Just when Giants fans thought the 2025 season couldn’t get any worse, interim head coach Mike Kafka basically said, ‘Hold my beer.’
Big Blue’s 13‑to‑16 Week 16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings should be the last game Kafka coaches for the G‑Men. It’d be shocking if they moved on from their interim HC before the season ends, but what fans had to sit through Sunday afternoon was a fireable offense.
New York already fired one head coach this year (Brian Daboll), after a brutal Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears. General manager Joe Schoen promoted the 38‑year‑old offensive coordinator largely because of his relationship with rookie quarterback sensation Jaxson Dart. The hope was that he’d treat the opportunity like an audition for the long‑term job, bring offensive continuity and stability, and actually hold players and coaches accountable.
In five games at the helm, Kafka is now 0‑5, with his worst performance coming against the Vikings and proving he’s in way over his head. The team has been just as bad under his leadership as it was under Daboll, and it’s time to say goodbye to any future in East Rutherford.
Giants should be ready to move on from Mike Kafka after latest disaster
To say Sunday's effort against Minnesota was a poor reflection on Kafka would be an understatement. He had the team playing scared all game -- scared of the wind, the defensive scheme, winning, effort, everything.
And yes, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is one of the best in the business, but still, getting absolutely nothing out of Dart -- while he got crushed -- is a major problem.
If the Giants’ plan for the 22‑year‑old is to develop him through playing time, then let him actually play. Having him in the game, taking so many unnecessary sacks and hits only to hand the ball off to the running backs is organizational malpractice.
This comes on the heels of everyone and their mother talking about how often the rookie gets put in a compromised position and takes too many hits. Let's read the room.
Couple that with a clear lack of desire to play winning football, and this whole Kafka experiment is getting uglier by the snap. Making matters worse is that fans were told the team would be more aggressive under Kaf's play-calling. They didn't get anything remotely aggressive on Sunday afternoon.
Playing not to lose is the easiest way to play to lose -- that's been confirmed countless times already.
The game plan was awful -- they ran the ball 30 times, while only throwing the ball 11. Dart took a beating all game, having five sacks. What are we doing here? How is this helping their franchise quarterback get any better? Putting him out there to get clobbered all game was a choice, and one that should do Kaf in.
Sunday made it pretty clear this job is bigger than Kafka. The Giants can’t afford to waste another week, let alone a complete offseason, pretending otherwise.