Would Brian Daboll benefit from adding these two ex-Giants to his staff?

There New York Giants are in a chaotic state but Brian Daboll could provide some calm by hiring these 2 former Giants to the coaching staff.

Has New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll lost some of his locker room this week by parting ways with two of his top assistants?

Possibly. Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey has been one of the NFL’s most experienced and successful assistants over the past decade and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was beloved by his troops.

But in a down season, heads have a tendency to roll. Ironically, the coordinator of the team’s most troubled unit — the offense (Mike Kafka) — is coming back in 2024.

Daboll came out of Monday’s bloodbath looking like a coach who is scapegoating the people who contradict his initiatives, whatever they are.

He looks weak right now and if the players were polled anonymously, he would likely not come through with glowing reviews.

Daboll can, however, save some face by bringing back two coaches whom the players do respect – Joe Judge and Antonio Pierce.

Judge was recently lauded by some Giants players who played for him during his head coaching stint here and Pierce is a Giants legend who defensive players throughout the league hold in high regard.

Will he be willing to do that? Would the Giants? We’ll see.

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Giants’ biggest needs headed into the offseason

The New York Giants are headed into a potentially turbulent offseason and these are their biggest needs — yes, including a QB decision.

The New York Giants finished 6-11 on the season and failed to follow up on their 2022 playoff performance leaving behind questions of whether or not they are headed in the right direction.

The Giants had breakdowns and failures in just about every unit and now must seriously evaluate what needs to be addressed and in what order.

Here are the Giants’ five biggest needs heading into the offseason.

8 special teams coordinator candidates Giants could consider

The New York Giants are on the hunt for a new special teams coordinator and these are 8 potential candidates they could consider.

The New York Giants are in need of a new special teams coordinator after firing long-time assistant Thomas McGaughey on Monday.

Here are eight quick names the team might look at.

Note: Some of these candidates may currently be employed with other teams and would require termination (or resignation) before joining the Giants.

Giants players have ‘tremendous respect’ for ex-coach Joe Judge

New York Giants players expressed a “tremendous respect” for their former head coach, Joe Judge, ahead of Sunday’s game against New England.

The New York Giants face the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium and on the opposing sideline will be their former head coach, Joe Judge.

Judge was fired after compiling a 4-13 record during the 2021 regular season, which featured a wild 11-minute rant following a Week 17 loss to the Chicago Bears and controversial back-to-back quarterback sneaks in a Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders.

While fans were happy to see Judge get shown the door, his players weren’t nearly as enthusiastic. Despite the team’s struggles and Judge’s unorthodox coaching style, he had earned the respect of the men he commanded.

Running back Saquon Barkley was one of those men, who to this day appreciates Judge for his calming presence after the running back tore his ACL.

“With Judge, obviously the biggest thing was focus on the little things and the details. That’s something that I’ll always take,” Barkley told reporters this week. “He’s the one where, the first thing that goes in my mind, I was sitting there after I tore my knee, I’m sitting there bawling and I look up and he’s the one that told me it’s going to be a hell of a story.

“From that moment, that kind of my whole mantra was like this is not over. I’m going to be okay. I’m going to find a way. I’m going to work my butt off and I’m going to get back to the player that I’m known to be and the player that I know that I am. So, I’ve got nothing but tremendous respect for Joe and obviously, the two years here didn’t go the way we would’ve liked, but I’m really thankful for him.”

Barkley wasn’t alone in those sentiments. Wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton also have an admiration for Judge and they’re excited to talk to him on Sunday.

“He hasn’t done anything but treat me with respect,” Shepard said, via the New York Post. “Was he a tough coach and his practice style different than I’ve seen before? Yes, but that’s who he is. And he’s a great dude.”

Current Giants head coach, Brian Daboll, also has a close relationship with Judge. In fact, Judge had wanted Daboll to be his offensive coordinator after being hired by the Giants but the Buffalo Bills, Daboll’s then-employer, denied Judge’s request for an interview.

“I’d say when I see those guys, we say hello, but during the season you’re not talking to a lot of coaches on other staffs. You’re really focused on your staff,” Daboll said this week. “But got a lot of respect for Joe, too. I know him, his wife, his children. I’d say (our relationship) is good.”

Sunday won’t mark the first time Judge has returned to MetLife Stadium, but it will mark the first time he’s faced his former team since that ugly divorce.

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Giants vs. Patriots: 5 things to know about Week 12

The New York Giants and New England Patriots square off on Sunday afternoon in Week 12, so here are five things fans should know.

The New York Giants (3-8) play host to the New England Patriots (2-8) this Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in a Week 12 matchup between two of the league’s most storied franchises.

Here are five things to know before kickoff on Sunday.

Joe Judge sends strong message to Patriots’ locker room with new team hoodie

Joe Judge is sending a message to the Patriots’ locker room

New England Patriots assistant head coach Joe Judge got creative in hopes of sending a strong message to players in the locker room.

When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was seen wearing a new team hoodie with the words “No one is coming; it’s up to us” written on the back.

Per Smith-Schuster, the hoodies were left for every player in the locker room by Judge.

The Patriots are coming off an ugly victory over the New York Jets, but they’re still sitting at 1-2 ahead of a tough Week 4 matchup against a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the Dallas Cowboys. A loss on Sunday would likely make any hopes of a playoff run a long-shot.

The players are using the words as motivation, while some Patriots fans are taking the words literally and have worked themselves into a frenzy, thinking the team won’t be pursuing any trades before the deadline.

Here’s what fans were saying about the meaning behind the new hoodie:

Ex-Giant Joe Judge officially named Patriots’ assistant head coach

The New England Patriots have officially named ex-Giant Joe Judge as their assistant head coach.

Former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge was officially elevated to the assistant head coaching position with the New England Patriots.

From NBC Sports:

The team posted titles for their entire staff on their website and it shows Judge will have the assistant head coach title after 2022’s disastrous foray into offensive coaching. Judge was listed as offensive assistant/quarterbacks, but was the special teams coordinator during his first stint with the team. Bill O’Brien was hired as the team’s offensive coordinator this offseason and he also has the quarterbacks coach title.

The Patriots do not list a defensive coordinator but it is well known that head coach Bill Belichick traditionally oversees that side of the ball himself.

Judge was hired as the Giants’ head coach in 2020, replacing Pat Shurmur, after an eight-year stint as an assistant with the Patriots.

After going 10-23 as head coach, Judge was relieved of his duties after the 2021 season and replaced by Brian Daboll.

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NFL fans savagely roasted Joe Judge after Bill Belichick said ‘he’ll do whatever I ask him to do’

Is Judge a football coach or is he running coffee?

It’s funny to think about now, but thanks to his proximity to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, Joe Judge was once the head coach of an actual professional football team. For two seasons from 2020-2021, Judge was at the helm of the New York Giants. Crazy, I know! Predictably, Judge was in over his head, and the Giants were an abject disaster during that time.

Now entering his second season in his Patriots return, no one in their right mind is thinking of Judge through the prism of head coaching opportunities.

Honestly, based on a quote from Belichick about Judge after a Wednesday OTA practice, I’m not sure how the Patriots think of their “offensive assistant,” either.

Huh. That “endorsement” could truly encompass anything. Judge could be involved in the offensive game plans (probably not the best idea), or he could be getting donuts for everyone for an early-week meeting. Who knows?

It’s worth noting that Judge seemingly received a demotion after the Patriots’ 2022 campaign. Last year, Judge was New England’s quarterbacks coach. You know, the same season where starter Mac Jones fell off with a terrible sophomore slump. It’s speculation, sure, but I would venture to guess that Jones having Judge as his primary on-field confidant partly played into his poor play.

This year, Judge is still on staff as an offensive assistant (while also helping with special teams?), and it looks like even Belichick isn’t sure what to do with him just yet. It’s not a position I would envy, that’s for sure.

Bill Belichick shows support for Joe Judge in light of OTAs violation

Bill Belichick showed full support for Joe Judge on Wednesday.

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The New England Patriots have had an eventful last week, as the team was penalized two OTA workouts as a result of infractions.

Special teams coach Joe Judge was thought to be a key figure with these infractions. Nevertheless, coach Bill Belichick had his assistant’s back on Wednesday.

Judge was New England’s quarterbacks coach last season. The offense struggled, and he was assigned to different duties as an assistant during the offseason. He was a special teams coordinator for the organization from 2015-2019.

When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Belichick made it a point to praise Judge, who is in his 10th season with the organization. He remained firm in his support, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Zack Cox.

“Joe’s great,” Belichick said. “Smart guy. Has a lot of experience. He’ll do whatever we need him to do, and he can do a lot. So he will.”

When asked if Judge was responsible for the OTAs punishment, Belichick took the blame for the entire incident.

“I’m responsible for it, so that’s it,” said Belichick.

New England is ready to turn the page on this latest chapter of controversy within the organization. No team is better at moving on and forgetting than Belichick’s Patriots.

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Bill Belichick commented briefly on Patriots’ OTAs violation

Here’s what Bill Belichick had to say regarding the Patriots’ OTAs violation.

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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick had a smile on his face the moment he stepped to the podium during Wednesday’s press conference, even though he had to know the biggest question that awaited him.

Of course, it was in relation to the Patriots being stripped of two OTA practices due to a scheduling violation on the special teams side.

“It’s good to get back on the field today. We had a situation with some scheduling in Phase 2, but we got that worked out,” Belichick said, via NESN’s Zack Cox.

There was a classic Belichick response thrown in as well when he was asked how much losing the two practices impacted the team.

When it comes to the media side of things, the legendary coach is already in midseason form before the 2023 regular season even begins.

Belichick and the Patriots are slated to host their first open OTAs practice on Wednesday. If the team has a great early showing, all of the questions about missed OTAs and the hefty $50,000 fine Belichick received will quickly fall by the wayside.

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