:01and especially with an extra day to prepare for the Patriots

01:04since they play on Monday night.

01:06And then obviously they'll have two weeks after that to get the house in order

01:10because they have a bye.

01:11It'll be Charlie Bowen, the outside linebacker coach,

01:15which is an interesting choice, praised by his players quite often,

01:19but not as familiar with Kafka as some of the other assistants who have been here

01:24longer than Charlie Bowen, a second-year guy,

01:27and not the play-calling experience that Marquand Manuel has

01:30as a former Falcons defensive coordinator.

01:33So interesting choice by Mike Kafka.

01:36Two-part question.

01:37You say he didn't want to rush the decision to fire Bowen.

01:40One, was it his decision?

01:42Two, did he speak on his decision to make a Charlie defensive coordinator

01:47as opposed to a Marquand Manuel or another coach on staff

01:52that he has more familiarity with?

01:55Yeah.

01:56So first he did say it was my decision, but then when he was asked to clarify,

02:01he said that Joe Shane is involved in all those high-level football decisions,

02:06which is interesting because obviously Joe Shane's on his own hot seat

02:11and Joe Shane and Charlie Bowen go back.

02:14They were together with the Falcons from 2012 to,

02:17oh, excuse me, with the Dolphins from 2012 to 2017.

02:21So obviously Joe Shane's comfortable with Charlie Bowen too.

02:25Maybe that has some influence on why he's the choice,

02:29but I do like that Kafka always says everything is his decision.

02:32That seems to be the way he's going to go here.

02:33He did that with the Jameis Winston move too.

02:37And then, yeah, Charlie Bowen, I think, is a guy who, like I said,

02:42I think people will rally around.

02:44He's an energetic guy.

02:45He's active.

02:46He's a guy who's been under some bright defensive coordinators.

02:50Vance Joseph comes to mind.

02:52So I think he's kind of seen as like a riser in the profession,

02:56and he's got a lot to prove just like Kafka has a lot to prove here

02:59in these next five days, five games.

03:01Something that stood out in that loss to the Lions yesterday

03:05was Dexter Lawrence not being in the game or on the field

03:09during that overtime touchdown run.

03:11We heard Carl Banks go on a rant during the game

03:15when calling out why Dexter Lawrence wasn't on the field.

03:20Did Mike Kafka kind of clear up why Dex was on the sideline

03:24during an important play?

03:26Yeah, I thought this was interesting.

03:28Good question, Brandon.

03:29I thought this was interesting because obviously the news of the day

03:32is the change at defensive coordinator, which, by the way,

03:36I don't think is going to change much for the Giants.

03:38It's the way you and I have talked about.

03:40It's the Jimmys and Joes at this point who have to step up.

03:43But to your question about Dexter Lawrence,

03:45one of those Jimmys and Joes, the best Jimmy maybe,

03:48Dexter Lawrence Kafka said was crying actually in tears on the sideline

03:53that he couldn't contribute more to that game,

03:56that he was so nicked up that they had to be limited.

03:59He wanted to be out there with the guys.

04:01I thought that was interesting because, one,

04:04you don't hear about guys crying very often.

04:07Two, that was Kafka.

04:09You could say it was covering for his guy.

04:11Dexter Lawrence is not an excuses guy.

04:13He's not a share much guy.

04:15So he's never going to tell you how hurt he is.

04:17We've asked him a million times if he's hurt,

04:19and he's one of those if I'm out there or I'm not hurt kind of guys.

04:22So I think that was Kafka providing some necessary cover for Dexter Lawrence.

04:28That certainly changes the conversation, I think,

04:30for people who are like, you have to be out there if you can.

04:35There's a difference between injury and hurt,

04:37and you have to be out there if you can be.

04:39And, like, well, if he's crying,

04:40if a 375-pound man is crying on the sideline,

04:43my guess is he was pretty banged up.

04:45Yeah, and he wanted to be out there with his teammates,

04:48with his brothers.

04:49Yesterday, Ryan, during the post-game live stream,

04:53I asked you,

04:54who are you blaming the Giants' defensive collapses and struggles on,

04:58the X's and O's or the Jimmy's and Joe's?

05:00Now, after talking or hearing Mike Kafka kind of speak to the media today,

05:07where do you think he's leaning on that blame,

05:10the coaches or the players?

05:12Yeah, I think, yeah, I mean, once you fire the defensive coordinator,

05:16it seems like you're blaming the coach, right?

05:17So, I mean, he was talking about how they hung in with a really, you know,

05:23Super Bowl contender, how he saw a lot of fight from the guys.

05:27Like, yeah, I see that, too, for three quarters.

05:29I just think there's something to being out to your players being able to close out a game.

05:35If you look around the NFL yesterday, you see all kinds of examples.

05:38You know, I don't get to sit home and watch NFL football on a Sunday a lot.

05:42I'm going to usually add a Giants or Jets game.

05:45You see all kinds of examples yesterday of players stepping up and closing out victories,

05:49and that's what the Giants haven't had.

05:51So, clearly, he's putting it on the coaches.

05:54Do I expect Charlie Bullen to come in here and be like the difference,

05:58and now all of a sudden the Giants are going to close out games?

06:01I expect if the Giants are going to close out games,

06:03I expect it's going to be because Brian Burns got a strip sack,

06:05or because Javon Holland made a pick, or because Paulson Adebo made a big play.

06:10Like, that's what the Giants need to happen, no matter who is calling the plays.

06:13Unless, all of a sudden, they're getting, like, a Vic Fangio or a Vance Joseph in here,

06:17somebody who's a proven difference maker as a coordinator.

06:21All right, Ryan Dunleavy, never a dull day in Giants land.

06:24Appreciate your time, my man.

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