What Can Mike Kafka Accomplish with the New York Giants?

He’s the OC turned interim head coach who did wonders with Jaxson Dart, but has been hung out to dry by the New York Giants. What can Mike Kafka accomplish?

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There’s a new head coach in town for the New York Giants, all be it on an interim basis. Mike Kafka helped turn Jaxson Dart into a star, but now what? The Jets, on the other hand, need a QB… again. Are they actually very close to being good, assuming they add a good QB? This is our New York football hour for NFL week 11 and both teams are looking to the future, no matter how grey or gloomy it may be.

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We are faced with the truth that none of us want to accept. The only way through is through, so let’s feel everything and bite the proverbial bullets. Literally everyone is asking, outsiders are laughing or averting their eyes, but someone must step up to the podium and fire back. Tough questions require hard answers.

 

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1. What can Mike Kafka accomplish with what’s left of the season?

Todd Salem: The job of an interim coach is to prove to management/ownership that he can take his team to the next level. With the same players and mostly the same staff around him, he tries to prove that he can make a difference where the previous man could not.

As interim head coach against Green Bay, Kafka headed New York’s first game with Jameis Winston at quarterback. That alone puts a twist on things. We really need to see how Kafka and Jaxson Dart get along and work together. With Winston forced into action, it’s almost a lost week for Kafka.

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On the other side of the ball, ownership must be after a change in strategy. Brian Daboll saw so many huge, fourth quarter leads disappear that it alone spelled his doom. And yet, the defensive coordinator is still Shane Bowen. All the defensive players are still the same too. What can Kafka do here? 

It’s an interesting thought experiment for us and a real-life trial for him. I guess it comes down to whether Kafka possesses enough chutzpah, enough gravitas to change the dynamic of a roster and staff that he had no say in creating. If the Giants blow another big lead at some point, it’d be a pretty big leap to claim that Kafka then failed in changing the culture. 

What I would hope to see would be continued growth from Dart and creative usage on offense. There isn’t much left in the wide receiver room, so if Kafka comes up with ways to get guys open and gain chunk yardage, it’d work in his favor. And defensively, apart from firing Bowen, maybe the offensive-minded head coach has some say in the type of strategy that side employs: the idea of staying aggressive and not turtling into a prevent. It will be hard for us on the outside to know if Kafka has any input into that at all.

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I doubt Kafka becomes the full-time coach of the Giants next year, but he should be given a reasonable look regardless. I just wonder what Joe Schoen is looking for.

Dan Salem: There is maybe a 10% chance that Mike Kafka becomes the official head coach of the New York Giants, but it may be more like a 1% chance. I’d be surprised if the GM survives and the entire coaching staff likely goes with him. Perhaps the real question is, can Kafka do enough to show the next head coach that he should remain as Dart’s offensive coordinator?

This is a real possibility, because completely changing the offensive on a young quarterback often results in disaster. Any amount of stability will help ensure Dart keeps succeeding and growing. Kafka is actually coaching for his old job and with Dart set to return this week, here’s hoping they light it up on the field. But here’s also hoping they don’t win many more games, because that doesn’t really help the team in the long run.

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By all accounts, the Giants have a significantly better offense this season. It’s a shell of itself with Russell Wilson, but did maintain much of its luster with Jameis Winston. As long as the team can keep things moving with Dart back under center, Kafka can keep coaching the New York offense.

 

 

 

2. For the New York Jets, is it all about just finding a Quarterback?

Todd Salem: I know that question sounds stupid. That is what it’s all about for every team that doesn’t have a guy. But what I’m really getting at is, despite the poor results, is the rest of the roster not actually that far off?

On Thursday, the Jets were certainly not at the same level as the New England Patriots. However, as recently as last season, the Patriots were very much on New York’s level. What changed? Drake Maye went from a young passer trying to acclimate to the league to an MVP-caliber player. He is among the betting favorites to take home the hardware, and his numbers back it up.

Outside of Maye, the Patriots are not elite though. They have a dearth of offensive play-makers; Maye makes the offensive line look better than it is. Even on Thursday, there was a lot of pressure getting to Maye, but he avoided most of it with his legs and/or awareness. On defense, the Pats are performing well but have faced one of the easiest schedules in the sport when it comes to opposing offenses faced.

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The fact is, New England’s roster is okay with an MVP quarterback. The Jets have Justin Fields at quarterback.

Fields’ rushing touchdown was a misread on a run option. Later, he fumbled to give the ball right back after a big defensive stop in the second half. In between, he failed to make most of the throws required of an NFL quarterback. We don’t need to rehash his prospects; we know he isn’t anything more than a gadget player or backup in the future, and is certainly never going to be an MVP candidate. 

However, is the rest of the Jets roster actually good enough to be in this conversation after all? I liked what I saw out of the pass rush this week. The run defense was great too. Breece Hall continues to make plays despite there being zero threat of a pass attack. And the o-line has been serviceable.

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Obviously, the Jets plan to make multiple additions to the roster throughout the offseason; not just at quarterback. But is it too rosy of a read after a double-digit loss to think that the team as a whole isn’t all that far away (if they can hit on the hardest part)?

Dan Salem: The Jets nearly have the core of a potential winning formula, assuming they add a high performing quarterback. Two main issues come to mind before we can anoint them as “not that far away.” Breece Hall is unlikely to return to the team and the defense has huge holes.

I love Hall, but realize his time in New York is over. That’s kinda okay though, because it’s not that hard to draft a difference maker at running back. The Jets have a lot of picks and can get a replacement for him, because I’m not sold on the current backups, injured or otherwise. Fresh legs in the running game truly transforms an offense, especially with a young and hungry rookie quarterback running the show.

New York’s defense is going to require some overhaul, but that’s already begun. We saw how well this unit did under their previous head coach, but now Aaron Glenn needs players for his own system. It’s apparently different enough that the old guys were extremely dysfunctional, or they just got tired of losing after a few weeks. Either way, out with the old and in with the new. 

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I like the Jets pass rush, but they lack the linebackers who can play at both levels. This defense also needs literally anyone who will generate turnovers, especially in the secondary. We got none of that from Sauce Gardner. Thankfully New York can draft a lot of guys and bolster this unit quickly.

I’m not expecting New York to be a playoff team next season, but they aren’t really that far off. No team actually is, which is what makes the NFL so much fun. Everyone needs a QB worth mentioning, and then the pieces can fall into place. So long as Glenn has his team fighting until week 18 to win every week, there is plenty to be hopeful for next season.

 

 

Meet our Sports Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.

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