It took two weeks of watching the defense struggle for interim head coach Mike Kafka to make the move former head coach Brian Daboll couldn't. Giants insider Art Stapleton reported Monday morning the news: the New York Giants have officially parted ways with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
BREAKING: The Giants have fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, per sources. @northjersey
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) November 24, 2025
Bowen’s exit comes after yet another fourth‑quarter collapse -- this time a 34‑27 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions, where the defense gave up 17 unanswered points and surrendered a 69‑yard walk‑off touchdown to running back Jahmyr Gibbs in OT... with Dexter Lawrence not on the field.
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That meltdown marked another double‑digit lead lost and made them the first team eliminated from the playoffs in 2025.
For months, the problem was obvious. Bowen’s defense was routinely gashed on the ground, caught flat‑footed in passing downs, and unable to finish when it mattered most. With Kafka’s job already in limbo and the team off the playoff map, the decision wasn’t just overdue -- it was inevitable.
Time to clean house on the defensive side
Immediately after the loss, Kaf talked to reporters about his confidence in the defense under Bowen, saying this: "Yeah, I do. I have a lot of confidence in Shane and his entire staff."
Hmm, apparently not.
Bowen’s tenure now ends with the Giants after two seasons of watching the same defensive mistakes happen week after week. Ultimately, not being able to close winnable games did him in. It was the same reason they fired Dabs, for which the DC shouldered some of the blame.
It turns out the accountability that Kafka was preaching upon getting the interim tag was no joke. It's either you help this team win football games, or it's the highway.
The 38-year-old didn’t exactly have a choice here. His first two games as interim showed enough on offense to justify a longer look, but the defense kept dragging everything down. Moving on from Bowen was all about keeping his name alive in the head coaching search come January.
If Kafka wants a real shot at this job beyond 2025, he couldn’t afford to let one of Daboll’s biggest mistakes keep tanking his shot.