ClutchPoints
The New York Giants’ catastrophic 33-32 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 7 wasn’t just another blown lead – it was a damning indictment of head coach Brian Daboll’s tenure that has reached a breaking point. Allowing 33 fourth-quarter points after shutting out Denver for three quarters represents the kind of historic collapse that exposes fundamental coaching failures. With the Giants now sitting at 2-5 and having witnessed their rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart experience one of the most devastating defeats in franchise history, the time has come for ownership to acknowledge that Daboll’s leadership has become a liability rather than an asset.
Daboll’s overall record as Giants head coach tells a sobering story that goes far beyond Sunday’s meltdown. Currently sitting at 20-36-1 in the regular season, his .357 winning percentage ranks among the worst in franchise history. After his surprising 2022 Coach of the Year campaign that produced a 9-7 record and playoff berth, the Giants have gone just 11-29 under his guidance – a collapse that mirrors the fourth-quarter disaster against Denver.
The statistical breakdown reveals the depth of the organizational dysfunction. Since that magical 2022 season, Daboll’s Giants have started 1-4 or worse six times in the last 10 seasons, the most in the NFL. This pattern of poor starts, combined with an inability to maintain leads when they do emerge, demonstrates a coaching staff that lacks both the preparation to begin seasons strong and the in-game management skills to close out victories.
Sunday’s collapse wasn’t an outlier – it was the inevitable result of systematic failures that have plagued this coaching staff. The Giants’ defense, which had dominated for three quarters, allowed 227 of Denver’s 407 total yards in the final frame alone. This wasn’t simply players making mistakes; it was a complete breakdown of game management, defensive adjustments, and situational awareness that falls squarely on the coaching staff.
The Broncos game exposed Daboll’s most glaring weakness: his inability to manage games when victory appears assured. Leading 19-0 entering the fourth quarter and later 26-8 with less than six minutes remaining, the Giants possessed win probabilities exceeding 99% according to advanced analytics. Teams in these situations had won 1,602 consecutive games before Sunday’s historic collapse – a streak that ended on Daboll’s watch.
The defensive play-calling in the final moments particularly drew the ire of veteran players like Brian Burns, who was visibly furious about the decision to drop eight defenders into coverage on Denver’s final drive. This conservative approach gave Broncos quarterback Bo Nix the time he needed to find open receivers and orchestrate the game-winning field goal. Such decision-making represents the kind of coaching that prioritizes playing not to lose over playing to win – a mentality that has defined Daboll’s tenure since 2022.
Shane Bowen’s defense on first and 10 with 30 seconds left when Denver only needs 30 yards to get into field goal range....
