I’m down visiting my family in South Carolina for Thanksgiving, so no podcast episode this week. It’s probably for the best as I was raked over the coals for my “boomer” takes about Shane Bowen’s turnover chest and ‘be a pirate’ t-shirts along with Abdul Carter & Cam Skattebo’s choreographed brawl on WWE’s Monday Night Raw (which was blocked on YouTube because you can’t show viewers what you’re commenting on or reacting to apparently).
To be honest, I’m burnt out by the dysfunction. I’m tired of pointing out all the organization’s systemic mistakes. Bowen should’ve focused more on preparing his player instead of leaning on gimmicks to force chemistry and motivation.
The timing on Carter and Skattebo’s WWE cameo was absymal. I’ll go to my grave defending they should’ve have taken unnecessary risks in season that could’ve jeopardized future playing time, especially after Carter was benched for a series because he was sleeping through film sessions, meetings, and walk-throughs.
But, the Giants have been one of the worst teams in the NFL for so long that it’s broken fans. It almost feels like a parent that allows their children to keep getting away with more and more bullshit until the kids are out of control and then people wonder how did this happen. Breaking news: You can’t put toothpaste back in the tube.
Brian Daboll was the hip dad who was so very hands-off and soft on his players in training camp and in practice then explosive and angry when his players weren’t executing in game. It’s just an approach that breeds inconsistency and confusion. When Kafka took over he said he wanted to set standards, implying that Daboll’s scattershot mentorship was a root cause for the losing culture.
If the fans don’t care about winning and just want to see certain (young) players play well then that’s their right. I just thought the Giants fanbase was better than that. Instead of demanding professionalism and excellence (or a level of function that would justify the time, effort, and hundreds if not thousands of dollars spent on this team), fans just care about aura, stunts, and streams.
I just turned 45 and I’ve belly flopped into my old man era. I’m too far gone to wrap my head around why we’re so willing to excuse behavior detrimental to the team.
The Cowboys had to bench CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens for the first series against the Raiders because they were out partying until 9am the morning of the game. Maybe I’m naive to think that winning teams like the Rams don’t tolerate this behavior. Then again, the Eagles are having to deal with AJ Brown complaining about team dynamic. Feels like champagne problems compared to what’s going on with the Giants.
Tom Coughlin brought discipline when Jim Fassel allowed the roster to collapse in two winnable Wild Card rounds (’97 vs Vikings, ’02 vs Niners). It’s been well-documented that his authoritarian style was too much at first. He relaxed a tad and the team achieved greater success. But there was still discipline, just not as severe or harsh.
Ben McAdoo didn’t operate in discipline and it was his undoing. Pat Shurmur didn’t seem like the leader who could run a tight ship. Joe Judge’s discipline aligned more with Coughlin’s, but he received mixed reactions from players, with some players claiming it wasn’t befitting. In retrospect, if Judge had a better GM and more of a say, he might still be our coach.
Seemed like the reaction to my call for more accountability was, “Relax. Chill. Who cares? If we were winning, it wouldn’t matter.” To me, that’s the kind of attitude that has ruined this franchise. If the fans don’t care about the franchise being a joke, then why should I? If you’re not going to demand more from your team, then you can’t be upset by the horrendous results.
Kafka appears to be emphasizing a more polished regiment. With Thanksgiving on our doorstep, I’d like to give a premature thanks to the interim head coach for showing mercy on Giants fans and firing defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. It sends a message that the team is setting a higher standard.
Kafka’s decision came hours after his Week 12 post-game press conference when he explicitly stated he had all the confidence in the world in Bowen after the Giants defense blew yet another 10-point lead on the road, this time to the Lions in Detroit. Gotta love press conferences. So honest!
Kafka then named outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen as interim defensive coordinator, which was somewhat surprising. Bullen’s name never really came up in most of the speculation about who would take over for Bowen in-season. Bullen has never been a defensive coordinator, but his position group (OLB) has been the team’s most productive corps over that past 2 seasons.
To my knowledge, the only internal candidates being tossed around to replace Bowen were defensive line coach Andre Patterson and secondary coach / pass game coordinator Marquand Manuel. Patterson was co-defensive coordinator with the Vikings in 2020-2021 while Manuel was the defensive coordinator for the Falcons in 2017-2018.
Bowen’s firing has been long overdue. In 2024, the Giants ranked 24th in yards allowed, 21st in points, and 28th in takeaways. The rankings worsened in 2025. The unit ranks 30th in yards allowed, 30th in points given up, and 30th in takeaways in 2025.
If then head coach Brian Daboll was unwilling to terminate Bowen after the team blew a 19-point lead in the 4th quarter against the Broncos, I figured Bowen would be safe until the bye week. Cutting ties after the Patriots game would’ve given the staff more time to adjust. But with the team’s loss to Detroit officially eliminating them from playoff contention, it’s time to see what the defense looks like without Bowen’s influence.
The latest defensive collapse against Detroit was enough for Kafka to move on. The Giants had 10-point leads multiple times and couldn’t hold on: 10-0 in the first, 17-7 in the second, and 27-17 in the fourth. This marks the fifth blown fourth-quarter lead of 10-plus points of the season, the most in the NFL.
What was most concerning about Bowen’s stint with the Giants was his inability to stop the run game despite having a proven track record of doing so with the Titans. Tennessee was top 3 or top 4 in rushing yards allowed and rush yards per attempt in 2021 and 2022, but were bottom of the league in takeaways and pass defense.
Bowen’s group saw Jahmyr Gibbs run for 219 yards on 15 carries, averaging 14.6 yards per attempt. Gibbs has put up numbers that rival Bo Jackson and he looked like a version of Bo in Tecmo Bowl against the Giants.
The speed demon broke off three long runs of 49+ yards, two of those went for scores: a 49-yard TD in the 4th quarter and a 69-yarder on the first play of overtime. What’s worse is how effortless those runs were, Gibbs quickly got to the third level and was mostly untouched up the gut.
The 10 points allowed by the Giants defense in the fourth quarter brings their season total to a league-high 133. There should be no doubt the message should have been finish, finish, finish. You can talk the talk, but what was Bowen doing to enact that message? You thought a turnover chest and t-shirts would get the job done?
Darius Alexander had two sacks, a positive sign for a 25-year-old rookie who the Giants took in the third round to complement Dexter Lawrence. He was nominated for Rookie of The Week honors. Fans thought Alexander would come along a little quicker than what we’ve seen so far.
With Dexter getting double-teamed, you’d think that would free up other defenders to take advantage, but nope! There are more gaping holes than Backdoor Betties Vol. 69.
On the radio broadcast, Carl Banks was constantly pointing out that Lawrence was not on the field during key spots and crucial downs. In the post-game presser, Kafka said Dexy was “nicked up”, but didn’t go into specifics. Reporters followed up with Dexter during a media scrum at his locker and he parroted Kafka’s “nicked up” quote.
The team’s coordinated and calculated handling of that situation in-game, immediately after the game, and since then has driven me insane and is incredibly weird. The Week 13 injury report isn’t out yet, but what the Flannigan-Fowles is going on here?
Lawrence got “nicked up” in the first quarter. I don’t know about the TV broadcast but the radio broadcast had zero clue Lawrence was injured. He only played 36 of 68 defensive snaps, mostly on pass rush downs. He was supposedly “in tears” on the sideline, not because of the injury but because he couldn’t be out on the field.
Why is the organization being so secretive and tight-lipped about this injury? At some point, you figure they have to disclose what happened, but why is it taking so long?
It’s not like revealing the injury would put the team at a disadvantage against the Pats. The Week 13 game will be on the road, so it’s not like you’re risking fans not showing up to MetLife. Spoiler alert, most fans have checked out anyway.
Are the Giants hoping to mask or cover up a potential season-ending injury? Who does that benefit? Is it career-ending or career-altering? The level of secrecy and lack of transparency is wild.
Nacho recorded the Giants’ third sack of the game and now has a career-high three sacks this season. He also accidentally kicked Jared Goff in the head while celebrating, sparking the crowd to call for a flag. Seems like every time Nacho has done something positive, it’s tainted by a negative.
Jevon Holland finally recorded his first interception of the 2025 season. The pick was a huge momentum shift as it came in Giants territory and took at least three points off the board.
But on the Lions’ last drive, Holland was penalized for a delay of game that stopped the clock with 58 seconds remaining in the game. That penalty yardage could’ve been the difference between a dub and an L as Bates ended up hitting a career-high 59-yarder to send the game into overtime. Based on the kick Bates delivered, it’s unlikely he would’ve hit from 64 yards.
While the defense has repeatedly disappointed, the offense continues to hum even without Jaxson Dart. The Jameis Winston Experience has been extremely enjoyable.
As I mentioned in the Bears post-game podcast episode, it’s baffling how Brian Daboll thought Russell Wilson gave the Giants the best chance to win. It’s unfathomable how Jameis Winston was QB3 through 10 weeks. I understand you want to show Wilson respect, but why wasn’t there more of a competition before the season?
One area that Winston has been unable to separate himself from Wilson is in the red zone. The Giants are 29th in converting red zone opportunities. Kafka opted to kick the 21 yard field goal in the first to go up 10-0, a decision I disagreed with. Then Kafka flipped the script in the 4th and the Giants couldn’t convert. Safe to say if Dart’s in, the Giants punch it in both times.
Giants.com Editor Dan Salamone had some great takeaways in his Instant Analysis article that I’ve laid out below:
According to NFL Research, Winston became the second player to record at least 300 pass yards, two touchdown passes, and one receiving yard in a game. The other is Matt Ryan, who did it in Week 17 of 2018 at Tampa Bay. Winston was the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback that day.
Winston also became the second player to record 300 pass yards and 30 receiving yards in a game. The other is Tom Brady (Week 13, 2015 vs. Philadelphia).
For his efforts, Jameis was nominated for the Air & Ground Player of the Week.
The Giants entered Week 12 tied for third in the NFL with 38 points on their first possession of the game and added 7 more on their first drive against a Detroit defense that’s 12th in points allowed and 10th in yards.
Wan’Dale Robinson had 106 yards on four catches in the first quarter alone. It was the second-most by a Giants player in the first quarter since at least 1991. Plaxico Burress had 107 receiving yards in the first quarter of a home game against the Rams on Oct. 2, 2005. Robinson finished with a career-high 156 yards on nine catches.
I’ve been out on Robinson for a while. There’s no arguing he’s tough as nails. He’s significantly outproduced Darius Slayton, who’s earning $13 million per year. Does Robinson deserve a similar contract?
I lean towards ‘no’, but could be persuaded to make that deal if the new GM can find a trade partner for Slayton. Wan’Dale’s downside is painfully clear and it showed when he couldn’t stretch enough to haul in Winston’s wide throw late in the game.
Isaiah Hodgins had an unbelievable catch in the back of the end zone. That’s back-to-back high-impact outings from Hodgins, who’s showcased why he should’ve been part of the team’s plans from the jump. Is that on Daboll or Schoen?
Theo Johnson had an incredible catch along the sideline. His progress has been promising and I love that Kafka is using him to stretch the coverage, not just as an underneath dump-off.
Giants averaged nearly 24 yards per reception in the first half. This was the passing attack that Daboll had promised and that Wilson & Winston have a knack for executing. Again, I have to wonder why Winston was given such a raw deal, but I take comfort in knowing he’ll be our backup in 2026.
Tyrone Tracy had a career-high 68 receiving yards. Though the ground game was less than stellar, I like getting Tracy more involved through the air, and I positively revel in the revitalization of our screen pass attack.
One of the more eye-opening tidbits was the Giants having the second most fourth down tries (25) coming into this contest. The Lions were tied for third with 23 attempts. Crazy to think the Giants’ number could be even higher – How many times have we criticized Daboll for not being more aggressive on 4th down?
Kafka channeled former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson dialing up two trickster touchdowns. They weren’t perfect, but the players made plays when things broke down. The offense showed up and fought, something we definitively can’t say about the defense. I haven’t seen a Giants offense this fun possibly ever?
In Week 13, the Giants travel to Foxborough to face a Patriots team that has surpassed all preseason expectations and is on course to lock up the #1 seed in the AFC.
New England’s 7th in points scored per game and has allowed the 6th fewest points per game. Their pass offense has averaged the 6th most passing yards per game as Drake Maye has already eclipsed 3,000 yards for the season .The Pats defense is giving up the second fewest rushing yards per game.
Patriots starting left tackle Will Campbell went down with an MCL sprain in Week 12 that will keep him sidelined for this upcoming Monday night matchup, but can our pass rush capitalize? If Bowen were still calling the shots, I’d say no, but will Bullen learn from Bowen’s mistakes and unleash the beasts? He’d make a case for being retained if he turned up the heat.
Dart vs Maye should result in another entertaining affair that could turn into yet another instant classic in a lost season.
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ABOUT NEAL LYNCH:
Irish-Italian-American who graduated from a Catholic high school (even though I’m not Catholic), and a college known for producing doctors and lacrosse players, then became neither.
Former 4th string quarterback and middle relief pitcher at a Division III university.
Degrees in Film & Media Studies and Communications.
Worked for Condé Nast, New York Post, SportsNet New York, and Hearst Television.
Divorced dad who blogs, podcasts, writes, edits, optimizes, strategizes, and over-analyzes.
ABOUT “GIANT MESS”:
“Giant Mess” is a weird sports and entertainment comedy podcast hosted by a giant mess, the Real Cinch Neal Lynch.
Neal covers New York Giants football, Mets baseball, movies, and TV shows, mixing in funny life stories along the way.
Episodes focus on movie reviews, tv show recaps, post-game analysis, predictions, reactions, and funny stories about parenting.
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