Who Is Calling Plays for the Giants?

Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll and his team had a game to forget, losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 40-0, Sunday, September 10, 2023.

Syndication: The Record

(East Rutherford, NJ) – As the New York Giants pulled off their stunning comeback last Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, another interesting development was afoot. With the Giants offense finally moving the ball, Fox’s TV cameras captured head coach Brian Daboll clearing holding a play sheet over his mouth.

Typically, this maneuver is used by play callers in order to thwart opposing teams from utilizing lip-reading techniques. But the Giants play caller is offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, who does so from the booth high above the playing field.

So what gives? Did Daboll take play calling duties away from Kafka, after Big Blue endured six-straight shutout quarters to begin the new season?

For his part, Daboll denied any such development during his postgame presser with reporters. “Nope,” was the coach’s terse initial response. He went on to say he and Kafka “always communicate like that. I always have a sheet with me. But Mike (Kafka) did a fantastic job. I communicate with Mike, I communicate with (Thomas McGaughey), I communicate with Wink (Martindale). So the offensive staff did a great job. Moved the ball, scored points. Did their job.”

Then, on Tuesday, starting QB Daniel Jones joined host Kay Adams on her show, and he was asked who was calling the plays during the second half of the Cardinals game. “I’m always getting the plays from Kafka,” Jones told Adams.

In reality, it’s not plausible for Daboll to be relaying the plays from the sideline, to Kafka, and on to Jones. Such an arrangement would more or less guarantee delay of game penalties. Play calling requires coaches to often be one or two plays ahead, given the speed of any given series. But, Daboll could in theory have been pushing Kafka to stay aggressive, mix in more running plays, stick with playaction, etc. For now, the speculation among fans and pundits will continue.

And on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers, plenty of people will be watching to see where Daboll is holding his play sheet, while the Giants are on offense.