New York Giants fire defensive coordinator Shane Bowen after blowing another late lead

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The New York Giants fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen on Monday, replacing him with outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen in Mike Kafka's first major shakeup since becoming interim coach following Brian Daboll's dismissal.

Kafka made the move after the team lost its sixth consecutive game to drop to 2-10 this season. It had another fourth-quarter blown lead in a season full of them, with Detroit racking up 494 yards and winning 34-27 in overtime.

The Giants have allowed nearly 28 points a game, have the worst run defense in the NFL and rank 30th out of 32 teams overall. Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.

Kafka initially said after taking over for Daboll that he was not immediately making any other changes to his staff beyond promoting tight ends coach Tim Kelly to succeed him as offensive coordinator. He also held off making any moves following his debut, saying he and his assistants were excited to attack the week.

“I had an opportunity to watch the tape (of the Lions game) and I felt like this was the right time to do it," Kafka said after confirming his decision. “The results just weren't where we wanted them to be.

"Charlie has the pedigree that he brings to the defense. He's aggressive and ready for the task. No one’s panicking. Our spirits are high and confident. No one is down in the dumps.

"We are going to give Charlie the reins to make the corrections that he sees fit for the defense, whether it's personnel, scheme or communication calls. It's his vision and how he sees it.”

Bullen, who has 18 years of coaching experience with 12 in the NFL, is in his second season with the Giants. Before that, he was outside linebackers coach and pass rush coordinator at Illinois in 2023.

He also spent seven years as an assistant with the Miami Dolphins from 2013-18, where Giants general manager Joe Schoen served in the front office for a stretch before joining Buffalo in 2017.

Losing a fifth game this season when leading by double digits was enough to cost Bowen his job just past the midway point of his second season on the job. That also happened at Dallas on Sept. 14, at New Orleans on Oct. 5, at Denver on Oct. 19 and at Chicago on Nov. 9, which was the final straw for ownership with Daboll.

Kafka said he is happy with the progression of the offense, especially the offensive line. Quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked just once against the Lions, and that occurred on the last play of the game.

"The (offensive linemen) have done a really nice job in run blocking and pass protection,” Kafka said.

The Giants piled up a season-high 517 yards against the Lions and opened up the playbook with two trick plays, including a 39-yard touchdown off a flea flicker from Winston to wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson.

Winston caught the first TD pass of his career from punt returner and occasional wide receiver Gunner Olszewski. That play provided the Giants with a 27-17 lead with 12:16 remaining in the game.

“Yeah, we had it up,” Kafka said of his pregame plan to use the trickery. "We’ve had it up for a couple weeks. It just felt like a good opportunity and a good time in the play to call it.”

The secondary continues to be a work in progress amid injuries and subpar performances.

On Sunday, the secondary was missing starting cornerback Paulson Adebo, who missed a fifth straight game with a knee injury, and safety Tyler Nubin, who was out for a second straight week with a neck injury. Safety Jevon Holland had a costly delay of game penalty late in the game when he tried to knock the ball out of Gibbs' hands as he got up.

Robinson has turned into the Giants' primary wide receiver since Malik Nabers was lost for the season with a torn ACL. He had a career-high 156 yards on nine catches and was targeted 14 times at Detroit.

Cornerback Deonte Banks appears to be regressing since the Giants selected him in the first round of the 2023 draft out of Maryland. Banks has surrendered 270 yards, three touchdowns and an 87% completion rate this year. He has only one pass breakup and has been relegated to kick returns. He was inactive against the Lions because of a hip injury.

Rookie QB Jaxson Dart could return from concussion protocol next Monday night at New England after missing the last two games.

Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles left the Lions game in the second quarter because of a neck injury. Kafka said he was unsure of Flannigan-Fowles' timetable.

7 — Takeaways this season by the Giants — five interceptions and two fumble recoveries — to rank 27th in the league. They have a turnover margin of minus-6.

It could be Dart against 2024 No. 2 pick Drake Maye in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in prime time on Dec. 1. The Patriots opened as 7 1/2-point favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook.

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