New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll wasted no time in changing the culture of the franchise. After years of being the laughing stock of the NFL, the Giants are back on track after Schoen was hired away from the Buffalo Bills and he selected Daboll to become his first head coach.
The first season of those two leading the way was very successful. The Giants went 9-7-1, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. Brian Daboll should be taking home some hardware for the job that he did. Short on talent and depth, Daboll navigated this season magnificently.
He set the tone by going for two in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans instead of kicking an extra point for the tie. That momentum was ridden throughout the season as the players responded to their new head coach.
Turning this roster into a playoff team is a feat not even the most optimistic Giants fans saw coming. Now, most of the players on the team are gearing up for the postseason for the first time in their careers.
This is arguably the least playoff-experienced roster this year. Nine out of the 10 team captains will be making their playoff debuts on Sunday afternoon when the Giants take the field against the Minnesota Vikings. While the lack of experience is something many people believe could cost New York, it isn’t something that Daboll is concerning himself with.
“Really the experience is probably overrated, to be honest with you,” Daboll said. “It’s how you prepare, how you practice and, ultimately, how you play the game and coach the game on whatever day it is.”
You can be sure that Daboll, his staff and players will be ready to go. They made this same trip three weeks ago, taking on the Vikings in Week 16 on Christmas Eve. The Giants lost that game 27-24 as Greg Joseph nailed a franchise and career-long 61-yard field goal at the buzzer.
That performance matters a lot, Brian Daboll and company know that they can hang with the Vikings. Having that mental edge is more important than the playoff experience, as Daboll brings plenty of big-game experience as a coach to the table. That is what happens when you spend time with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots and Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
“I’ve been on a lot of different teams that had varying levels of experience,” he said. “Some a lot, some a little. I know someone mentioned Malcolm Butler. I think really what matters is taking advantage of your opportunities when they come. And playing a good football game. Coaching a good football game.”
“No, really, I think [experience is] an overrated thing.”
That will certainly be put to the test on Sunday afternoon as New York makes their much-anticipated return to the postseason. Brian Daboll and the Giants are playing with house money as no one expected them to get to this point. That is usually part of the recipe to make a team dangerous as Big Blue has nothing to lose knowing they are in Year 1 of what was expected to be a multi-year rebuilding process.
