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It’s one thing to lose, because every NFL team, except the 1972 Miami Dolphins, loses. But losing at home, and not competing, and looking lifeless, is what Brian Daboll and the New York Giants are doing a lot this season, which typically comes with repercussions.

The Giants had nothing Sunday. Daboll, the third-year head coach, couldn’t coax his team to compete, much less to win.

“It wasn’t good, wasn’t good,” Daboll said after a 30-7 loss to Tampa Bay. “Had a good week of practice. Did a lot of work, and obviously it didn’t show. No excuses.”

Nov 8, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants coach Brian Daboll during press conference at the FC Bayern training grounds at Sabener Strasse.  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Brian Daboll Coaching For His Job

So, after a week of drama and a season with only two wins and nine losses, it starts to look like a dire situation for the coach with a 17-27 record. 

This begins to look like Daboll’s job, hanging in the balance before this game, seems to be hanging by a string now.

Daboll addressed that after the loss.

“Yeah, I feel for the guys that go out there and play, and the result we had today, and focus on getting better for next week,” Daboll said evading a question about his situation. “The only thing that goes [through my head] is how to make it better. That’s what we’ll try to do.”

East Rutherford, NJ — November 24, 2024 — Malik Nabers of the Giants on the bench late in the fourth quarter as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium and defeated the New York Giants 30-7.

Reasons Brian Daboll At Risk

Before this game, it was clear Daboll is coaching for his job in the season’s final seven games. And that makes sense because he’d lost five consecutive games. And the Giants hadn’t won at home all season. And the offense is producing at a 25-year franchise low. 

But not all was lost.

That’s because Daboll’s team was coming off a bye with an opportunity to play well and perhaps even beat a Tampa Bay team that similarly was under .500 with a 4-6 record and had lost four consecutive games of its own.

There was hope Daboll could rally his team and go into a postseason evaluation with some good news to report. And that positive report might secure his job status for 2025.

But then this game began. And now that hope is growing dim.

That’s because on Sunday the Bucs, trying to stay playoff relevant, played with purpose and energy and urgency. And the Giants did not.

Was Loss Related To Daniel Jones Release?

This Giants loss is the punctuation to a week filled with stories of woe.

“Just not good enough, and it all starts with me,” Daboll said. “Nobody did a good enough job starting with myself.”

The club on Saturday officially released quarterback Daniel Jones in order to insure itself of not having to pay a $23 million injury guarantee next March – at which point the club expected to cut ties with the former first-round draft pick anyway.

That release followed Jones delivering a prepared but emotional farewell Thursday. And it preceded Daboll curiously naming Tommy DeVito the starting quarterback over backup Drew Lock.

Weird.  

Giants general manager Joe Schoen previously said all such moves would be “football decisions”. But  everyone understood Jones was released because of a business decision. And that apparently included the players in the locker room, who seemed to make a business decision of their own Sunday.

Daboll said the Giants have moved on from the Jones issue. But even team analysts disagree with that.

“I saw a bunch of DWIs – don’t want it,” former Giants linebacker Carl Banks, now a team analyst, said on the club’s postgame show. “It’s unfortunate, but this is the state of this team.”

East Rutherford, NJ — November 24, 2024 — Tommy DeVito of the Giants in the fourth quarter as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium and defeated the New York Giants 30-7.

Questions For Brian Daboll

Daboll said he’s not concerned with the team’s fight. But there are iother concerns.

“We’ve got to do things better,” he said. “But, no, I don’t question our guys.”

Daboll can be questioned for how his team seems not ready to play. They got behind 23-0. And aside from his choice in starting quarterback, he could be questioned about one in-game decision.

Faced with a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter, Daboll called a Jets Sweep with receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. Robinson is hardly a crushing runner at 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds, which maybe is the reason Daboll himself gave him a carry only two previous times all season.

The play went nowhere.

“Thought we had an opportunity to get a first down, try to build some momentum and didn’t get it,” Daboll said.