The New York Giants need Brian Daboll as a contender

This past offseason, there was a lot of talk in the NFL community about the future of third-year New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Some floated the idea that the New York Giants should consider letting Daboll go, an idea that never made sense to me. If owner John Mara were to make this move now or later this season, I think it would be a huge mistake and would ultimately set the team back. But before we explain why, let's recap Daboll's tenure in New York so far.

The first year of the Daboll era was a success. Daboll took over a struggling team that went 4-13 last season. In his first year, the Giants made the playoffs and even won a playoff game, defeating a strong Minnesota Vikings team on the road. Daboll's performance earned him the Coach of the Year award. Everything looked great – until it didn't. The Giants struggled last season, finishing 6-11, three games worse than the previous year. Giants fans who had high hopes after a promising first year were disappointed by a brutal second year.

However, there was a silver lining. The Giants' disappointing season resulted in them securing the sixth pick in a highly talented 2024 NFL Draft class. In desperate need of a weapon on offense, they chose Malik Nabers, who now looks like a superstar. But fans want the offseason hype and success through the draft and free agency to translate into wins. So far it's been one step forward and two steps back for this Giants team.

They are currently 2-3 and in last place in their division. You may be asking yourself: Why should they keep Daboll? Well, I don't think the poor results can be attributed to the head coach. There is no doubt that the team needs to perform better and as head coach, Daboll bears the main responsibility for this. However, aside from the season opener, this Giants team has been physical and competitive in almost every game this year. The players seem to have gotten behind Daboll and are enjoying playing for him. He is also a talented offensive player. Since Daboll returned to calling plays in September, the Giants' offense has looked significantly better. While this improvement could be attributed to a better offensive line and the arrival of Nabers, Daboll's influence cannot be overlooked.

The Giants will have to decide soon whether to keep or trade Daniel Jones, but it's worth noting that Jones had his best seasons under Daboll. We also saw Josh Allen thrive under Daboll's tutelage when he was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo. If the Giants can move up at quarterback or wide receiver and Daboll has more talent to work with, we could see even more of what he's capable of.

Daboll should stay at the helm for at least another year. He makes good plays, runs a solid offense, and did it with a mediocre quarterback. General manager Joe Schoen worked closely with Daboll in building the roster, and Schoen took wide receiver Nabers in the first round, safety Tyler Nubin in the second, cornerback Andru Phillips in the third and running back Tyrone Tracy in the fifth round this draft to the point – they all have an immediate effect. If the Giants continue to have drafts like this, and if Schoen brings in the right players while Daboll uses them effectively, I believe the Giants will return to the playoffs.

Although letting Saquon Barkley go to Philadelphia and recruiting Evan Neal were mistakes, I still believe Daboll and Schoen can form a good, effective duo to lead the Giants. We saw proof of this when Daboll led the Giants to victory over Seattle on the road – without Nabers – with a great game. In fact, Daboll has shown time and time again that he can dictate games well. Aside from the “X’s” and “O’s,” I believe Daboll is good in the locker room and can motivate his players to perform at their best. If the Giants continue to improve their offense and add more firepower, I think we'll see how good Daboll can be. To me, having a career record of 18-21 despite the weak roster he had is impressive. There needs to be progress soon, but I really believe the Giants should hang on to Daboll or they will regret losing such a strong leader and culture provider.