Oct 7, 2022; Thundridge, United Kingdom; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws the ball as offensive coordinator Mike Kafka watches during practice at Hanbury Manor. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Giants OC: Daniel Jones’ confidence has never wavered

Daniel Jones has plenty to work on, the New York Giants will admit, but confidence is not on that list.

After one-time teammate Kyle Rudolph said in an interview that Jones’ confidence “looks completely destroyed” following a disastrous Week 1 showing, New York offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said his quarterback’s self-belief is not in question.

“I’ll say I haven’t heard those references that you’re talking about, but I haven’t seen from my position, I haven’t seen that in the meeting room, on the field,” Kafka told reporters Thursday. “And again, it’s an 11-man operation on offense. It’s never just about one person. So, all 11 guys have to play as one. And today is a great day to get that fixed and worked out.”

That, however, was part of Rudolph’s point when asked about the Giants’ 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on “Up & Adams.” Rudolph played 10 seasons as a tight end in Minnesota before spending 2021 with the Giants. He pointed toward the Giants’ offensive line.

“The Daniel Jones that I saw on Sunday in that game is not the Daniel Jones that I watched take them to the divisional round of the playoffs (in 2022),” Rudolph said. “It’s not the guy that I played with when I was there for a year. His confidence looks completely destroyed, and how can you blame him? Every time he goes out there, he’s fighting for his life. And I’ve said this multiple times when I’ve talked about D.J. — can we possibly protect him?”

Jones completed 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards (4.4 yards per attempt), threw two interceptions and took five sacks in the Giants’ loss to the visiting Vikings in Week 1. Giants fans were booing the offense as soon as the first drive of the game.

Kafka, in his third year with the Giants, is a former backup quarterback himself and said dealing with others’ opinions is part of the job.

“It’s kind of your role in having to handle that kind of stuff,” Kafka said. “So, he’s done it better than I’ve probably seen anyone else do it, especially handling some of the things he’s had to go through with injuries and things like that. So, I’m proud of him for that. But Daniel’s a tough kid. He handles it like a pro. He always has. He handles it like a pro in the meeting room. And I don’t think his confidence has ever wavered since I’ve been here.”

As for the more tangible areas needing improvement, Kafka said he and Jones talk about being more decisive “on the daily,” with moving faster through his progressions part of a constant work in progress.

“Whether you’re in your first year, your sixth year, your 10th year, your 15th year, you’re always working on the fundamentals, and you’ve got to go back to that,” Kafka said. “So that’s what you rely on. That’s what we work on in the off season. We work on through training camp, all those little fundamentals. And so, once something goes wrong, that’s how you problem-solve it.”

Jones himself has also mentioned correcting his footwork, and Kafka said they would be working on that in Thursday’s practice, with the Giants’ Week 2 visit to the Washington Commanders on the horizon.

“I won’t say one specific thing (about Jones’ footwork), but it’s kind of the accumulation of all the things and all the different schemes that we have in the run action game,” Kafka said. “When you’re turning around, you’re play action faking to the back, turning your back to the defense. Now you got to flip back around and find your movement key. Now there’s a little bit of pressure. You got to slide, you got to push up.”

Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract after taking the Giants to the divisional round of the 2022 playoffs. He has been largely ineffective ever since, though much of the 2023 season was lost to an ACL injury.

–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.

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Giants promote OC Mike Kafka to assistant head coach

The New York Giants promoted three assistant coaches on Wednesday, including offensive coordinator Mike Kafka to assistant head coach.

The team also promoted secondary coach Jerome Henderson to also be the defensive passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney to offensive passing game coordinator.

In addition, the Giants added two more to the staff, outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen and defensive assistant Zak Kuhr.

The moves come a day after the Giants hired Shane Bowen as the team’s defensive coordinator and Tim Kelly as tight ends coach.

The Giants began their staff overhaul earlier this offseason with the additions of new special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial, offensive line coach Carmen Bricollo, and running backs coach Joel Thomas.

Bullen was the outside linebackers coach/pass rush coordinator for Illinois the past two seasons.

Kuhr spent time under Bowen as his inside linebackers assistant in Tennessee the past four seasons.

–Field Level Media

September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans celebrates during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Colts request interviews with DeMeco Ryans, 2 others

The Indianapolis Colts expanded their already large list of candidates for their head coaching job, requesting interviews with three more NFL assistants on Monday, per multiple reports.

On their wish list for interviews are both of the New York Giants coordinators — Mike Kafka (offensive) and Wink Martindale (defensive) — along with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.

Indianapolis is the first team to seek an interview with Martindale. The Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans are interested in Kafka, and the Texans, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals have set interviews with Ryans.

In all, the Colts have 11 candidates for the job, including interim head coach Jeff Saturday and seven other NFL assistants.

Martindale, 59, is in his first season as defensive coordinator for the Giants, who upset the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 on Sunday to move on to the NFC divisional round of the playoffs. He previously held the same position with the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos, among his many stops in a coaching career that started in 1986.

Kafka, 35, joined new coach Brian Daboll’s staff this season in New York after five seasons under coach Andy Reid in Kansas City, where he was Patrick Mahomes’ quarterbacks coach and then the Chiefs passing game coordinator in 2021.

Kafka does not intend to interview for any jobs this week, according to multiple reports. Instead, he will focus on preparing the game plan for the Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles, the No. 1 seed, this weekend.

Ryans, 38, has spent the past two seasons as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator. A former NFL linebacker, he joined the 49ers in 2017 working on defensive quality control, then was the inside linebackers coach for three seasons.

The 49ers surrendered just 277 points in the regular season — best in the NFL.

–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.

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Brian Daboll: Giants OC will call plays to start season

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll announced Monday that offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will call the plays in Week 1.

Kafka called plays during the preseason.

Daboll has been a longtime offensive coordinator for several teams, including the last four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, and had left the door open on who would handle those duties.

Daboll also told reporters that outside linebackers Azeez Ojulari (calf) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (knee) are “day-to-day.” Thibodeaux is not expected to play after suffering an MCL injury in the preseason.

The Giants open the season Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA;  Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka (L) talks with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Chiefs won 42-37. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Giants set to hire Chiefs assistant Mike Kafka as OC

The New York Giants are set to hire Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Mike Kafka as their offensive coordinator, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

Kafka joined the Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach in 2017 and helped to mentor then-rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2018 and added the title of passing game coordinator in 2020.

New Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have committed to Daniel Jones at quarterback in 2022, and they undoubtedly would hope that Kafka’s offense and tutelage could help Jones to reach his potential.

Kafka, 34, is a former quarterback who was a fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2010 NFL Draft. He appeared in just four NFL games in a reserve role in his career.

–Field Level Media