Mike Kafka on Change at Defensive Coordinator | New York Giants

Mike Kafka on Change at Defensive Coordinator | New York Giants

Hey everyone. So, um you know, made the tough decision today to to let Shane go um as our defensive coordinator and um effective immediately. We’re going to we’re going to let um Charlie Bullan run the run the defense as our defensive coordinator. I got a lot of faith in Charlie and um you know, obviously these decisions aren’t easy and Shane’s a good person. He’s a good man. He’s a good coach. um just the results just weren’t where where we wanted them to be. And so, uh Charlie’s going to kind of step up for us and rally the group. Um the defensive staff will rally around Charlie and and put together a great plan. I got a lot of confidence in the room and a lot of confidence in our staff to do that. Brian Don Levy. Hey, Mike. Hey, Ryan. Uh what changed since last night? I believe you were asked. I wasn’t there, but I believe you were asked last night about Shane and you said you had a lot of confidence in Shane going forward. You know, I just had an opportunity to to watch the tape, look back at a few weeks, watch a lot watch a lot of the um defense, watch a lot of what was kind of going on, the communication, and just felt like this was the right time to do it. You know, when when you got it, when I got the job, you know, quickly, I didn’t want to make a lot of rash decisions and jump to anything really quick. I wanted to have some time to sit back, evaluate it, look at it, and kind of figure out what what the best best best thing to do was. So, you know, wanted to be um wanted to be, you know, calculated on how I handled it. And, you know, I thought that today was the right time. Understood. And then why why Charlie? Cuz like obviously when I look at this, you’ve been with Eggs and Dre for four years, so I assume you have pretty, you know, longer relationships with them. And uh Marquan’s actually called plays before, I think, in the NFL with the Falcons. So, what made him the the right the right choice? Yeah, I mean, you’re right. I have a lot of experience on that defensive staff with Dre, with Marquan, with Eggs. Like, those guys are going to do a great job and they’re going to be a great asset for Charlie. I have a lot of faith in Charlie and and the things that he’s brought from, you know, the pedigree that he brings bringing it coming into this defense. I think he’s a smart smart coach. I think he’s detailed. He’s aggressive and his room has had a lot of production and um I think he’s ready for the task and I know he’s ready for the task and so he’s going to he’s going to jump in. He’s meeting with the staff right now and and these guys will get rolling for him. Thanks Mike. Howdy trainer. Good morning Mike. How are you? Good morning Mike. Um last week I believe you had Pat Fitzgerald in to watch a couple of practices. I know he’s a mentor of yours. He’s also from the defensive side of the ball and I’m just wondering, you know, is he someone who maybe you would lean on in this time given Charlie doesn’t have really a lot of experience as a defensive coordinator, maybe has, you know, have Pat as a consultant, if you will. Coach Fitz is a good friend of mine, you know, just just visiting, but he really won’t be involved um in terms of like our our staff. And then in terms of, you know, Charlie’s experience, again, he’s never been a DC at, I don’t think, any level. That being said, do you anticipate maybe a little bit more support, if you will, in the play calling process from those who have done it or for a collective group effort maybe? Yeah. Well, Charlie will call it. And then I think the the one of the strengths our our defensive staff has is a lot of really smart coaches in that room that can put together a great plan for them and support them. And and myself included, you know, I’m part of that. How can I be an asset for the defense? How can I be an asset for the offense? How can I be an asset for the special team? So, it’s all hands- on deck. Everyone’s going to be a part of it. The players are included in this as well. And so, we all got to take ownership of our individual jobs and then our collective jobs as a unit. Thank you. Thanks, Mark. Cano. Hey, Mike. Um, I’m just curious. I mean, you spoke about um looking at the film, having a chance to look at the film since since yesterday afternoon, last evening. What What are the things that have disturbed you the most about what’s been going on with with the defense, particularly late in these games, as you have had time to assess what you’ve seen? Here’s here’s what I’m excited about. As I saw a group of guys, a group of men step up and battle and take a really good team toe-to-toe. And so, there’s a lot there’s a lot of good things that came out of that game from the coaching staff. I think there’s some areas where we can continue to improve and we’ll have those meetings today. We’ll go through, we’ll find where we can just build just a little bit of an edge on defense, offense, and special teams. And then we’ll go and put together a great plan for practice to attack those edges and figure out where we can just where we can just find a way to just get a little bit better. And so that’s going to be our focus. That’s going to be our messaging to the coaches and the players. No one’s panicking. Everyone’s no one’s, you know, going down the dumps. We’re our spirits are are are high. Our spirits are confident. and now it’s about putting together a great plan and then going executing that. If I could just ask a follow regarding offense. Uh it just seems like your offensive line particularly has been has been really good for the for the most part of the season and particularly yesterday I thought. Um can you speak to what the the good things that you guys did on offense? I mean obviously you know the result of the game is what is in everybody’s mind most but it seems like you guys have been kind of wasting some very good offensive performances this year. um what you know a year in a year after you struggled offensively a bit the previous two. Yeah, I’m very I’m very pleased with how our offense is playing. Not satisfied yet. I think there’s a lot of things we can get better at, but our offensive line is playing really well. And that’s hats off to Karm and James, you know, in the O line room. And then the players obviously going out there and executing, but hats off to those guys. They’ve taken upon themselves to really lead that group, lead the offensive group and and and set the tempo for the unit. Thanks, Mike. Thanks, Ed Valentine. Morning, Mike. Morning. Hey. Um, you just got this job two weeks ago. How difficult is it? This is the first time you’ve had to do this, you with another coach. How difficult of a day is this for you? Yeah, it’s it’s it’s it’s certainly tough decisions to make. My thoughts are with with Shane and his family. I think, you know, you you you try to make decisions that are, you know, the best for the football team. That was a decision I made today, but my thoughts are are still with Shane. I have a lot of respect for him working with him, a lot of respect for him and his family, and you know, I wish him the best in the future. Schematically, how much can Charlie change at this point? And is there anything specific that you’re looking for uh to change on the defense? Yeah. So, we’re going to give Charlie the reigns to go and and make the corrections that he see fits um for the defense, whether it’s personnel, whether it’s scheme, whether it’s communication, calls, and so he’s going to, you know, have to work hand inand with the with the the whole defensive unit to make sure that it’s his vision on how he sees it. And obviously, I’ll have my fingerprint on there as well and and and be there and trying to be an asset for the for the group as well. Thank you, Tom. Mike, were these were these your decisions alone or how who did you work with on this? Yeah, my decision my decision to to make this move. And you talked about um you know what what Charlie’s uh uh going to bring. What what kind of identity do you want this defense to have under him now for the last month and a half? Yeah, I think you know and again this is all pretty fresh right now. We’re getting we’re getting on the same page. He’s still meeting with the staff. Guys are still reviewing the tape from as our offense defense special teams unit. But we have a great plan. We had a great vision. We had a great conversation this morning about what that would look like. Again, that’s something that we’re going to build in the house and build with the players together as as a group and as a team. Do you think you I mean, do you have time to to build it in five weeks, whatever, however many games you have left. Yeah, we’re going to have to have to figure that out. Uh Leonard. Hey, Mike. How’s it going? Hey Pat, um you said it was your decision. Did you consult with Joe Shane on the decision to fire Shane Bowen? Absolutely. I mean, all those decisions that that go through the football side of it, you know, I have conversations with with Joe and make sure that we’re both on the same page and united on it. And did you consult him on the decision to make Bolan the interim defensive coordinator? Say that again. Yes. Oh, yes. Yes. Yes, I did. Yeah. all those all those conversations that whe whether I’m thinking um it happens throughout the week any of these decisions on play time scheme thoughts I mean we talked about some of the trick plays before the game when I was going to call those so he has some anticipatory things and when he’s up in the box he can see how the flow of the game’s going but yeah any of these kind of big decisions that that that come up those are conversations that we had we had them you know talked about them after the game talked about them this morning you know and just making sure you know we make the right decision vision for the team. And on Dexter Lawrence, were you were you told by the medical staff he was not available due to that injury at the start of overtime? Were you told by his position coach he wasn’t available? Did was he the one who said he wasn’t available? How did that go? Yeah, the comm the communication um was brought up to me and and again, he was a guy that was battling through this game, this injury, and you know, probably was was just just toughed it out for us and was was trying to give us everything he had. And so the decision was just to kind of play him in like those pass situations, you know, second and longs, third and long, so he can be a factor on a limited snap count. And I thought that was the right thing to do and handle him and and hats off to Dexter for toughing it out and working through that cuz he got dinged up pretty I mean this guy was like in tears on the sideline just but wanted to be out there with the players um and and gave us gave us his all. Last one if you don’t mind. Um you said Drew Phillips came back into the game. When he went down, it looked like he was motionless for about 10 seconds. What was his injury and why why did he go back in the game? Well, the our medical staff checked him out and cleared him to get back in the game. So, I you know, I trust what they what they saw. I know they you know, he went into the tent, went through the whole procedure and I was aware of it and, you know, the the medical staff cleared him. So, we’re going to put him back in if that’s if that’s what our medical professionals um recommended. Was that a was that a concussion protocol clearing or was that for some other I think it’s I think it’s just like their normal procedure any kind of head neck they go and do those testing. I mean I’m not 100% sure in all like the concussion protocol procedures but that’s like pretty common practice. Anybody that goes through head and neck stuff or gets dinged like that they’re going to check them out. All right. Thank you. Thanks. We’ll take two more. Jordan Renan. Hey Mike. What’s going on? Hey Jordan. Apologies if you already answered something like this, but I jumped on a few minutes. I I uh Why not wait until after the bye-week so you at least have a little more you have that kind of have the two weeks like what made you want to make this move now? I thought it was just I I thought I I just really feel like this was the right time to do it and gives Charlie we have a long week this week. He’s got some extra time here um on a Monday night to get organized and and get with the staff. So, just felt like this was the right time to do it and and give our our team the best opportunity to win. And I’m also curious, I know you talked about obviously you talk through everything with Joe. Where does ownership stand in these kind of decisions in regards to coaching changes at this point? Y they’re they’re tied into all all of our decisions that we make. We, you know, we talk it through me and Joe on the football side of it and then, you know, Joe Joe loops them in, but um loops them in all our decisions. So, they’re they’re on the same page and and they’re they’re supporting us. And then just uh on the injury front, is it are you still just it’s Flattingham fouls? He’s the only one that kind of came out with something that might be, you know, significant like longterm here several weeks. I’m not sure on the timetable. We’ll we’ll he’s going to come in today and check him out, but he was the one that kind of let left the game last week or yesterday, excuse me. Yep. Appreciate it, Mike. Thank you. Last one. Bruce back. Hey, Mike. Where where do you go from here with this team? What are your goals like as you go down the stretch? Now, our goal is to go one and0 this week. That’s our only focus is to find a way to win this one game and find a way to win today. So, our prep the you’ll see a bunch of players coming in today, getting some workouts in, start getting ahead of or look at the review the tape from from from yesterday, find ways to get better. Um, they’ll be in the building tomorrow. we’ll be able to give those corrections then start getting a head start on our next opponent. But that’s that’s really all our focus is is on just today and this week. Your offense has outperformed your defense for much of the year. Do do you still believe there’s a solid relationship between the two units or do you think there’s a fractured side to it? We’re a team and it’s a team game. That’s the greatest team game in sports. Offense, defense, special teams. We all got to find a way to win this game. And it’s never about one unit. It’s never about one person. It’s never about one player or coach. It’s about the team. It’s about everybody being on the same page. Everybody um you know, making sure that we have our we have our details right, our the the uh and and ability to perform when we need to perform at the end of the game. So, that’s where we’re at right now. And as a team, we’ll continue to find ways to do that. be creative in our practice routine, be creative in our installations, be creative in our meetings, and then being going and being creative and and and being um detailed and executing on game day. And finally, Mike, what’s your message to the fans here as you as you go down the stretch from your from your viewpoint? Yeah. Our our our goal is to win is the final way to win this week. And so our that’s our mission. And we’re going to turn over every stone we can. We’re going to give it we’re going to detail out as much as we can. And we’re going to put our players in the best position we can to find a way to win this week.

Interim head coach Mike Kafka speaks to the media Monday from the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

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