The New York Giants defeated all odds during the 2022 season by reaching the Divisional round of the playoffs. Nobody anticipated they would make it so far, given the state of the roster and how many reserves were playing prominent roles.
Offensively, the Giants took a significant step forward, notably in the red zone scoring category. In 2021, Big Blue ranked as the 32nd team in red zone conversion, successfully scoring touchdowns on just 44.74% of their trips.
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The New York Giants are just getting started on offense:
However, they elevated that number significantly this past season under the leadership of Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator, Mike Kafka. They finished as the sixth-ranked red zone scoring team at 64.81%. Despite a severe lack of talent at multiple positions, a healthy blend of the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills’ offensive model helped elevate the team significantly.
In other categories, the Giants ranked 18th in yards per game with 333.9, 26th in passing yards with 185.7, and fourth in rushing yards with 148.2. In terms of points per game, the Giants were an average team, ranking 16th, earning 21.5 per game.
Given the lack of receiving talent and spotty offensive line play throughout the season, the Giants managing to crack average is a monumental accomplishment. Considering the Giants have resided in the league’s bottom half for years, this is a step in the right direction, but they could be in line to lose one of their key coaching pieces this off-season.
Coordinator Mike Kafka has been taking interviews for vacant head coaching positions. Most recently, the Houston Texans brought him in for a second interview. He has already interviewed for three of five head coaching vacancies.
Many believe the Giants wouldn’t skip a beat with Brian Daboll either calling plays or bringing another coordinator to take the lead. However, consistency is vital, and Daniel Jones having to learn a new coordinator and potentially a changed scheme might not be ideal.
Alternatively, whoever Daboll brings in would have to subscribe to their offense and simply add new creative wrinkles instead of applying an entire playbook.
It is possible the Giants simply hire from within in that scenario, allowing an assistant to take over that understands their current scheme.
While Kafka helped the offense tremendously, it was only his first season as a coordinator, making him a risky hire for any NFL team looking to plug a head coaching position. Giving him another year to learn the ropes and learn from Daboll could be precisely what he needs to make a successful transition in the future.