Amid fascinating MVP debates, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s chase for NFL history, a deeper question remains: Will New York ever be good at football again?
The New York Jets are a fiery mess while their former
quarterbacks are scattered throughout the NFL to greater success. Now, the New York Giants, themselves a barrier to no one, have fired Brian Daboll with 40% of the season remaining.
How’s this relate to the Seattle Seahawks? It’s less pertinent than it would have been a year ago, I’ll give you that, but the new head coach was a former candidate for the seat that Mike Macdonald now fills.
The Giants have turned to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
Hey we were one of those cycles! Seattle interviewed Kafka twice for the head coaching position in 2024. He did not land the job. Instead, the team chose to wait out the potential of landing Macdonald, but then – oh the drama! – they still tried to hire Kafka as their Offensive Coordinator. New York blocked the interview request.
It has been a truly mind-boggling two-year swing in the NFL. Consider what has happened at the head coach and quarterback carousel.
Macdonald left Baltimore who have currently scraped their way back to 4-5 but the defense is atrocious, finding themselves in the bottom-10 by DVOA.
Seven other head coaches were hired in 2024, the year Mike Macdonald was hired but Mike Kafka was not. Here’s the latest:
- Antonio Pierce was fired by the Raiders
- Jerod Mayo was fired by the Patriots
- Brian Callahan was fired by the Titans, the first coaching casualty this season
- Dave Canales led the Panthers to a 5-12 record in ‘24, and has brought them finally to 5-5 this season
- Jim Harbaugh is fine
- Raheem Morris is headed towards a second straight losing record with the Falcons
- Dan Quinn’s Commanders have taken a massive step backward, and it’s not only because of Jayden Daniels injuries
Harbuagh and Macdonald are the runaway winners of the ‘24 hirings, and it’s not remotely close after that.
Additionally, every first-round quarterback from the 2024 draft has regressed this season except Drake Maye. You could argue Caleb Williams, but do you really need to? Meanwhile, the Seahawks have gladly accepted the rejected Sam Darnold to the tune of most explosive offense in the NFL in a decade.
Leadership matters. Jody Allen, John Schneider, and everyone else with cultural influence in that building have – for all 12 years I might add – held continuity and excellence in the franchise where the New Yorkers have spectacularly failed.
It seems more likely than not that Jaxson Dart will get himself hurt again this season. After Brian Daboll’s pathetic displays of outrage at the mere mention of Russell Wilson entering the game, it will be interesting to see what the potential coach of the Seahawks can do with the former quarterback of the Seahawks should it come to that again.
Anyway NY thanks for Leonard Williams!
