Giants-Steelers preview: ‘Things I think’ before the game

Giants-Steelers preview: ‘Things I think’ before the game
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Brian Daboll got a vote of confidence, not a guarantee

The New York Giants face a difficult task Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers? Is it insurmountable? No. Is an upset victory by the Giants likely? Also no. As we wait for kickoff, here are some ‘things I think’ for you to discuss/argue about/rip me for.

John Mara’s vote of confidence

We have been down this road before with Giants co-owner John Mara and midseason votes of confidence in coaches and GMs. If you know Mara’s history, his recent comments preaching patience with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen mean he doesn’t want to fire them. They mean right now he doesn’t think he has to. It doesn’t mean that three months from now when the season is over he won’t.

In mid-November of 2017, Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch said they would decide Ben McAdoo’s fate at the end of the season. McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese were fired three weeks later with the locker room in disarray and the Eli Manning debacle having angered ownership and the fan base.

In 2021, Mara consistently backed Joe Judge. With a few weeks left in the season, reports were that Judge’s job was safe. Then Judge, with strange six and 11-minute answers to post-game questions, and back-to-back quarterback sneaks from victory formation on 2nd-and-11 and third-and-9 inside their own 5-yard line in the season finale against the Washignton Football Team sealed his fate.

The common denominator? In both instances, the coaches embarrassed the franchise in ways that went beyond fielding bad teams.

Daboll and Schoen should be safe, provided nothing like that happens.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic did sound a warning for the coach and GM:

People around the league aren’t buying that Daboll and Schoen should feel secure even after the endorsement, and the duo — known to be outwardly emotional — probably won’t feel any less anxious if they keep losing. ...

It’s a well-known secret around the league that Mara loves former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick from Belichick’s time as Bill Parcells’ defensive coordinator with the Giants. Many are wondering if Mara would be able to resist if Belichick expressed interest in the job. Though that’s another question: Would Belichick want the Giants job considering how the organization is currently set up? Some around the league believe the answer is no.

My advice to Daboll and Schoen? Handle with care when it comes to locker room situations. Don’t embarrass ownership — with your words or your actions. Oh, and win some games!

Benching Deonte Banks

Speaking of locker room situations, the one with Deonte Banks bears watching.

I have written that I don’t believe Banks is or will become an Eli Apple type locker room problem. Banks has promised that the effort issues that have been problematic “won’t ever happen again.”

Daboll had better hope so. I am bothered a bit, maybe more than a bit, that Banks is not facing...