The New York Giants have started the season 0-2, a familiar position for the team, and their upcoming schedule offers little relief. They are 6.5-point underdogs on the road against the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, followed by a quick turnaround to face the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.
After that, the Giants will face tough matchups where they are expected to be underdogs, including games against the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Washington Commanders, the latter of whom defeated the Giants 21-18 in Week 2.
As the situation becomes more dire, with a potential 0-4 start looming, some players in the locker room are reportedly starting to question head coach Brian Daboll. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that several players are losing confidence in Daboll, fearing he may lose the locker room entirely if the team doesn’t turn things around.
“I’ve spoken to guys over the past few days,” Raanan said on the *Breaking Big Blue* podcast, “and some of them — not all of them — have said things are getting shaky. The trust in Brian Daboll is hanging by a thread. Their confidence in him is waning.”
Publicly, Giants players have maintained a different stance, but there have been some troubling signs. All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence uncharacteristically criticized fans for booing after their Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. There was also a tense exchange between Raanan and linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux after the Week 2 loss to Washington, though it was quickly resolved.
Additionally, head coach Daboll had a noticeable angry stare-down with New York Daily News reporter Pat Leonard when asked about his job security.
“This is the most fragile I’ve seen the locker room since 2017, when things fell apart under Ben McAdoo,” Raanan added. “This situation could head in the wrong direction if it gets worse.”
Raanan notes that while some players still believe in Daboll, “more than one or two” think the team is heading for trouble. The betting odds seem to agree, as many sportsbooks list Daboll as the favorite to be the first NFL coach fired this season (+150, implying a 40% chance).
