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Lauded as one of the league’s most premier offensive minds, new Giants head coach Brian Daboll coordinated back-to-back top-five total offenses over his final two years in Buffalo. Now in East Rutherford, he’ll have his hands full trying to revamp the G-Men’s 31st-ranked unit. Thankfully, he’ll have some first-class assistance along the way.
On Friday, February 11, the team officially announced the hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. A former signal-caller for the Philadelphia Eagles during his playing days, Kafka spent the past five seasons in Kansas City, most recently serving as the Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
“The New York Giants got an absolute stud,” Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce said of the team’s new hire, via the New York Daily News. “You’re gonna be prepared. You’re never gonna feel like you don’t have an upper hand against the opponent, and that’s something you don’t get throughout the league with every offensive coordinator.”
Thanks to the help of Kafka, Kelce and the Chiefs advanced to the AFC championship game this season for the fourth consecutive time. On the year, Kansas City finished third in the NFL in total yards (396.8 per game) and fourth in scoring (28.2) — the fourth straight year they’ve finished as a top-six scoring offense.
“The schemes are gonna be difficult for defenses to understand, and it’s gonna make the jobs for the guys on the field that much easier because of his hard work,” Kelce noted of Kafka’s presence.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire Hypes Kafka
Kelce isn’t the only Chiefs playmaker singing their former coach’s praises. While some may be concerned by the fact that Kafka has never previously served as a full-time coordinator during his coaching career, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is here to help ease those concerns, highlighting just how integral the coach was to Kansas City’s success.
“Man, he had pretty much the whole control of our motor, bro — he was in the room with Patrick Mahomes,” Edwards-Helaire said. “Honestly, Kafka was one of those guys that in the times we needed those small timely things, Kafka was the guy to come to me or go to (Kelce) and we would do things off on the side and get those small things lined up which honestly make the offense run and go — [Kafka] was one of those guys that kept everything together.”
Daboll Talks Kafka, Giants Offense
While speaking with reporters on February 11, Daboll — albeit a bit more concise — essentially echoed what the likes of Kelce, Edwards-Helaire and so many others have had to say in regards to Kafka’s expertise.
“Mike obviously comes from (Chiefs coach) Andy Reid and a good system at Kansas City,” Daboll noted “He was part of a winning program and culture. He did a great job in helping Patrick Mahomes develop. Played the position. Very smart, very thorough, very level-headed and a good teammate.”
Still, despite their staff’s track record of developing quarterbacks and high-octane units, Daboll is well aware he, Kafka and the rest of the offensive coaching staff have their work cut out for them.
“I think everything we do on offense will be a collaboration,” he said. “I think we’ve hired good coaches, put together a good staff and now – I can’t compare either one of those quarterbacks or what they’ve done with the job that we have to do. We have a lot of work in front of us, and we look forward to building the New York Giants offense.”
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