One day after a historic defensive meltdown, giving up 33 fourth-quarter points in a 33-32 loss to the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants will not fire defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
Head coach Brian Daboll said during his Zoom call with reporters Monday afternoon that he was “not considering” any changes to the coaching staff after the Giants fell to 2-5 while becoming the first team in more than 1,600 NFL games to lose a game in which it led by 18 or more points with less than six minutes to play.
“No, I’m not considering that,” Daboll said. “But we all got to do a better job, starts with me. And there’s plenty of opportunities to finish that game the way we wanted to and we didn’t get the job done.”
As he has in the past, Daboll said the loss was “collective.”
“There’s plenty of plays that we had opportunities to make throughout, I’d say, the fourth quarter,” Daboll said. “And we just came up short. So it’s not about one play. Like I said, it’s not about one player. It’s not about one specific side. It’s a collective.
“I can do a better job.”
Star edge defender Brian Burns was seething with anger over a defensive call that saw the Giants rush three and drop eight defenders into coverage, a play that saw the Broncos gain 29 yards and get close to position for a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds.
After the game, Burns was calmer and said players need to take the blame.
Sunday was the second time this season Bowen has been criticized for calling a scheme that did not pressure the quarterback with a game on the line at the end of the fourth quarter. The first was in Week 2 when the Giants allowed the Dallas Cowboys to get into position for a game-tying 64-yard field goal by Brandon Aubry at the end of regulation. New York lost that game in overtime.
“I would have liked to have a different call,” Bowen said after that game.
The call was somewhat different this time, but still involved not pressuring Denver quarterback Bo Nix.
Bowen, though, will apparently continue to get chances to make things right.
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