Will New York Giants throw a former Chiefs coordinator overboard to save face?

The New York Giants are a frustrating (and frustrated) team.

Currently at 0-2 and in fourth place in the basement of the NFC East, the Giants have been blown out by Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 and lost a divisional tussle to rookie Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Week 2.

When looking ahead to the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia Eagles in five of the next six games, it’s hard to imagine the record gets that much better than it is now for the Giants. That’s not good news for those in charge.

Coming into this season, Giants owner John Mara said another six-win season wasn’t acceptable although further details as to expectations were not made clear. What is obvious, however, is that the Giants need to start finding ways to win and soon after making a big splash for pass rusher Brian Burns and drafting Malik Nabers to bolster the offense.

The seat is already warming up under Brian Daboll as head coach, and it’s only a matter of time before the losses pile up enough to force a change. But would Mara really do something so drastic as to fire his head coach midway through the season? The more likely change would likely be someone a bit further down the food chain to hopefully rattle the organizational cages and at least save face.

That brings up a familiar face for Kansas City Chiefs fans: Mike Kafka.

Yes, Daboll himself is a former Chiefs assistant coach who lasted a single season as offensive coordinator before moving on following a disastrous season. But Kafka is the more recent face and the more familiar of the two. And it’s likelier that his head would roll as the Giants offensive coordinator than Daboll at this stage.

Kafka was once the quarterbacks coach of the Chiefs who was on a fast track to one day being a head coach. Despite only having positional experience, Kafka was on several “hot coaching prospects” lists due to his work with Kansas City and experience with Andy Reid. Then Daboll came calling and gave him an opportunity to fast track his trajectory outside of K.C. and the crowded pipeline working with Patrick Mahomes.

Unfortunately for Kafka, things have gone south in his tenure in New York. After winning nine games during his first season as OC, the team won six games last season and Kafka was stripped of his playcalling responsibilities. He’s been made assistant head coach since then, but an offense averaging 12 points per game led by a franchise quarterback who won’t develop will all point negatively toward someone and that might make Kafka a proper scapegoat for the team’s failures.

No one wants to see someone lose their job, but the NFL is a cutthroat business and Kafka looks like a guy sitting uncomfortably on a flimsy branch. If he takes the fall, it could be a nice voice to add to the room in Kansas City knowing he’s been so appreciated in the past.