Matthew Schmidt and Dylan Feltovich discuss Mike Kafka's status with the New York Giants and much more in the newest episode of the Giants Roundtable Podcast.
New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka made headlines on Monday when he fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, one day after the Giants blew yet another fourth-quarter lead in a 34-27 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions.
It's rare that you see an interim coach have that much control, so it certainly makes for a good discussion point this week.
New York is just 2-10 on the season, but it has certainly been competitive, which makes you wonder how good the Giants can be in 2026 with the right moves during the offseason.
Matthew Schmidt and Dylan Feltovich discussed all of that and more in the most recent episode of the Giants Roundtable podcast.
The topics are as follows:
- Bowen was finally fired after a series of late-game blunders throughout the season. To be quite frank, Bowen probably should have been gone earlier in the year, and most would likely point to the Giants' collapse in Denver as the moment Bowen should have been canned. Was Bowen the reason New York's defense has underachieved this season? Or are there deeper issues going on?
- Kafka's decision to fire Bowen was certainly an interesting one. Does this mean the Giants are potentially looking at him as a serious head-coaching option for 2026? Or is this just a case of Kafka auditioning for New York — and potentially other head-coaching vacancies — heading into the offseason? Remember: Kafka also disciplined Abdul Carter last week, so it seems like he is attempting to change the culture in the Big Apple, an area in which Brian Daboll failed.
- Wan'Dale Robinson had his latest terrific performance on Sunday, logging nine catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. He is having, quite easily, the best year of his NFL career, but he is headed toward free agency. Should the Giants re-sign the wide receiver? Or better yet, will New York even be able to retain Robinson given his ever-increasing price tag? The Giants don't exactly have a ton of cap room, which will impact their decision on the former second-round pick.
- What needs does Big Blue need to address in free agency? What positions in particular should the Giants be seeking to upgrade? And how will New York even navigate the open market with not a whole lot of money to spend? Will the Giants mostly have to rely on the NFL Draft to bolster their roster going into 2026?
- New York will face the red-hot New England Patriots in Week 13 in a Monday night affair. Do the Giants stand a chance in this game on the road? The Patriots have won eight in a row and own the league's best record at 10-2, but the G-Men have been surprisingly competitive against some of the NFL's best teams.
All that and more in the newest episode of the Giants Roundtable podcast.