Tag: Kafka

Losing for winning, Giants (4-13) won’t pick first, enter uncertain offseason

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, who missed some practice this week due to an illness, felt a certain way after New York knocked off the Dallas Cowboys to end the regular season with back-to-back wins.

The victory handed the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Sick,” Lawrence said when asked how he felt Sunday night. “But I’m happy with how we fought these last two games. It would’ve been easy to roll over, but we finished strong.”

Strong is relative for the Giants, who lost nine in a row before beating the Raiders and Cowboys to finish 4-13, one win better than 2024. Beating the Cowboys is a new trick: Dallas had nine consecutive wins in the series entering Sunday.

“That’s longer than I thought,” Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. said of the losing streak to Dallas. “But to get a win today was obviously big to end a season, but (also) going into next season. And obviously, it feels a little bit better when you beat the Cowboys.”

Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka said co-owner John Mara was presented with the game ball in the postgame locker room. Kafka enters the offseason not knowing what’s next in New York and said the mission had nothing to do with draft position.

“All you are thinking about is the players and coaches and enjoying this win,” he said.

Kafka is expected to be interviewed for the permanent coaching position with the Giants in a crowded field that reportedly will include former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, former Giants linebacker and Raiders coach Antonio Pierce and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

General manager Joe Schoen said last month he anticipates meeting with ownership this week to determine the structure and scope of the coaching search. Schoen said he believes he can turn the franchise around, but his first hire with the Giants was Brian Daboll, who was fired after going 20-40-1.

–Field Level Media

Giants’ Mike Kafka not focused on impact to head coaching opportunities

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Mike Kafka is 0-4 as the interim head coach of the Giants but said he is not concerned about the impact the team’s continued struggles might have on his prospects to land a full-time head coaching job with New York or elsewhere.

“I’m not really concerned about any of that stuff,” he said Monday. “That would be super selfish of me to think about that. Where we’re at in this season, my only focus is on the players and the coaches and getting our guys ready to roll.”

The Giants were 2-8 when coach Brian Daboll was fired on Nov. 10 and Kafka was elevated from offensive coordinator to interim head coach. Since then, the Giants have dropped four consecutive games, including a 29-21 setback at home on Sunday against a Washington Commanders team that entered with an eight-game losing streak and a journeyman backup quarterback.

Kafka, 38, has been credited with aiding the development of quarterback Jaxson Dart and fellow rookie Cam Skattebo, the now-injured running back. The Giants do own the NFL’s 12th-ranked offense, but their average of 343.2 yards per game has been padded a bit by consistently playing from behind during their eight-game losing streak.

“I love being the head coach of the New York Football Giants and it’s a privilege to do this job,” Kafka said. “The challenges and the things that come with it are part of the job. I look forward to it every day, coming into work, to attack it every single day and give our players the best opportunity to be successful.

“Every day brings a new learning experience and a new opportunity to grow. So, I’ve just been taking those experiences to continue to learn from. When there are decisions to be made, I go in there and make those decisions with the best intentions for the team.”

New York will close out the string against Minnesota, at Las Vegas and home against Dallas. After that, general manager Joe Schoen will conduct the search for the next head coach.

That may or may not include Kafka, who interviewed for several vacancies last year and has been considered one of the top young offensive minds in the league.

“We’ve got a great opportunity ahead of us with three games left. Nothing’s more important than this game right now against Minnesota,” Kafka said. “So, that’s really where our mind’s at. That’s where my mind’s at. Watching the tape, getting these corrections made so that we can go and continue to improve, and then let’s get on the tape for Minnesota, let’s go attack those guys.”

Kafka was asked if learning the nuances of being a head coach, especially while being thrown into the fire mid-season with the Giants, has been an eye-opening experience.

“This is the situation that I’m in and I’m going to take full advantage of it,” he said. “Any opportunity that I have to help this team and put my fingerprint on the team, I will. Obviously, yeah, when you have the opportunity to do it from the start, you have a way to kind of change certain things, build the culture the way you want to build it.

“But we have a great team here, we have a great staff here and I look forward to coming to work every single day. I love working with these guys. They’re giving us everything they’ve got and we’re going to find a way to get a W.”

–Field Level Media

Giants QB Jaxson Dart remains in concussion protocol

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart remains in concussion protocol to start the week, interim coach Mike Kafka said on Monday.

Kafka was asked whether Dart would be available to start practicing with the Giants (2-9) on Wednesday to prepare for next Sunday’s road game with the Detroit Lions (6-4).

“Jaxson’s still in the protocol so I’m just going to see that through, talk with the medical (staff) and when they give us the thumbs up then we’ll take the next action,” Kafka said.

Jameis Winston made his first start in Kafka’s coaching debut on Sunday, passing for 201 yards with an interception as well as a lost fumble on the final play of a 27-20 home loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Dart, 22, was injured in the Week 10 loss at Chicago. The first-round draft pick has completed 62.7% of his passes for 1,417 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games (seven starts).

Dart has also rushed for 317 yards and seven touchdowns, but it’s the running game where the Giants want him to be less reckless in order to reduce the injury risks.

“He’s an aggressive player and that’s what we love about him,” Kafka said. “But obviously, you want to show him some examples that he can learn from. I think he’s going through that now and I think he’ll continue to grow from those things. But at the end of the day, he is a competitor and that’s why we love this guy. I think he’ll continue to learn and grow but you don’t want to put a player like that in a box. Obviously, you want to show him the examples that he can improve on and I think he’ll take that to the bank.”

–Field Level Media

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) will start his first NFL game on Sunday. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Onetime Mahomes mentor sees star potential in Giants QB Jaxson Dart

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Mike Kafka was a 30-year-old assistant coach when he helped prep Patrick Mahomes for his first career start late in the 2017 season.

On Sunday, he’ll be on the headset with New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart for his starting debut against the Los Angeles Chargers. Kafka has no qualms with putting Dart in the conversation with somebody like Mahomes because of the common trait they share.

“Jaxson has a lot of confidence, and I think that’s good. That’s what you want in a quarterback room,” Kafka said Thursday. “That’s what you want in a quarterback. Swagger, confidence, I think they’re kind of one and the same. How you want to define it, I just think Jaxson has that.”

As the Chiefs did with Mahomes to help his first steps be more comfortable on game day, the Giants are pouring over plays Dart prefers.

The process began not long after the Giants drafted Dart in the first round in April and followed a stair-step progression through preseason games. Rewind those exhibitions and you might be surprised how often Dart’s glare into a defense takes him to reads of the field from the end zone back to the line of scrimmage.

Mahomes’ first career start was at Denver on New Year’s Eve in 2017, the final week of the regular season. He spent the first eight months of his professional career as a backup to Alex Smith.

Mahomes completed 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards with one interception. No. 1 wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce were both inactive. Mahomes hit backup tight end Demetrius Harris for a 51-yard completion and largely appeared comfortable in a role he has never forfeited.

Kafka might not be willing to set expectations on Dart’s opening start. But he said he fully supported head coach Brian Daboll’s decision to make the change away from Russell Wilson this week.

“You just see it on a daily basis,” Kafka said. “The preparation, you saw him in the meeting rooms, you see him on the practice field doing the scout team reps and you can really take a lot from that, just how he’s operating as a leader on the team and in the huddle. You’ve obviously got to go out there and play. He did it in the preseason. Now it’s the regular season — every single level, things start speeding up and ramping up for him. But he’s been very productive as a player, and I’m excited to go see him go out there and roll it.”

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (shoulder) was able to take some reps on Thursday, but hasn’t had extended work with Dart to date.

Kafka believes some of the presumed disconnect has been mitigated by Nabers and other receivers willingly sitting in on QB meetings and film review to make adaptive corrections together.

“We’re all in the same room,” Kafka said of rewatching practice film. “We watch all the same tape. Receivers are talking. Quarterbacks are talking. So there’s a dialogue there that at least allows you to be on the same page in terms of seeing it the same way. When we get on the practice field, there’ll be some catching up to do.”

–Field Level Media

New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka talks to reporters before organized team activities (OTAs) at the training center in East Rutherford on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Nfl Ny Giants Practice Syndication The Record

Giants’ Brian Daboll hands play-calling duties back to OC Mike Kafka

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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll revealed Thursday that offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will take play-calling duties off his hands this season.

Kafka called plays during the preseason and Daboll confirmed that that will be the setup going forward. Kafka previously handled play-calling for the Giants’ offense in 2022 and part of 2023.

“It’s just about getting with the players, giving them the stuff that they like and then just going through evaluation,” said Kafka, 38. “The preseason is obviously a bigger evaluation tool, but just getting back into the flow of it. We’ve been doing it throughout training camp and throughout the spring. Just making those reps has been good.”

ESPN reported that Kafka had play-calling duties revoked due to “noticeable discontent” during the 2023 season, the Giants’ second year with Daboll in charge. Daboll was in charge of calling plays in 2021, and New York sank to 3-14 with the second-worst scoring offense in the NFL (16.1 ppg).

Kafka takes over a unit with a new look and the potential to be much improved. Daniel Jones was the Giants’ quarterback for Daboll’s and Kafka’s first three seasons, but Russell Wilson will start this season as QB1. Wide receiver Malik Nabers will try to build off a stellar rookie season, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. starts at running back after showing flashes as a rookie.

“Mike’s done a great job this preseason. He’s done a good job with the staff,” Daboll said. “Got a lot of confidence in Mike and the offensive staff. Up to this point, relative to all the preseason games and the meetings we’ve had, I’ve been very pleased with the offensive staff.”

The Giants open the season Sunday at the Washington Commanders.

–Field Level Media

New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka talks to reporters before organized team activities (OTAs) at the training center in East Rutherford on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Nfl Ny Giants Practice Syndication The Record

Report: Mike Kafka, Anthony Weaver get 2nd interviews with Saints

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The New Orleans Saints are hosting New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka for a second interview for their head coaching job Tuesday, while Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator will get a second look later this week, NFL Network reported.

Kafka, 37, will get a longer look in New Orleans after being a finalist for Seattle’s opening last winter. Weaver is again a finalist after bids with Washington and Atlanta a year ago. His second interview will be Wednesday, per the report.

Kafka has no experience leading an NFL team, but he has been the head coach for collegiate showcases in each of the past two seasons: the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1, 2024, and the upcoming Feb. 1 Senior Bowl.

He has been New York’s offensive coordinator since 2022 and added the title of assistant head coach on Brian Daboll’s staff in 2024.

The Giants finished 18th, 29th and 30th in the NFL in total offense from 2022-24 under Kafka.

A journeyman NFL quarterback who spent time with seven teams from 2010-15, Kafka joined Andy Reid’s staff in Kansas City in 2017 and moved his way up to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator from 2020-21.

Weaver, 44, is in his first season as defensive coordinator with the Dolphins. He was a position coach on that side of the line with the New York Jets (2012), Buffalo Bills (2013), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), Houston Texans (2016-19) and Baltimore Ravens (2021-23) before becoming the Texans’ DC in 2020.

The Saints’ search has also included in-person interview with interim coach Darren Rizzi, who went 3-5 following the firing of Dennis Allen. New Orleans has had virtual interviews with offensive coordinators Kellen Moore and Joe Brady of the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, respectively.

–Field Level Media

Aug 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reviews the next play during the game against the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rausenberger-USA TODAY Sports

Giants’ Brian Daboll on calling plays: ‘Yeah, I’m doing it’

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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed Tuesday that he is taking over play-calling duties this season.

“Yeah, I’m doing it,” Daboll said.

Effectively, that was as far as Daboll was willing to go on the topic.

“I’m the head coach, so I’m responsible for everything, whether it’s the defense, the special teams, the offense,” he said.

Daboll, 49, declined to discuss why the change was made from offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, instead saying that his focus remains squarely on preparing for Sunday’s season opener against the visiting Minnesota Vikings.

Kafka handled the play-calling duties during Daboll’s first two seasons with the team.

The Giants were 9-7-1 in 2022 but slumped to 6-11 during a 2023 season derailed by starting quarterback Daniel Jones’ torn ACL. The New York offense finished 30th in the NFL in scoring with just 15.6 points per game.

Before taking over the Giants in 2022, Daboll called the plays as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator for four seasons from 2018-21.

Daboll also had been an offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs (2012), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Cleveland Browns (2009-10).

–Field Level Media

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, left, on the field for warmups before a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 21, 2022, in East Rutherford. Nfl Ny Giants Preseason Game Vs Bengals Bengals At Giants

Brian Daboll may start calling Giants’ plays in 2024

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Head coach Brian Daboll said he is “looking into” calling the New York Giants’ offensive plays next season.

Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka handled those duties during Daboll’s first two seasons with the team.

Speaking at the NFL owners meeting Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., Daboll, 48, said it might be time for a change.

“I think there’s 20 head coaches at this point in time that call plays in the league (either offensively or defensively). … There might be a little bit more,” he said. “I’ve been doing a bunch of research, but no decision has been made. I’m still going through that process, thinking about what we need to do.”

Before taking over the Giants in 2022, Daboll called the plays as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator for four seasons from 2018-21.

Daboll, who has also been an offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs (2012), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Cleveland Browns (2009-10), admitted he misses calling the plays.

“Certainly,” he said. “I did it for a long time. There’s a lot of things that go into it. Part of the evaluation that I talked about, there are some other things that I’m looking into. I take my time and do what I think is best for the team.”

Daboll doesn’t appear to be motivated by a dissatisfaction with Kafka, who was rewarded with the additional title of assistant head coach last month.

The Giants were 9-7-1 in 2022 but slumped to 6-11 during a 2023 season derailed by starting quarterback Daniel Jones’ torn ACL. The New York offense finished 29th in the NFL in scoring with just 15.6 points per game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jets’ Jeff Ulbrich, Titans’ Terrell Williams named Senior Bowl coaches

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New York Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and Tennessee Titans assistant head coach/defensive line coach Terrell Williams will serve as head coaches for the Senior Bowl on Feb. 3 in Mobile, Ala.

Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka were named head coaches for the East-West Shrine Game on Feb. 1 in Frisco, Texas.

Ulbrich, 46, joined the Jets’ staff when head coach Robert Saleh was hired in 2021. Ulbrich began his coaching career with the Seattle Seahawks (2010-11) and spent six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (2015-20).

Williams, 49, who has been on the Titans’ coaching staff since 2018, began coaching in 1998 at the collegiate level. His first NFL coaching job came with the then-Oakland Raiders (2012-14), followed by a stint with the Miami Dolphins (2015-17).

“This is an opportunity for two excellent coaches, Jeff Ulbrich of the Jets and Terrell Williams of the Titans, to take the reins as head coaches in leading their staffs and top football athletes in the Senior Bowl’s week-long evaluation of NFL prospects,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent Sr. said.

The 43-year-old Hightower is in his second stint with the Bears, rejoining the team in 2022 after spending the 2016 season on the staff. He’s also coached for Houston (2006-08), Washington (2010-13), Cleveland (2014) and San Francisco (2015, 2017-21).

Kafka, 36, has been the Giants’ offensive coordinator for the last two seasons after five seasons on the Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching staff.

“Coaches Hightower and Kafka have the opportunity to not only evaluate top athlete prospects, but also to showcase their skills in leading players and coaching staffs in this high-profile game,” Vincent said.

–Field Level Media

New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka talks to reporters before the organized team activities (OTA's) are canceled due to air quality at the Giants training center on Thursday, June 8, 2023.

Giants OC Mike Kafka sidesteps Northwestern questions

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New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka interviewed for multiple NFL head coaching vacancies over the offseason and is expected to be a hot commodity next year if his offense continues to grow this season.

Could that include strong interest from his alma mater?

Kafka played for Northwestern from 2005-09 and finished his career with 4,265 passing yards and 887 rushing yards with 30 combined touchdowns in 27 games.

Now 36, Kafka’s name surfaced as a potential replacement for Pat Fitzgerald after the latter was fired last month in response to allegations of hazing, sexualized abuse and racial discrimination made by former players.

Northwestern ultimately decided to elevate first-year offensive coordinator David Braun to the interim head coach position. However, the school is likely to seek a permanent leader for the program later this year.

When asked Thursday if he would be interested should Northwestern reach out to him, Kafka only offered, “I’d say that I’m just focused on today.”

The Giants received requests from at least three NFL teams after the regular season to interview Kafka: the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.

Braun was hired by Northwestern in January and then elevated to the head post last month. The Wildcats also added USFL head coach Skip Holtz as the special assistant to the head coach. That is also a temporary position and won’t impact Holtz’s duties with the Birmingham Stallions.

The fallout is still unfolding at Northwestern, which hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct an independent review of its athletics programs and culture in the wake of recent scandals and allegations of hazing in other sports, too.

The results of Lynch’s findings will be made public, and it remains to be seen how coveted the Wildcats’ football job will be in the coming months.

The Wildcats begin the season Sept. 3 at Rutgers. Braun said the Wildcats will be ready.

“I never could have imagined, nor did I desire, to become a head coach under these types of circumstances. That said, I’m honored to lead this group moving forward,” Braun said at Big Ten Media Days last month.

“I have found a team that has come together, that truly loves one another and has an incredible resolve to attack the 2023 season and write their own story about overcoming adversity. Let me be clear, this football team will be ready to go.”

–Field Level Media