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Giants news, 12/26: Andrew Thomas out, Jeremy Shockey, Jaxson Dart

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

From Big Blue View

Other Giant observations

The Giants had no intention of firing Schoen when they dismissed Daboll. There are people within the building — especially Tim McDonnell — who remain high on him. They support his process, believe he has assembled a foundational core and credit him with modernizing the organization’s scouting and player evaluation methods.

Internally, the Giants believed the leads they built earlier in the season were evidence the team was on the right track. Blowing five of those leads was viewed as an indication the coaching staff was the issue. Replacing Daboll and finding the right coach could position the Giants for a turnaround similar to what the Patriots, Bears or Jaguars experienced this year.

While Schoen has support inside the building, owner John Mara has historically been responsive to fan sentiment. Calls for change have grown louder, and it would be difficult to counter that if the Giants finish 2-15.

Ideal NFL Team-Coach Pairings Amid Latest Coaching Cycle Rumors | Bleacher Report

New York Giants: Former Dallas Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy. The Giants need an established lead skipper who can provide a clear direction. Mike McCarthy would be the best fit for what this franchise needs after firing its fourth head coach in eight years.

As a lead skipper, McCarthy has a winning record (174-112-2). As an offensive-minded coach, he helped develop Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and during his time with the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott led the league in multiple passing categories. Most fanbases want a young offensive head-coaching candidate, but you can’t overlook McCarthy’s results with two high-profile franchises. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers. On his watch, the Cowboys went 12-5 in three consecutive years, winning two NFC East titles.

The real fun begins for the Giants after the final two games | New York Post

At this point, right now, Jaxson Dart wants to win. He feels as if he has to win. The thought of picking up and going home with 11 consecutive losses to end his first NFL season and a win-loss record of 2-9 as the starting quarterback is enough to make the 22-year-old queasy in the stomach. Yes, it is difficult not to think about the possibilities available to the Giants if they land the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“They’re in a great position and a team like the Giants will have an instant turnaround from having the No. 1 pick.”

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart said: “Just constantly understand that you’re never going to have it figured out.”

Giants’ offensive line injuries increase risk for Jaxson Dart in final 2 games | The Athletic

As important as it will be to evaluate Mbow’s performance and track his development, it’s also crucial to consider how Dart could be affected, with his blindside being protected by a rookie who has allowed 15 pressures and two sacks in 119 pass-blocking snaps, per TruMedia. Thomas, for context, has allowed 13 pressures and two sacks in 416 pass-blocking snaps. Mbow’s pressure allowed percentage (12.6 percent) is the second-highest among Giants offensive linemen behind James Hudson (who hasn’t played meaningful snaps since Week 2). The next lineman on the list is Runyan, at 5.8 percent.

The 10 best NFL player matchups to watch in Week 17 | PFF

Las Vegas Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby vs. New York Giants T Jermaine Eluemunor. Eluemunor has been an effective player for several seasons in a row, including in 2025. His 74.2 PFF pass-blocking grade is 20th among qualified tackles, and his 3.7% pressure rate surrendered is the fourth-best. However, four of his 19 pressures given up have been converted into sacks.

Q: You will have to protect him from Maxx Crosby this week. He’s tied with Burns for fifth in the NFL in sacks since 2019. As a play-caller, how do you prepare for him?

Kafka: He’s certainly someone you need to make sure you account for in every protection, every run scheme. You’ve got to have a pulse on where he’s going to be. He likes to move around, too. He’s not going to just line up in one spot, so everyone has got to have awareness of him because he’s a unique and special player.

This game may be looked at as the fight for the No. 1 overall pick, but the Giants are more interested in snapping a nine-game losing streak. Another loss ties the franchise record of 10 straight losses, which was set last season.

“I really don’t think we talk about that part too much about the draft positioning and wanting a certain pick or anything like that,” WR Wan’Dale Robinson said. “I think we just want to go out there and play our best football and go out there and get a win.”

This week’s opponent

Does coach Pete Carroll care if a win weakens the team’s chances of claiming the No. 1 pick? Of course not. Las Vegas made strides offensively in last week’s loss. Carroll wants to build on that performance to snap the Raiders’ own nine-game skid. “I’m not really that concerned about any of that, and I don’t think you want me to be,” Carroll said. “We’re going to go play and play the best we can play and see what happens.”

Las Vegas Raiders must force Jaxson Dart into making mistakes | Silver and Black Pride

Don’t get Jaxson Dart get rolling: Giants’ rookie quarterback has had his moments this season. He can be a dangerous player. He struggled badly in Week 16 against Minnesota and the Giants ran the ball on their first 16 plays of the game. But if Dart is let loose, the Raiders must contain him.

Third-down success: The Raiders had struggled on third down on both sides of the ball in the three games prior to the Houston game. They got better on offense, but the issues have persisted on defense against the Texans. The Raiders were six of 14 on third down after going 8 of 29 the past three games. Defensively, the Raiders allowed Houston to convert seven of 15 times on third down. The Raiders’ past four opponents have converted on 36 of the past 57 attempts. So, getting better on third down on defense is a must.

NFL Week 17 Preview: Schedule, storylines, matchups to watch | PFF

Matchup to watch: Giants’ run defense vs. Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty. After an up-and-down rookie season, Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (72.0 grade; 29th) had one of, if not his best, game of the season against the Texans in Week 15. Jeanty carried the ball 24 times for 128 yards and a touchdown, adding a catch for 60 yards and a score. The 2025 first-round pick looked explosive against one of the best defenses in the NFL, forcing a season-high 10 missed tackles and averaging 4.42 yards after contact per attempt.

Jeanty will look to carry that success into his matchup against the Giants’ run defense in Week 16. The Giants have allowed more explosive run plays than any defense, and have the worst PFF run-defense grade (41.3). If there’s any game a running back would want to build momentum, it’s this one.