Who’s to Blame? Dissecting the Disastrous New York Giants’ Coaching Fallout

The New York Giants' coaching staff has in turmoil for the past 72 hours.

On Monday, the Giants began to make changes on the metaphorical headset. Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, were both let go by Brian Daboll soon after the conclusion of the team's Week 18 win against Philadelphia.

Soon after, it was reported that both of the team's remaining coordinators, OC Mike Kafka and DC Wink Martindale, were expected to return for next season.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it all fell apart, leaving fans to play the blame game ahead of a pivotal offseason for Big Blue.

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Inside the Fallout Between New York Giants' Coaches Daboll, Martindale

Late Tuesday night, a bombshell story was published by Paul Schwartz, friend of 104.5 The Team, and Giants' reporter for The New York Post. Schwartz laid out the explosive details of what had transpired behind closed doors between Martindale and Daboll earlier that day.

To summarize, Daboll informed Martindale that he was firing two additional coaches from the defensive side of the ball: outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins and defensive assistant Kevin Wilkins. Both coaches had come with Martindale from Baltimore, and both, especially Drew, were integral to Martindale's defensive play-calling.

This angered Martindale to the point of no return. He reportedly cursed out Brian Daboll, before storming out of the team facility. Martindale proceeded to inform those close to him that he intended to resign from his post with the Giants, and from that point on, no one from the organization was able to get in-touch with him.

We did get a public "proof-of-life", however, as Martindale was spotted in the airport, boarding a plane headed for his home in Florida.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, it was finally made official: Martindale and the Giants agreed to part ways. Wink Martindale is now free to join any coaching staff in the league with no restrictions, and the Giants are no longer obligated to pay his salary.

The "what" of this story should not be a surprise to Giants' fans. It was reported by Jay Glazer back in November that tensions between Daboll and Martindale had reached a fever pitch, and that he did not expect the two to continue working together after the 2023 season.

While the "what" shouldn't come as much of a surprise, the "how" of this story is downright shocking. One of Brian Daboll's highest-ranking coaches cursed out the head coach who hired him, then went AWOL for roughly 24 hours before informing the Giants of his decision.

This is a concerning end to this chapter of New York Giants' football, and Brian Daboll cannot allow this to happen again.

Both sides are to blame. Wink Martindale was accused of circumventing Brian Daboll's authority on certain occasions, and that cannot happen within a coaching staff. That said, Daboll was not known for his knowledge of the defensive side of the ball, yet reportedly insisted that Martindale call certain plays in certain situations this season.

That shouldn't happen, either.

Brian Daboll won NFL Coach of the Year after his first season with the Giants. His second season went so poorly, however, that it feels as though he has used up almost all of his "good grace" with the fanbase that he built up one year ago.

This is a critical point in his tenure as head coach. He needs to a) hire the right person to replace Martindale, and b) ensure that the lines of communication are clear from day one, because a messy situation like this one cannot unfold a second time.

That second time would likely be Daboll's last.