Status Quo for Now with Giants Coaching Staff

Despite a fifth failure by the New York Giants defense to protect a lead this season, interim head coach Mike Kafka isn’t planning on any changes to the team’s coaching staff at the moment.

“I would say status quo. I don't anticipate any,” he said in response to a question about possible changes during his Monday video call with reporters a day after the Giants dropped their fifth straight in a 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers. 

“As a matter of fact, we're gonna go and attack this week. I'm excited for this week of prep. The coaches are excited about it. We just watched the tape and came up with some good, fresh ideas. So, you know, this will be a couple of good work days here, and we'll get the players in tomorrow. We'll set that plan in motion.”

Kafka reiterated that he thought the defense played aggressively, despite not holding the lead into the fourth quarter for the fifth time this year.

“They played their tails off for all 60 minutes. We had some opportunities, some one-on-ones, whether it's on the defensive line, whether it's in the back end, or it's in the second level with the linebacker group. 

“So that's gonna be our focus this week, having those opportunities and finishing 'em. We've already talked through some drill work that we'll emphasize this week. 

But that's really what it comes down to on the defensive side is we got our one-on-one opportunities that's go nail 'em, and I got full confidence that our guys will go and do that.”

“But I think from a coaching staff on the coaching side, we can continue to be creative with how we're working those drills in practice and put 'em in more situations to do that.”

Kafka confirmed that he’s changing the workweek structure, with players now having Monday off instead of Tuesday, which is common among most teams across the league.  

“I think it gives the coaches a little bit of front-end time in terms of getting prepped,” Kafka said in explaining the change. “It kind of takes the emotion out of the game, allows guys to kind of evaluate it and see it with clear eyes, and allows the coaches to do the same. 

“And then it allows us to flip the page and move on to the next opponent. So it is just a little bit different, a different routine, a different schedule that I've had in the past. So I just thought it was a good fit.” 

The Giants are next in action on Sunday when they visit the Detroit Lions, who fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 16-9 on Sunday Night Football.