Giants DC Shane Bowen accepts 'responsibility' after firing of Brian Daboll

Weeks before the New York Giants confirmed on Monday that they had parted ways with head coach Brian Daboll, angry Giants fans posting on social media and calling into sports-talk radio programs campaigned for the club to fire defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

While speaking publicly with reporters on Thursday for the first time since the Giants showed Daboll the door, Bowen said he was "very appreciative" of the time he spent with Daboll over the past two years. Bowen also touched upon a big reason Daboll is no longer the Giants' head coach. 

Shane Bowen discusses "responsibility" after firing of Brian Daboll

"There's a responsibility that falls on me," Bowen said about the Giants firing Daboll, as shared by SNY. "We haven't been good enough defensively, particularly closing out games. It's something we're working at. Evaluating everything -- scheme, personnel, different situations, what we can do to continue to improve and find ways to be at our best when it matters most. ...We've got to find ways to win these games and not give it up in the fourth quarter." 

The in-season anti-Bowen movement began when he played a soft zone late in New York's Week 2 game at the Dallas Cowboys. Such coverage allowed the Dallas offense to get within range so that kicker Brandon Aubrey could make a game-tying 64-yard field goal at the end of regulation. Aubrey later made a walk-off field goal in the closing seconds of overtime. 

In October, the Giants surrendered 33 fourth-quarter points en route to suffering a 33-32 loss at the Denver Broncos in Week 7. According to at least one report, it would have taken "a minor miracle" for Daboll to have held onto his job through the winter after the Denver game. In total, the Giants blew four double-digit leads from Week 2 through their 24-20 loss at the Chicago Bears on Nov. 9. 

What Shane Bowen said to Mike Kafka about Giants' late-game collapses 

Following the dismissal of Daboll, the Giants named offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mike Kafka their interim coach. On Thursday, Bowen revealed that he and Kafka have spoken about the club's late-game collapses. 

"From my perspective, it's a myriad of different things that are showing up," Bowen said about those losses. "I've got to do a better job of finding ways to create some opportunities for these guys to make the plays we need when we need them."

Bowen's defense should have opportunities to make several big plays this Sunday against a Green Bay Packers offense that has struggled throughout portions of the campaign. As of Thursday afternoon, ESPN BET had the 2-8 Giants as 7.5-point home underdogs against the 5-3-1 Packers.