The New York Giants were supposed to be holding a two-game winning streak on paper, as they took on the listless New Orleans Saints. Instead, the Giants gift-wrapped the Saints their first win of the season, Kellen Moore's first victory as a head coach, and Spencer Rattler's first-ever win as a starting NFL quarterback. Turning the ball over five times on five consecutive drives will lead to that.
All of the good vibes the Giants had last week are all gone. The Saints were the Giants' easiest winon their schedule on paper, and they lost with that, the call for head coach Brian Daboll's job only gets louder from fans.
Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame unveiled the hot seat rankings for head coaches in the NFL after Week 5. Daboll is ranked third with a seven rating on a 1-to-10 scale. Verderame says that Daboll's job security hinges on rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Brian Daboll ends up on Sports Illustrated's hot seat rankings
"If Dart can ascend as the season progresses, especially after the loss of star receiver Malik Nabers to a torn ACL in Week 4, then there’s reason to keep Daboll around," writes Verderame. "If Dart doesn’t perform, Daboll will be cooked. After winning Coach of the Year with a nine-win Giants team in 2022, Daboll has fallen off. Since the start of the 2023 season, he is 10–29, including a 3–14 mark last season.
"Wins won’t matter as much this year if Dart is impressive. However, if he isn’t, ownership could—and should—clean house."
This has been the expectation for the Giants since this past offseason when Daboll was retained. The expectation was that Daboll would bring in his hand-picked quarterback through the draft that he can develop and teach his offensive system. That quarterback turned out to be Dart, who had impressed Daboll through the pre-draft process.
Instead of starting Dart right away after an impressive preseason, Daboll stuck with his plan to start Russell Wilson instead. But through the first three weeks, Wilson didn't impress. So, Daboll went to Dart in Week 4, and led the Giants to an upset victory over the then-undefeated Los Angeles Chargers. While Dart impressed, the team lost superstar receiver Malik Nabers for the season due to a torn ACL.
On Sunday, Dart started off strong, leading the team to two touchdowns on their first two drives. But then, the turnovers happened. As the game progressed, Dart looked more uncomfortable. Dart threw for 202 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while completing 26-of-40 pass attempts. Dart also fumbled in the game.
Dart needs to progress in the right direction for Daboll to keep his job. But if it doesn't, it's increasingly likely the Giants will be in search of yet another head coach.