Giants coach Brian Daboll might be the first NFL coach to lose his job this year if things don't get turned around soon.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Browns v. New York Giants
Sunday, 1 p.m., in Huntington Bank Field
Record: 0-2.
Last game: Lost to Washington Commanders, 21-18, Sept. 15, in Landover, MD.
Coach: Brian Daboll, 15-20, third year.
Series record: Browns lead, 28-22-2 (counting postseason).
Last meeting: Browns won, 20-6, December 20, 2020, in East Rutherford, NJ.
League rankings: Offense is 24th overall (22nd rushing, 24th passing), defense is 26th overall (28th rushing, 18th passing) and turnover differential is minus-1.
Things to watch
1. This ancient rival of the Paul Brown-era Browns is reeling after suffering two ignominious losses. The first was at home when the Giants celebrated their 100th anniversary to kick off the season. Fans were so disgusted by what would be a 28-6 loss to the Vikings, they booed exiting the stadium in droves in the third quarter. Last week, the Giants somehow lost to the Commanders, 21-18, despite scoring 3 touchdowns on offense and not allowing a TD on defense. Seven field goals by ex-Browns kicker Austin Seibert beat them.
2. All of which has cranked up the heat on the seats of GM Joe Schoen, coach Brian Daboll and quarterback Daniel Jones. The negativity surrounding the team gets worse by the week. Ownership is disgusted, too.
3. In his third season, Daboll has tried everything to put a competent offense on the field. His first year, he delegated play-calling to his coordinator. Then he took it back. Then he gave it to his quarterbacks coach. This year he took it back again. Try explaining to your players that everything will be OK after all that.
4. Daboll parted ways with respected defensive coordinator Wink Martindale after last season. He replaced him with Shane Bowen, who had served three years under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. Part of the attraction to Bowen was the Titans’ success against the run. They were seventh in the NFL last year. But the Giants are 28th in two weeks after allowing 255 rushing yards to the Commanders last week. Also, the pass rush, which was supposed to be bolstered by the trade for end Brian Burns to go along with Kayvon Thibodeaux, has been inconsistent. The bookend pass rushers have yet to record a sack.
5. Jones, aka Danny Dimes, recovered from November ACL surgery to open the season, but hasn’t gotten into a rhythm yet. Through two games, he’s completing 54.3 percent – almost 10 points below his career mark – and has a passer rating of 66.6.
Did you know …?
1. Rookie Malik Nabers, the sixth overall pick of the 2024 draft, already is living up to his pre-draft billing. Nabers is second in the NFL with 15 receptions after nabbing 10 (on 18 targets) last week. Nabers has 5 receptions of 20+ yards. He follows Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry in the line of LSU receivers recently poured into the NFL.
2. Jones received a $160 million, four-year contract in March of 2023, but it contains no guarantees in 2025 unless Jones suffers an injury that would cause him to fail a physical next March. For that reason, some believe the Giants may protect against an injury by idling Jones later this season if they reach the conclusion they want to part ways with him.
3. The decision to let running back Saquon Barkley depart in free agency to divisional-rival Philadelphia left Devin Singletary as the primary running back. Singletary, 5-7 and 203 pounds, has never rushed for 900 yards in five previous seasons, four with the Bills and last year with the Texans.
4. The Giants signed ex-Browns kicker Greg Joseph off the Lions’ practice squad to replace injured Graham Gano. Gano suffered a hamstring injury chasing down Commanders returner Austin Ekeler after the opening kickoff. The Giants were forced to try a PAT with punter Jamie Gillan after their first touchdown, which failed. Thereafter, Daboll attempted 2-point conversions after the next two touchdowns and they also failed. The situation also caused Daboll to eschew a 40-yard field goal late in the game and run a play on fourth-and-4. It also failed and led to the Commanders’ winning drive.
Small world: Brian Daboll was Browns offensive coordinator under Eric Mangini in 2009-10 … Jamie Gillan was a punter for the Browns 2019 through 2021 … Assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox was Browns defensive line coach 2009-10 … Defensive line coach Andre Patterson held the same position with the Browns 2003-04 … Defensive pass game coach/DB coach Jerome Henderson was Browns DB coach 2009-10.