The Brian Daboll era is only a couple weeks old, and the New York Giants are already stacking wins under their first-year head coach.
While Daboll has started his NFL head coaching career with two straight wins, his locker room demeanor after each of those wins differed drastically. This was the scene in Nashville last week, after the Giants came back to beat the Tennessee Titans, 21-20, on the road (with some commentary from running back Saquon Barkley):
On Brian Daboll’s postgame dance.
Eli Manning to Peyton: “I want to see you do that same dancing move, Peyt.”
Peyton: “If you go all season without making fun of my forehead, I will do that dance.”
Eli: “No dance. No deal. Cannot do it.” #ManningCast 🏈
Daboll’s message after New York’s 19-16 win over the Carolina Panthers had a much different tone. Instead of unfiltered celebration, he gave his team a sobering message: “This is going to be a long, hard journey.”
KEEP GRINDING
“Good win. Wins are hard to come by in this league,” Daboll said. “We got a scrappy bunch — okay? — that doesn’t waver. And that’s what you appreciate. We don’t waver. All right? This is going to be a long, hard journey. It is. For all of us. Okay? And the result is great. I love it. But remember — if we had lost this game, it’s still about our preparation and our process. Okay? Our preparation and our process.”
The Week 1 dance party was warranted for a few reasons. It was Daboll’s first career win, and his Giants were 5.5-point underdogs against the Titans on the road. The vibe after their Week 2 win over the Panthers was much different. Expectations are on the rise, and the game had its ugly moments. There’s also the fact that his boss, general manager Joe Schoen, was over his shoulder while he was delivering the locker room speech.
Overall, this is what establishing a winning culture looks like. Daboll let loose for his first win; now he’s trying to make winning the norm in New York.
Brian Daboll Doesn’t Hide Frustration on Sidelines
While Brian Daboll was calm and measured in his postgame press conference, that was not always the case during the game on Sunday. For the second straight week, television cameras spotted him screaming on the sideline.
This moment came after the Giants’ second straight drive to start the game ended in a field goal:
Brian Daboll is heated once again
In Week 1, Daboll had a heated exchange with quarterback Daniel Jones after an interception in the end zone.
Brian Daboll not happy with Daniel Jones
Daboll has good reason to be frustrated with the offense. Jones has made some mistakes, and Saquon Barkley seems to be the only explosive playmaker. Barkley was limited to 3.4 yards per carry against the Panthers, and Jones failed to eclipse 200 passing yards for the second straight week. It’s tough to see how Jones can truly thrive in this offense, given all of the uncertainty he and the Giants are currently dealing with at wide receiver.
Graham Gano, Defense Most Responsible For Week 2 Win
While the offense was sluggish on Sunday, kicker Graham Gano and the Giants defense came to play against the Panthers. Gano hit all four of his field goal attempts, plus an extra point. He hit a 51-yarder early in the fourth quarter, then nailed the eventual game winner from 56 yards out with 3:34 left in regulation.
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, meanwhile, devised a game plan that limited the Panthers to two third-down conversions on 12 attempts and just one touchdown on four trips to the red zone. The Giants defense sacked Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield twice, including one by safety Julian Love that helped put the game on ice late in the fourth quarter.
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Brian Daboll Takes Serious Turn With Week 2 Postgame Speech [WATCH]