Mike Kafka’s start line comes with loads of Giants questions

Nothing. And the whole lot. 

That’s what the Giants must play for as their Dumpster of a season rolls into Sunday’s sport towards the Packers at what will probably be a green-and-gold, Inexperienced Bay-infused melange filling the seats at MetLife Stadium. 

The erstwhile head coach, Brian Daboll, was fired 10 video games into this 2025 mess, and that figures to be the majority of the bloodletting for now. However not endlessly. 

Mike Kafka makes his debut because the interim head coach and Jameis Winston makes his Giants debut because the beginning quarterback, however that newness may very well be overwhelmed by a same-old, same-old product splattered throughout the sphere for all to see, once more. 

At 2-8, the Giants are as soon as extra embedded in final place within the NFC East, and so they know with certainty their season will finish the second the sport clock expires of their Week 18 assembly with the Cowboys. We don’t precisely know what day that will probably be — the final two weeks of the NFL schedule are in flex schedule limbo — however we do know it is going to finish properly earlier than the intense groups are gearing up for the playoffs. 

So, what does this sport imply? 

“The human nature factor can be we now have two wins via 10 weeks and we now have seven weeks left, and a few individuals would pack it in as a result of our head coach received fired,” Darius Slayton mentioned. “The fact of this league is that with change comes change, and also you don’t know whether or not you’ll or won’t be part of these modifications. So it might behoove you as a person to do your greatest over these seven weeks and provides your greatest effort and attempt to get some wins on the board, so as to attempt to maintain your self in a Giants uniform.” 

Slayton, who’s out this week with a hamstring harm, is in his seventh season with the Giants — he and Dexter Lawrence are the longest-tenured gamers on the workforce — and this kind of inside motivation is nothing new to him. In spite of everything, that is the third time up to now three years that the Giants managed to win simply two of their first 10 video games. 

This can be a start line for Kafka, although, and maybe that resonates with the gamers and prompts them to ditch their dropping methods for a minimum of one afternoon. 

Kafka has by no means been a head coach at any degree, and this will probably be an abrupt change of position for him. For the primary time, it is going to be Kafka deciding to go for it or punt on fourth down, when to throw the purple problem flag, what to do along with his timeouts, find out how to cope with the anticipated rain. All this, whereas additionally retaining his play-caller duties on offense. 

Kafka mentioned he’ll lean on Ty Siam, the director of soccer information and innovation, and Cade Knox, the offensive assistant/sport supervisor, within the press field for steering. This was Daboll’s in-game strategic workforce, as properly. 

“Identical to we talked via it all through the remainder of the week, simply going via our plan for a way we’re going to handle the sport … all of these issues that we’ve talked via all through the coaching camp,” Kafka mentioned, “however now that I’m the decision-maker, that will probably be simply form of ramped up a little bit bit extra, and we now have to spend a little bit bit extra time on it.” 

With Jaxson Dart within the concussion protocol, Kafka won’t be able to lean on the dynamic rookie quarterback, and that figures to remove an enormous a part of why the offense has been profitable the previous seven video games. 

Nobody is anticipating Kafka to snap his fingers and switch the Giants into winners. He’ll current a distinct emotional profile on the sideline from the flamable Daboll. 

Slayton mentioned Kafka “undoubtedly has some fireplace and keenness in him. On the similar time, he’s in all probability naturally a little bit bit extra of a calmer character. That may be useful, particularly in a high-pressure sport that we’re in week in and week out, that calming presence may be useful.” 

Tight finish Theo Johnson informed The Publish, “I like his management type. He’s not all the time the man who’s all the time going to be ripping you a brand new one, however he does a very good job of regarding everyone, understanding find out how to get via to every particular person participant. That’s what makes him a very good chief.” 

Kafka is 0-0 because the interim head coach. However the Giants are 2-8, and it stays to be seen what they’re taking part in for the remainder of the way in which. 

“We’ve got the proper of fellows round right here and I believe guys will go on the market and provides their greatest effort,” Slayton mentioned. “If that is your first time going via this, you simply don’t know. However I do know.”