4 Brian Daboll mistakes that have cost the Giants early on

3. Mixing things up on the defensive line in key spots

If you were to ask anyone what the best part of the Giants defense was going into the 2023 season, 99 percent of people would have said the defensive line. Dexter Lawrence is widely regarded as one of the best at his position in the entire NFL. Not to mention, Leonard Williams is also a monster in the trenches. The thing is, Daboll is looking like he's forgotten who the big players are.

We can take the Dallas game out of this because that thing was just a mess every way you look at it. The Arizona game is where we need to look for this one. On multiple third downs, red zone visits and even a two-point conversion, Lawrence and Williams were nowhere to be found. What exactly were Daboll and Wink Martindale thinking? The two best defensive players are on the sideline in the biggest moments?

His coaching staff should not have let him get away with this. Managing snap counts is fine, it's a long season. But, when the game is on the line, the best players need to be out there. Also, Lawrence and Williams are being paid a bunch of money. Play them in key spots. Martindale obviously runs the defense, but it's on Daboll to make sure his top guys are on the field when it matters.