DENVER — Brian Daboll made one decision with his chart and another with his heart.
While defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is under fire for his passive approach to the final seconds, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Daboll might have gotten too aggressive at the end of the game.
For starters, the Giants tried — and failed — to get a two-point conversion when leading 19-0.
Combined with Jude McAtamney’s two missed PATs, the Giants left three points off the scoreboard in a 33-32 loss to the Broncos.
Why go for two? Are you guarding against giving up three touchdowns — which of course happened, and then some — when the defense is pitching a third-quarter shutout?
“That’s what was on our chart,” Daboll said, “and that’s what we went with.”
Cue the analytics sound-offs.
The other controversial call resulted in Jaxson Dart’s comeback-fueling interception.
Leading 26-16 and facing third-and-5 at the Giants 35-yard line with 4:56 remaining, the brain trust called a pass instead of a run that — worst-case scenario — likely would’ve led to the Broncos calling their third consecutive (and final) timeout before a field-position-changing punt.
“I don’t know if this is Mike Kafka trying to be cute, I don’t know if this is Brian Daboll trying to be aggressive, I don’t know if this is Jaxson Dart trying to be a hero,” Giants legend Tiki Barber railed on the WFAN postgame show.
“This is on the play call. Period. The only thing you do is force the Denver Broncos to use three timeouts, keep the clock running and punt the ball away. It’s an inexcusable play call and I don’t understand it in any capacity.”
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden agreed.
“You have to milk every single second,” Gruden told Barstool Sports. “When you lose a game like this, the coach is going to be at fault, but a lot of people are at fault.”
Daboll defended putting the ball in the rookie’s hands — despite his frequent acknowledgement that rookies make mistakes — by doubling down on his play-caller and quarterback.
“Mike called a good play,” Daboll said. “I thought it was an aggressive call to make a good play against the right coverage — what we anticipated to get.”
Added Daboll, “They had some pressure, [Jaxson] kind of got tripped up, but I have a lot of confidence in him, and that’s why we called it.”
Outside of quarterback, no position has given Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen more headaches over the past two years than kicker.
What’s the plan this week?
Stick with McAtamney after three total missed PATs? Turn back to Graham Gano, who is eligible to come off injured reserve? Elevate Younghoe Koo, who was cut by the Falcons and lost a competition to McAtamney in the judgement of special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial?
“We’ll see where that goes throughout the week,” Daboll said.
Daboll did not offer any injury updates Monday on S Jevón Holland or CB Paulson Adebo, both of whom left the game and did not return with knee injuries. Nor did he have any news on OLB Brian Burns, who left the locker room in a walking boot but said it was a “precaution.”
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