Tag: Shane Bowen

Giants’ John Egorugwu added to West Team staff at Shrine Bowl

New York Giants inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu will join Shane Bowen on staff at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will serve as head coach of the West Team at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl on January 30 and he’s bringing at least one assistant with him.

On Thursday, it was announced that Giants inside linebacker John Egorugwu will join Bowen on the West Team staff as defensive coordinator.

The Giants hired Egorugwu in 2022 when the regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll took over. That came on the heels of a one-year stint as Vanderbilt’s linebackers coach.

Before returning to Vandy in 2021, Egorugwu spent four seasons (2017-2020) as a defensive quality control coach and assistant linebackers coach for the Buffalo Bills, where he worked alongside Daboll.

Egorugwu also worked under former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale for two years (2015-2016) as a member of the Baltimore Ravens’ coaching staff, serving as a defensive assistant.

Under Egorugwu, the team’s inside linebackers have become a strength. He’s overseen the strong play of veteran Bobby Okereke and the impressive development of 2022 fifth-round pick Micah McFadden.

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Giants’ Shane Bowen named head coach of West Team in Shrine Bowl

New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has been named head coach of the West Team in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl.

The New York Giants will send several of their coaches, including assistant head coach Mike Kafka and running backs coach Joel Thomas, to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl in February.

They will also be represented at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl, which will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Thursday, January 30.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has been named head coach of the West Team.

Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams will serve as the head coach of the East Team.

The Shrine Bowl is the longest-running college football all-star game in the nation. It is named after and benefits Shriners Children’s Hospital and has featured all-time greats such as Lawrence Taylor.

Bowen coaching the West Team is of significance because Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who is an option for the Giants at No. 3 in the 2025 NFL draft, is expected to be their starting quarterback.

“The East-West Shrine Bowl is not only a showcase for tremendous athletes who have a dream of playing at the next level, it is also a venue for upwardly mobile coaches in the NFL,” said NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent. “This is an opportunity to further develop, evaluate and showcase our assistant coaches who may be our next generation of head coaches.”

Many expected the Giants to move on from Bowen after a dismal 2024 season and critical comments made by co-owner John Mara, but they ultimately decided to retain him. Now he’ll represent them at the Shrine Bowl.

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Report: Giants ‘moving forward’ with Shane Bowen as defensive coordinator

The New York Giants reportedly plan to “move forward” with Shane Bowen as their defensive coordinator but what if Mike Vrabel comes calling?

New York Giants co-owner John Mara was unapologetically critical of the team’s defense during his year-end press conference, leading many to believe that defensive coordinator Shane Bowen would be fired.

“Quite frankly, I didn’t think our defense played very well this year at all,” Mara said. “I know that when you have an offense that performs like that, you’re putting more pressure on your defense. But we need to make improvements there.

“I’m tired of watching teams go up and down the field on us. So, I think that has to be addressed. I think we need some more depth in the offensive line. But, the number one thing, certainly, is the quarterback.”

A week later Bowen remains. And it appears it will stay that way.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the Giants and head coach Brian Daboll are “moving forward” with Bowen as their DC.

As bad as the defense played, the Giants really had no alternative but to stick with Bowen. They had already shuffled the deck in 2024 after parting ways with two coordinators — Wink Martindale and Thomas McGaughey — and could be forced to change another this offseason should Mike Kafka land a head coaching job.

Given Mara’s stance on consistency and continuity — the very argument used to retain Schoen and Daboll — potentially changing two coordinators for the second consecutive season would result in some ugly optics. And if there’s one thing this Giants team cares about, it’s optics.

There is one small caveat, however. Mike Vrabel has taken over as head coach in New England and is already expected to poach executive Ryan Cowden. Could Bowen, who served as his defensive coordinator in Tennessee, be next? And if an interview were requested, would the Giants deny it?

Although Big Blue plans to move forward with Bowen, that situation is worth watching.

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Retired Giant wants to see Antonio Pierce return as DC

One former member of the New York Giants would like to see Antonio Pierce return as the team’s defensive coordinator.

Now that the New York Giants’ ownership has decided to retain general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, what changes will be made following the Giants’ 3-14 season?

Some expect the Giants to make a move to replace defensive coordinator Shane Bowen after just one year. After all, his defensive unit certainly disappointed in 2024.

Coincidentally, following his firing by the Las Vegas Raiders, former Giant and Super Bowl champion Antonio Pierce is now available.

One of Pierce’s former Giant teammates believes New York should look to bring him in to join Daboll’s staff as their defensive coordinator.

Pierce, of course, took over as the Raiders interim head coach mid-season in 2023 and Vegas decided to hire him last offseason as their full-time head coach.

The former Giants captain was reportedly one of the “top targets” for the team last offseason to fill the void at defensive coordinator after the Giants and Wink Martindale parted ways.

Tynes and Pierce were teammates for three years and won Super Bowl XLII with the Giants. Tynes is active on X and often weighs in on the status of his former team.

While there is no current vacancy for the Giants at defensive coordinator, should it become available, they would likely explore the possibility of bringing in their former captain as their defensive coordinator.

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Shane Bowen needed media to educate him on Bobby Okereke’s production dip

New York Giants DC Shane Bowen needed members of the media to educate him on the production drop-off for Bobby Okereke: “How dramatic is it?”

There is a really strange disconnect happening in East Rutherford right now and that was never more evident than on Thursday when New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen fielded questions from reporters.

Specifically, Bowen was asked about the dip in production for veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke, who was on a superstar trajectory in 2023 but has fallen off considerably this season.

In his first year with the Giants, Okereke recorded 149 tackles (92 solo, 11 for a loss), six QB hits, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions.

Through 12 games this season, Okereke is well off that pace, recording 93 tackles (47 solo, six for a loss), two QB hits, 2.0 sacks, and no interceptions.

“I think he’s been good. He’s been solid for us. Leader. Runs the show for us. Gets guys lined up. Makes plays when they’re there for us. He’s done a good job lately here attacking the football,” Bowen said of Okereke. “He’s taking advantage of opportunities to get his hands on the football and use his length.”

Bowen was pressed about the statistical discrepancy, which is likely due to an altered defensive role counter to the style of play under Wink Martindale, but admitted he was clueless when it came to the actual numbers.

In fact, Bowen was so detached from what Okereke had done in 2023 that he inquired with members of the media and asked that they inform him.

“Honestly, I don’t really know,” he said. “How dramatic is it? Is it like dramatic, dramatic?”

The answer flustered Bowen.

“Solo tackles is pretty dramatic?” he asked. “I think he’s flying around and being productive when he’s out there. He’s doing everything we ask of him.”

It’s not unheard-of that coaches and coordinators can’t rattle off exact box score statistics but Bowen seemed to have zero clue about what Okereke did just a season ago. You don’t have to have an eidetic memory to know the veteran’s production is way down, especially when evaluating the film.

Bowen should have studied the players he was inheriting and at least recognized to some degree where the bar for production had been set. The fact that he had no idea and relied upon members of the media to inform him is concerning. And it only adds to the compounding number of bad optics this Giants team is mounting under general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

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Giants defense defined by one major strength, one major weakness

The New York Giants defense is sacking quarterbacks at a league-leading rate but are also poised to set an ugly NFL record.

One could argue the 2024 New York Giants defense has been a contraction of itself. They lead the NFL in sacks per game (3.6), which is one of the few pleasantries of this rocky season, and are sixth in red zone defense.

But they are deficient in other areas. Interceptions are one, for instance. They have just one pick over their first 10 games, tied for last in the league with Cleveland.

The Giants’ only pick has been by rookie linebacker Darius Muasau, not by any of the team’s talented young defensive backs. And that happened in garbage time of their Week 1 loss to Minnesota.

They have not picked off a pass since. That’s a total of nine games and they are now closing in on the longest interception drought in NFL history, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy.

The 2017 Raiders defense set the modern NFL record (since 1933) by going 10 straight games — a span of 357 passes — without an interception, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

One year later, the 49ers and Cardinals each endured an eight-game drought that has been eclipsed by the Giants, who will return from this week’s bye trying to avoid tying dubious history on November 24 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

No one can pinpoint exactly why the Giants have not been picking off passes this season. Safety Tyler Nubin, who leads all NFL rookies in tackles, was touted as a ball hawk coming out of college. He has no interceptions. Another high draft pick, cornerback Andru Phillips, has been highly-rated this season but has also come up dry.

“It’s something we have to continue to work at. We have to find ways,” Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said.

“They’re just throwing good balls. We’re not getting to them. That’s the best way I can answer that,” nose tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “I think we need to create more (takeaways) to have the offense have a short field and not worry about driving a long field. It’s our responsibility to go get the ball, so that’s what we have to do.”

The Giants are 28th in the league in passes defensed (29) but have only allowed the 10th most passing yards. They have allowed 12 passing touchdowns, which has been the league average.

In a season of mysteries and inexplicable events that have gone against the grain, this one continues to perplex.

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Giants will start CB Deonte Banks after he quit in Week 7

After an embarrassing lack of effort in Week 7, cornerback Deonte Banks will avoid a benching and remain the New York Giants’ starter.

If New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks was disciplined for his complete lack of effort in a Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, it will remain internal.

Head coach Brian Daboll revealed on Friday that Banks will not be benched on Monday night when the Giants play the Pittsburgh Steelers, and will assume his normal starting role.

“He’ll start,” Daboll said, via NJ Advance Media. “We’ve talked to Tae. We’ll keep that in-house.”

It’s at least the second time the Giants have been forced to “talk to Tae” this season. He displayed a similar lack of effort during a Week 4 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, drawing the public ire of defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson.

Banks claims he let his emotions get the best of him against the Eagles, but also admitted to The Athletic that he simply made a business decision when avoiding contact with the scrambling Jalen Hurts early in the fourth quarter.

“I think I could have made it, but sometimes when you’re in that moment, you just think like, ‘Nah.’ But I think I could’ve made a tackle,” Banks said, per Dan Duggan.

Defensive captain Dexter Lawrence said Banks’ lack of effort was also addressed as a team but refused to provide any additional detail. He simply vowed that it would not happen again.

Shane Bowen, the team’s defensive coordinator, shared similar sentiments.

“We expect these guys every snap to play full speed to the tackle. Making sure they’re running the ball and doing all those things. That’s the expectation. That’s the standard we want to have here across the board,” he told reporters. “Something we got to continue to coach. We’ve addressed it as a coaching staff and with the unit and everybody else. Hopefully, moving forward, we can continue to see some progress and some growth in that regard from all our guys, too.”

And that, as they say, is that.

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Giants’ Shane Bowen offers honest evaluation of Deonte Banks

New York Giants DC Shane Bowen evaluates CB Deonte Banks, who he says has faced a “murderer’s row” of wide receivers this season.

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks, a 2023 first-round pick, is being relied upon to anchor a young secondary as the team enters a new era under coordinator Shane Bowen.

Banks has gone through a gauntlet of some of the NFL’s top receivers over the first four weeks of the season and has basically held his own.

None of the studs Banks has been charged with shadowing (Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb) have had a 100-yard receiving day.

But they’ve come close. Banks has allowed 16 of the 26 passes targeted at him to go for completions and has permitted a league-high four touchdowns.

“I think this league is a ‘murderer’s row’ every week,” Bowen told reporters on Thursday. “Every team has got number one receivers that are good players. So, every week you’re going to find that. . . This week they got three really talented receivers.”

Bowen is referring to the Seattle Seahawks’ trio of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Banks and the other Giants’ defensive backs will have their hands full with that group.

With a group like that, it’s no wonder Seattle, behind quarterback Geno Smith, is throwing the ball on 65 percent of the offensive plays.

Bowen believes that Banks is still a work in progress. Iron sharpens iron. Some of his stats have been ugly but to the naked eye, he appears to be rounding into a top NFL corner.

Of the top 25 defensive backs targeted over the first four weeks, Banks has the lowest coverage grade (47.5) per Pro Football Focus. The Giants are not concerned.

“I think he’s done a good job. He’s challenged,” said Bowen. “We’ve got to work on the finish piece. He’s been in good positions down the field for the most part. Again, those 50-50 balls, some of them are really good throws, really good catches, and other times we’ve got to do a better job finding the ball, locating it, being able to play through the hands, understanding what situation you’re in as that ball is in the air down the field.

“The low red, slant stuff, we’ve got to force the hard throw. We’ve got to eliminate those in-breakers, force the hard throw. They’re going to have their phase. They’re going to have their back shoulders. A big part of what they do this week is going to show up. But understand the leverage. Take away the easy throws. Make them throw the hard ones. The lesser of the two evils in terms of completion percentage and how those things play out.”

This week will be even more of a challenge. With slot man Dru Phillips and veteran cover corner Adoree’ Jackson still hurting, it will be on Banks to hold the fort.

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Giants’ Shane Bowen focused on cleaning up poor tackling

The New York Giants are plagued by poor tackling and it’s an issue defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is focused on cleaning up.

Through two games, the New York Giants are 0-2, scoring just an average of 12 points per game. Their offense is surely an issue but their defense is concerning as well.

The Giants are getting chewed up by the run, allowing 163 yards per game to opponents over the first two weeks. They have been lax on third downs, permitting opponents to convert on 41.7 percent of attempts, and have failed to stop either of their two fourth-down chances.

As a result, opponents have been able to sustain drives and hang onto the football. Last week in Washington, the Giants lost the time of possession 37:32 to 22:28.

“Bad tackling and penalties,” defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said this week when asked what he felt the issue was. “We were on the field a long time. We didn’t do well tackling. We didn’t stop the run well. And the penalties on third down. We won a lot of first and second downs, but those third downs really got us.”

On Thursday, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen agreed when quizzed by reporters about the run defense.

“I think tackling. Tackling showed up. Missed some tackles, even on the scramble plays,” he said. “We had guys in opportunities to make plays on those to get off the field on third down. And tackling showed up.  I think a couple were fit issues. One, we just get too nosy. We got him bottled up, we get nosy and he leaks out on us. The post safety gets a little nosy, as well, and it goes for 40 (yards). It’s a potential third and one stop that turns into 40 yards.

“Just continuing our fits. Making sure we’re flying around, running to the football. Making sure the missed tackles don’t turn into… because they’re going happen. We got to reduce them. They’re going to happen from time to time. But making sure those missed tackles end up being two to five additional yards instead of 10-plus. Just continue to work. There’s good in there. They ran the ball 35 times. So, there’s some good snaps in there. We got to eliminate the explosive runs.”

The Giants have been dealing with injuries at inside linebacker. Micah McFadden missed the opener with a groin injury and was thrust into action last week when his understudy, rookie Darius Muasau, was forced out with a knee issue.

The Giants also are in flux in the secondary. They have a rookie, Tyler Nubin, starting at support safety and the box is dealing with a lot of movable parts. When that settles down, and the inside backers get their footing, the run support should improve.

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See it: Giants assistant Charlie Bullen suffered broken leg vs. Vikings

New York Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen suffered a broken leg this past Saturday when he was collided with on the sideline.

New York Giants outside linebacker coach Charlie Bullen suffered a broken leg while standing on the sidelines during last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium.

Bullen was injured in the fourth quarter of the game when Giants cornerback Deonte Banks pushed Vikings running back Ty Chandler out of bounds, crashing into Bullen.

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“He had surgery this morning. He’s texting already,” Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen told reporters on Thursday.

Bullen isn’t expected to be in Washington with the team this Sunday afternoon when the Giants face the Commanders. Bowen outlined a possible workaround to cover Bullen’s responsibilities.

“There’ll be some things. I think we’ll probably move somebody down from the box to help with that group throughout the game with rotation, with everything else that comes into play,” he said. “Obviously, I’ll be involved a little bit more over there. It’s a tough deal. I hate it for Charlie, but I know he’s fighting like hell to get back out here.”

Bullen is in his first season as a Giants assistant. He coached at the University of Illinois last year. In his 17 years as a coach, he’s spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and the University of Iowa.

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