This is interesting.
The Giants fired Brian Daboll as head coach this week and named Mike Kafka the interim head coach and players are already noticing differences.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, Kafka has a calming presence.
"Players throughout the week noticed Kafka bears a calming presence, a different manner than Daboll, who was known as more impassioned on the sideline," Raanan wrote. "The belief among some seems to be that Kafka's approach could be beneficial, especially in late-game situations, when the Giants have struggled. They're just the second team in the Super Bowl era to drop two games in the same season with at least a 10-point lead with under four minutes remaining."
The Giants are 2-8 on the season. They face the Packers this weekend and Kafka has already made his first major move, benching Russell Wilson for Jameis Winston.
"He's poised," Winston said. "He's very poised on the sideline. And don't get me wrong, this is a very challenging situation because I would not be here if it weren't for Brian Daboll. And I am so grateful for him and the opportunity that he forwarded me to come to New York and do what I love."
Kafka started his coaching career at Northwestern, where he played quarterback. He then went to the Chiefs to work with Patrick Mahomes and joined the Giants as a coordinator and playcaller in 2022.
"He's probably naturally a little bit more of a calmer personality, so to speak," wide receiver Darius Slayton said of Kafka. "But that can be helpful, especially in a high-pressure game like we're in, week in and week out, that calmer presence can definitely be beneficial."
The Giants will miss the playoffs again this season. The front office will use the rest of the campaign to determine if Kafka is the right man for the permanent head coach job.
"I'm still learning [his personality]. I'm still learning that. I had to ask one of the coaches, 'Does he have one?'" veteran defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II said with a laugh. "But I'm still learning. He seems cool, man. I'm enjoying him. It's different because you never hear from him; now you hear from him all the time. So, I'm adjusting."