The New York Giants fell short of upsetting the Detroit Lions in Week 12, but there was late news relating to the overtime loss on November 29, as the NFL chose to issue multiple fines ahead of Week 13.
According to the NFL Football Operations’ Gameday Accountability page, three Lions players were penalized for actions during Week 12 against the Giants. They were safety Brian Branch, linebacker Jack Campbell, and offensive tackle Dan Skipper.
The combined total of the three NFL fines? A whopping $47,492.
A-to-Z Sports Detroit reporter Mike Payton detailed the trio of punishments on X.
Relaying: “Brian Branch got fined $23,186 for his helmet-to-helmet against the Giants. He’s at $164,744 for fines in his career. Jack Campbell got fined $17,389 for a hip drop tackle. Dan Skipper got fined $6,917 for taunting.”
So, Big Blue may not have come away with the victory last weekend, but at least the NFL avenged them a bit with some vindication on a few of Detroit’s questionable hits and actions.
Mike Kafka Will Not Keep HC Job If Giants Keep Blowing Games as They Did vs. Lions
Although the Giants have already been eliminated from the NFC playoff bracket, Kafka is still auditioning for the 2026 head coaching role, and general manager Joe Schoen is still trying to retain his position, too.
With more losses like last week against the Lions, though, neither of the Giants’ current decision-makers will be back with the organization next year. And maybe that’s the best thing for quarterback Jaxson Dart and this franchise.
After a tumultuous past few seasons under former head coach Brian Daboll and Schoen, the Giants could use a fresh start with new faces to lead a potential turnaround.
They have already found their next franchise quarterback, at least for the next few seasons, and they’ve got promising young talents like Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers coming back in 2026. Why not maximize their potential with new coaching staff and GM hires?
Week 13 Offers Primetime Test for Giants, Kafka vs. Patriots
The Giants’ Week 13 matchup, Monday Night Football versus the New England Patriots, offers a great test for Kafka, Dart, and this entire NYG coaching staff and roster.
Giants Wire’s Serena Burks discussed the keys to the game on November 30, and one focused on the coaching battle between Kafka and Patriots’ defensive-minded HC Mike Vrabel.
“Mike Kafka’s aggressive fourth-down decisions and shotgun-heavy spreads as interim head coach add unpredictability to the Giants in all facets of the game,” Burks noted.
Continuing: “The Patriots’ staff may be overconfident in their 10-2 streak, especially given that they sit atop the NFL as the only 10-win team. The Giants have won just two games this season, but they have nothing to lose at this point. They can afford to take big risks that reap big rewards, but are also incredibly risky, because they have no postseason aspirations.”
Another important key? Protecting Dart and keeping him on the field.
“This should be an obvious key to every victory,” Burks wrote. “Protect the guy in charge of moving the sticks. The guy in charge of making sure the offense executes the plays called by the head coach. He can’t be that guy if he’s sitting in an ice bath on the sideline because he got hit too many times. Or because he has a concussion, because he wasn’t protected on the field. The offense has to protect the rookie at all costs.”
Well said. For the remainder of the 2025 campaign, protecting and developing Dart will both be primary objectives.
NFL Drops Hammer Down With Multiple Punishments After Giants-Lions