Podcast: Brian Daboll threads the coaching needle
And he isn't alone. Out in Minnesota, the Kevin O'Connell Era got off to a rousing start. Yes, coaching matters. For Denver's sake, Nathaniel Hackett will need to learn his lesson from MNF, too.
Enough slander. We won’t stand for it.
Brian Daboll’s dance moves inside the visitor’s locker room at Nissan Stadium were immaculate. The arms were in-sync with the torso bopping vertically — I like it. Us white guys live in this zone on every wedding dance floor.
And let’s just say Joe Judge isn’t exactly gathering his team ‘round to get jiggy wit it.
Things are looking up for the New York Giants out of the team’s thrilling 21-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. Obviously, they’ve got a long way to go, but what a turnaround in raw emotion from where this organization was last December. The state of affairs was beyond ugly under the previous regime. We’ve been optimistic from the jump that Daboll was exactly what this team needed. While nobody should overreact to one game, this first win put all of the former Buffalo Bills OC’s qualities on full display.
Coaches can spend their entire careers searching for these traits:
Late-game cojones. Daboll went for two with a minute left because, hey, why not? Show your players you believe in them.
Offensive innovation. We’ll see Daboll apply what he deployed in Buffalo more and more over time. Saquon Barkley looked like a new running back in this offense in rushing for 164 yards on 18 carries.
Connecting with players. Clearly, they love playing for him. That was the case in Buffalo, too.
On this episode of the Go Long Podcast — live from Fattey Beer Company in Orchard Park, NY — we spend an hour discussing the NFL’s first-year head coaches.
A first impression can go a long way. Kevin O’Connell had his Minnesota Vikings resembling a legitimate contender in a 23-7 win over the rival Packers. Daboll’s Giants supplied the stunner of the weekend. But what happened in Denver? Co-host Jim Monos can remember sitting next to Nathaniel Hackett long ago at a bar in Orchard Park when they worked together for the Bills. Hackett made it clear then he wanted to be a head coach one day. Yet, his decision to kick a 64-yard field goal on fourth and 5 was bizarre.
This wasn’t in the Mile High altitude. This wasn’t even in a dome. Denver paid Russell Wilson a quarter-billion dollars to cook in these situations. It made zero sense.
The offensive formations earlier in the game at the goal line were also less than ideal.
Hackett is one smart dude. He can turn this around.
But are there any season predictions we immediately regret one week in? Post Malone or Post-Marrone?
And, finally, we look ahead to the Week 2 matchups. The Titans have had the Buffalo Bills’ number. Will that change at Highmark Stadium this weekend?
You can listen to the “Go Long Podcast with Dunne and Monos” everywhere you get your pods with links and embeds below. If you’re not a subscriber to Go Long, we’d love it if you joined our community. Starting next week, subscribers can head on out to Fattey Beer with us. We’d love to meet you.
Thanks, everyone.
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