Brian Daboll has officially confirmed that he will be calling the offensive plays for the New York Giants this season.
On Tuesday, Daboll announced that he will take over the role from offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, who previously managed the play-calling duties. Daboll had already been calling plays during the preseason and minicamps.
This isn’t new for Daboll, as he handled play-calling in Buffalo when he was the offensive coordinator there before becoming the Giants’ head coach in 2022. In his first year with the Giants, he entrusted Kafka, who had experience with Andy Reid in Kansas City, with the offensive responsibilities.
Despite leading the Giants to the playoffs in his first season with a 9-7-1 record, the offense struggled last year, and the team dropped to a 6-11 record. Daniel Jones was also hindered by neck and knee injuries, missing six games.
With increased pressure in his third season, Daboll chose to take over play-calling duties. Kafka and the offensive coaches will still be involved in creating the game plan.
Daboll didn’t go into detail about why he made this change but mentioned he is focused on preparing for the opening game against the Minnesota Vikings, who had a 7-10 record and missed the playoffs last season.
Daboll pointed out that many offensive head coaches handle play-calling duties themselves.
From what was seen in the preseason, the Giants (6-11) are expected to try more deep passes, especially with the addition of first-round draft pick Malik Nabers to a fast receiving group that includes Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson.
Jones, who recovered quickly from an ACL injury, noted that he and Daboll have had many discussions over the past two years.
He mentioned that while every play-caller has a unique style, Daboll and Kafka have many similarities. He also highlighted that Daboll is skilled at adjusting to the team’s strengths and the defense’s strategy.
