Former NFL Super Bowl Champ Weighs In On Giants Situation

Two-time Super Bowl champion and CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden, speaking after the New York Giants’ Week 16 blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons, believes it is time for the franchise to hit the reset button and start anew.

“Watching the Giants today, everyone must go, in my opinion,” McFadden said on CBS Sports HQ. 

“I say that is because it’s one thing to be a bad team based on lack of talent or lack of experience or dealing with injuries. But you cannot tolerate the effort or lack thereof. 

“You cannot tolerate not being competitive because even if you lack talent, you still will see fight. You still would see a competitive edge being displayed by that said team. 

“We’re not seeing anything from the Giants right now. They’re undisciplined in terms of mental errors. They’re undisciplined in terms of just bad penalties. Once again, double-digit penalties. Ten penalties? That’s losing football.”

McFadden believes the problem lies with the coaching staff and not necessarily the players. 

“It feels like the locker room is gone, and that is the ultimate sign in terms of shaking up the personnel in terms of the coaching,” McFadden said.

While it’s up to the coaches to prepare the players, they are not the ones who throw interceptions, fumble the ball, or miss tackles.

While McFadden is correct in relieving the Giants’ need to make some moves, blowing it up completely would be out of character for John Mara and, some might argue, unnecessary. 

The Giants played the 2024 season without a true starting quarterback and lost their best offensive player (Saquon Barkley) through free agency. They were also besieged with injuries on the offensive and defensive lines, which did not help, as games are won in the trenches.

Head coach Brian Daboll is two seasons removed from having won “AP Coach of the Year” after leading the franchise to its first postseason berth since 2016. To think that he suddenly lost his touch is mind-boggling.

That said, the rosters of the last two years have had holes in them that not even the best coaching in the league can overcome. And Daboll did take over the play calling this year, which made the Giants’ offense’s performance worse than it had been the year prior with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka calling the plays.  

Still, McFadden is clearly down on the Giants.  

“Personally, when you look at this organization, you don’t see one bright spot towards the future,” McFadden said. 

“In terms of maybe the scheme, maybe the effort. Maybe just the fighting and clawing. They’re not doing either or right now. Their minds are basically on the offseason.”

The question facing Mara and fellow co-owner Steve Tisch is whether hitting the reset button is worth waiting at least two or three years for the desired results since a new GM/head coach combination will want their guys and their systems in place. 

Or do they stick with SChoen and Daboll, who, although not a package deal, have, for the most part, worked in tandem?

McFadden made his stance clear.

 “I can tell you this much,” he said. “If I’m — hypothetically speaking — (Colorado head coach) Deion Sanders, and you’re telling me you’re drafting my son, Shedeur, to come into that bad environment, no.”