Patience, not panic, is the message out of East Rutherford after another defensive meltdown. One day after a 34-24 loss in San Francisco dropped New York to 2-7, Brian Daboll signaled he is not ready to shake up his coaching staff, even as questions mount about the direction of Shane Bowen’s unit.
The Giants fell to the 49ers 34-24 on Sunday, with rookie Jaxson Dart again showing flashes while the defense failed to hold up its end. Asked if defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is on the hot seat, Daboll said, “None of us did a good enough job. That starts with me. We’ll continue to work at it,” declining to commit to any immediate change in play caller.
And according to Ralph Vacchiano, posting on X, formerly Twitter, Daboll does not intend to replace his defensive coordinator, and he will remain in his position.
Context has fueled the scrutiny. Two weeks ago, Denver hung 33 fourth-quarter points on Big Blue, then the Eagles rode Saquon Barkley to a win, and Christian McCaffrey’s big day kept pressure on a group that has struggled all season.
Entering Week 9, the Giants ranked 26th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed after finishing last year 21st and 24th in those categories. Bowen is in his second season calling the defense, and while individual talents flash, cohesion and situational answers have lagged.
Daboll’s stance leaves the focus on execution, communication, and tackling rather than wholesale changes. The offense finally has some juice, even with Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo out for the season, but asking a rookie quarterback to win weekly shootouts is not a sustainable plan. Until the defense stabilizes, every late lead feels fragile.
The coaching decisions drew heat for another reason late Sunday. With the game largely out of reach in the fourth quarter, Dart remained on the field, took a big hit after not sliding, and left the sideline visibly sore.
Fans and pundits blasted the risk, while others noted the rookie must protect himself. The takeaway was simple as the staff needs to manage endgame exposure, and the quarterback needs to pick his spots.
New York now heads to Chicago to face a Bears team riding momentum at 5-3 after a wild comeback over Cincinnati. Daboll says changes are not off the table, just not immediate, and that improvement, not headlines, will decide what comes next.
