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Blowing a 19-point fourth-quarter lead, and an 18-point advantage in less than six minutes, should be the final nail in the coffin of the Brian Daboll era, according to former coach Rex Ryan. The ex-coach turned ESPN commentator laid into the New York Giants coach after they allowed 33 fourth-quarter points in their stunning one-point loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Under Daboll, the Giants are now 20-37-1, and 11-30 in their past 41 games since their surprising run to the playoffs in 2022 — that earned him NFL Coach of the Year honors. They are just 5-19 in their past 24 games and have dropped seven straight road games — including two where they led with less than a minute left this season. The Giants (2-5) will take on the rival Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. Brian Daboll ‘Blew The Game’ With Questionable Playcalling Ryan was a longtime defensive coordinator, who of course was the New York Jets head coach for six seasons and coached the Buffalo Bills for two years as well. So he knows the blame lies at Daboll’s feet for the catastrophic loss Sunday. “It took every disaster move that you did to contribute to this game,” Ryan said on “Get Up” on Monday. “There’s no way in hell you’re going to lose this game.” Though rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart accepted an outsized share of criticism due to his costly fourth-quarter interception, Ryan even put that decision at the feet of Daboll. Daboll, who has been an offensive coach throughout his career, could have overruled offensive coordinator Mike Kafka’s pass call on the third-and-5 play that set the Broncos up inside the Giants’ red zone. “Obviously [the interception was] a horrible play by a rookie. Why the hell is the rookie in this situation?” Ryan said. “All you’ve got to do is get [the Broncos] to call a timeout, [then] even if they score a touchdown … they’re going to have to recover an onside kick. “You blew the game yourself. The clock goes. They’re out of timeouts. What the hell are you doing?” Yet, according to Ryan, the blown lead — and prevent defense the Giants ran after retaking the lead — are all part of the substandard culture that Daboll has set as Giants head coach. “It’s the mentality is the reason why [the Giants] are going to be at home [in the playoffs] and watching teams that aren’t as good as them,” Ryan said. “They play with no guts.” Rex Ryan Wasn’t The Only One Hammering Brian Daboll on Sunday Though Daboll did not throw or pass the ball, nor did he give up 56 yards on four plays to allow Will Lutz’s 37-yard game-winning field goal, his finger prints were all over this loss. So, unsurprisingly, the robust New York media also followed Ryan in calling for Daboll’s head — particularly since the Giants gained seven yards on six plays on two fourth-quarter drives that let the Broncos come back. “The Giants coaching staff got very tight,” WFAN commentator Sal Licata said Monday, while calling for defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to also be fired. Licata and cohost Brandon Tierney pointed out the Giants’ inability to learn from their Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys — where they led by a field goal with 25 seconds left yet ceded enough ground for Brandon Aubrey to nail a 64-yard field goal then ultimately win the game in overtime. “Did they not learn as a team what happened in Dallas?” Tierney said. “It was the same exact thing.”
