New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll steps onto the field during a week 9 game between New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NY Giants Lead League in This Critical Penalty

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Alex House | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 4:00 PM ET

When the New York Giants brass conducts a performance review of head coach Brian Daboll at the end of the season, they will surely spend considerable time on all the reasons for all the losses.

One thing that may concern them most is the steady absence of on-field discipline, as evidenced by penalties.

One specific infraction shows just how far Big Blue has to go until it is a consistently functional football team. The Giants are the worst offender when it comes to delay-of-game penalties, averaging 0.778 per matchup.

Although rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is trying to find his way on an undermanned offense while navigating a demanding schedule, the offense must get itself organized. This squad is simply too flawed to survive self-inflicted wounds.

Failing to snap the ball before the game clock expires will back up the Giants five yards, and that could be a devastating blow for a team that is without its star wide receiver and versatile rookie running back.

New York is enduring enough adversity and misfortune without frequently shooting itself in the foot.

The players are certainly accountable, as they are the ones who have to execute on the field, but an excess of flags reflects poorly on the head coach.

The NY Giants must get better

Besides drawing the most flags in the delay-of-game department, the Giants have racked up the fifth-most total penalties in the NFL at 69. Their 583 yards against are the fourth-highest.

New York has been on the receiving end of more controversial calls than usual over the last two weeks and is actually coming off a game in which it accrued a season-best five penalties for 23 yards. Clearly, however, disorder is a recurring theme during the 2025-26 campaign.

It was something that Daboll was ready for, but an extra emphasis on curtailing pre-snap penalties during training camp has not translated to the regular season.

While a rookie quarterback definitely factors into the ongoing issue, many are wondering whether the delay-of-game predicament is more a symptom of an ailing Giants culture.

If ownership believes the latter to be the predominant cause of the increased number of flags, then Daboll's seat will be quite hot by season's end. Cutting down penalties, especially inexcusable ones, can make a big difference in the standings.

The injury bug has severely afflicted New York, but the team's talent level is superior to its 2-7 record. The Giants have blown many favorable opportunities in 2025, in large part due to their error-laden ways. The franchise will theoretically be able to move forward once it corrects those mistakes.

A sound operation at the line of scrimmage would be an indicator of genuine growth; then, and only then, can fans accurately gauge the Giants' ceiling.

This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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