Big Blue View
In my Tuesday piece discussing potential replacements for head coach Brian Daboll, I wrote that the Giants “have an accountability problem.”
Accountability on a football team, for both the players and the coaching staff, comes directly from the reactions by the head coach to a variety of occurrences.
In thinking about having put that out into the ether, I realized I never explained why I think there is an accountability problem with the Giants. I never gave examples, nor did I offer ways I believe certain situations should have been handled.
Let’s correct that now.
In Week 4 of 2024 against the Dallas Cowboys, Banks was heavily criticized for not hustling to try and bring down CeeDee Lamb after giving up a completion that turned into a 55-yard touchdown. Banks was not removed from the game. Daboll said nothing — and, honestly, I can’t find evidence he was asked directly. Defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson was furious, and said so to the media.
Four weeks later, Banks was again criticized for giving up on a play where he could have tackled Jalen Hurts during a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles but simply watched him run by. Again, no removal from the game, nothing said by the head coach. No loss of his starting job the following week.
Mysteriously, Banks was benched at halftime the following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. No satisfactory explanation was ever given. That benching, honestly, felt like the Giants realizing they had to make a show of somehow holding Banks accountable rather than them actually holding him accountable.
At season’s end, Henderson was fired. Banks is still a Giant, though he did lose a competition for his job to Cor’Dale Flott. Perhaps there is accountability in that.
Still, the person who lost his job is the person who was critical of the player. Daboll has always been tight-lipped in his remarks to the media. He doesn’t like direct player criticism to the press. Henderson, in trying to reach Banks, violated that twice. He got fired. Mostly, in my view, for trying to hold his player accountable.
Where was the accountability for the player in that?
Is it any wonder that Banks, after losing his job to Flott, has spent the season hiding from the media, usually not even entering the room when media is in the locker room? Or that, when asked by a reporter to speak after Sunday’s loss, Banks walked away with his pants around his ankles?
In the 28-3 Week 8 loss to the Eagles last season, the same one in which Banks was criticized, the Giants offense was abysmal. Daniel Jones went 14 of 21 for 99 yards and was sacked seven times before being lifted for Drew Lock.
Malik Nabers wasn’t thrilled about catching just four passes for 41 yards, and said so.
Daboll’s reaction to Nabers saying “I was open?” Meaning, of course, this was someone else’s fault and not mine.
Daboll...
