When the New York Giants fired Brian Daboll, the locker room was in some serious peril, but interim head coach Mike Kafka has done an admirable job of keeping the team united amid another lost season. Big Blue might not yet be a legitimate playoff contender, but nobody can ignore that the foundation is finally in place.
The 2-9 Giants have lost five straight entering a Week 12 clash with one of the NFC's most dangerous teams, the Detroit Lions. However, Kafka is giving the G-Men a better chance than Daboll ever was, as Lions coach Dan Campbell knows better than to look past the "fresh energy" in New York.
Campbell and Co. might be heavy favorites, but that doesn't change anything. It's more difficult than ever before to win games in this league, so looking past any opponent is a big mistake. But as long as defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is employed, it'll be a true uphill battle for the G-Men.
Dan Campbell praises the stability Mike Kafka has brought the Giants
Daboll, the former Coach of the Year, took the Giants to the playoffs in his first season at the helm, but went 11-33 since. Unlike Dabs, the 38-year-old coach is giving fans some cause for optimism, as it's become clear that the coaching change has brought a new vibe to New York's locker room.
First-round rookie Jaxson Dart showed flashes of elite potential under his tutelage, but part of that was due to Kafka's play-calling, setting the former Ole Miss star up for success. He's employed a system vastly similar to the one he thrived under back in Oxford, so the arrow is pointing up right now.
They narrowly lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, but the Lions are another story. No matter what Dart and Kafka do to keep the offense in it, there is no chance that this defense will be able to slow down a Lions offense headlined by Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St Brown, and Jameson Williams.
Campbell's words hold weight, though. The ex-Giants tight end went 3-13-1 in his first season coaching the Lions, but has since turned them into perennial contenders in the NFC. His emergence goes to show you that patience is a virtue in the NFL, and is something Kafka clearly deserves.
As far as Week 12 goes, regardless of what happens, fans can rest easy that the Giants are in a far better place than they were even two weeks ago. And it's making Kafka's campaign to have his "interim" tag removed clear.