After it was speculated during all of training camp and preseason, the New York Giants have officially made the change in the play-calling department. Speaking to reporters before Tuesday’s practice before their Week 1 opener against the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Brian Daboll confirmed that he will be radioing in the play calls this season, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Brian Daboll is taking over play-calling duties this season
The change comes as the Giants look to be a more dynamic group offensively this season, especially with bringing in a standout wide receiver prospect through the draft in LSU’s Malik Nabers. The team is also going to have to navigate the season without the services of Saquon Barkley, who essentially carried the Giants’ offense throughout most of last season.
With this, Mike Kafka practically relinquishes his position as the team’s offensive coordinator and will assist Daboll in calling the plays under the title of assistant head coach. Kafka has been calling the shots on offense since the 2022 season when the Giants made the postseason for the first time since 2016.
However, despite that playoff run, the Giants’ offense has been relatively dormant over the past few seasons. Under Kafka’s leadership, the team averaged the sixth-lowest points per game in the NFL at just 18.6 points and threw the fifth-fewest passing touchdowns with 32.
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Daboll has led teams to offensive success in the past
The hope is that Daboll will be able to transform this year’s group into a stronger offense with more versatility both on the ground and through the air. He has plenty of experience making play calls in the NFL as he has been the offensive coordinator for four different teams in his coaching career.
From 2018-2021, he was calling plays for the Buffalo Bills, where he led one of the best offenses in the NFL and was instrumental in quarterback Josh Allen’s rapid growth as a player. During his last two seasons in Buffalo, the team threw the fourth-most passing touchdowns with 76 and averaged the fifth-highest yards per game with 279.9. That run included an AFC Championship appearance in 2020, but fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs.
This upcoming Sunday, we will get our first look at Daboll calling the plays for quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offense, and how they perform under his leadership could indicate how the season will go for New York.
