Heading into Week 18, the unfortunate reality is that many New York Giants fans would prefer to see their team rest their starters and lose the season finale to the Philadelphia Eagles — especially after the Week 17 victory dropped the franchise from No. 1 to No. 4 in the upcoming NFL draft.
Over the past month or so, there have also been unfounded fan rumors and speculation that the Giants have been placing players on the injured reserve in order to lessen their chances of winning games.
With all that in mind, NYG head coach Brian Daboll made it clear that the team has zero plans to rest available starters in Philadelphia while addressing the media on January 3.
“Yeah, no. We’re just going to focus on us and go out there and try to perform well,” Daboll responded, when asked if he would “contemplate” resting starters that are banged up considering the Eagles have already made it known that they will sit many of their first-team players.
No resting starters for the Giants this Sunday
The Giants HC also commented on the “notion” that the organization could hurt their draft stock by winning another game, stating: “We put everything we’ve got into it. That’s what we’ll do this week, [we’ll] do everything we can do to play and coach as well as we can.”
Giants’ Stance on Resting Starters in Week 18 Should Not Surprise the Fanbase
Daboll’s answers are in no way surprising, for several reasons.
One, football coaches and players do not tank or intentionally lose games. In a league like the NFL, jobs are always on the line. And the honest truth is that some of these coaches and players may never get an opportunity like this again.
It makes even less sense for Daboll in particular to rest starters. Although the NYG HC may end up retaining his post for another year, he’s been on the hot seat for weeks.
As silly as it sounds, every additional victory could act as a potential lifeline for Daboll.
Going back to the tanking discussion, it is possible that a front office or even an NFL owner could attempt to lose on purpose, stripping the roster of any and all talent, but that’s not president and CEO John Mara’s M.O.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reminded fans of a Mara quote following Daboll’s presser on January 3.
“This is a quote from John Mara in the offseason on the win over Philly in last season’s finale,” Duggan noted. “People were trying to tell me that he would green light a tank.”
The early 2024 quote from Mara read: “If you think I didn’t want to beat Philadelphia the last game of the season after the history we’ve had against them, you’re crazy. There was no regret about that at all. I never want to feel that way where you are hoping to lose a game. That’s the wrong message to send to your locker room. The players feel that, and I don’t know how they respect you after that.”
Finally, even if a team was considering tanking a game — which is highly unlikely in most scenarios — they’d never come out and tell you that in a public forum.
At the end of the day, the Giants probably won’t push any legitimate injuries to close out the season. Outside of that, the best options will be in uniform, and fans should expect nothing less.
Brian Daboll Downplays Idea of Potential Last Game With Giants
True to form, Daboll downplayed the idea of this potentially being his final game as the Giants head coach.
“Just focused on the things you can control,” Daboll told reporters, when asked if he’s given that any thought ahead of Week 18. “So, [I will] focus on coming out here and ending out the week on a good note and getting ready to play a game against Philly.”
Earlier in the press conference, Daboll did speak candidly on his general demeanor with the media throughout the year, after a reporter observed that it has not changed very often despite highs and lows.
“I think that’s the nature of the position,” the Giants HC said. “Try to be consistent, try to improve, it’s not fun losing but be consistent and keep on coaching them, teaching them the things you gotta teach them and try to do a better job next week.”
He also admitted that “there’s a lot” that goes into being a head coach, and that he’s always felt that it’s important to be “consistent.” Say what you want about Daboll, but he is nothing if not consistent.
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Giants HC Brian Daboll Sends Clear Message on Resting Starters in Week 18