Shaun Morash opened Friday’s Evan and Tiki show wondering aloud if Brian Daboll was coaching the end of last Sunday’s game as if a loss would be more beneficial to the team than a win, and wonders if that mindset will be carried over into Sunday’s season finale against the Eagles.
Evan and Tiki thought the theory was ludicrous, but Morash laid out the details:
“The end of that Giant/Ram game was awfully peculiar,” Morash began. “The Rams lead 26-25 in this game, it’s late, they force the rams to punt…and the Giants get the ball back. What do the Giants do? First down, short little throw to Saquon Barkley, shockingly incomplete. Second play - this made Brian Daboll sweat - Tyrod Taylor takes off for 34 yards, and suddenly, the Giants are knocking on the door. The play calling after that, with Daboll and Mike Kafka in collaboration, becomes awfully familiar. Tyrod Taylor has to spike the ball with 42 seconds left. The Giants are at the Rams 34-yard line, making it a 52-yard field goal. If you go back to Mason Crosby’s career, as I have, since 2016 Mason Crosby has missed 10 field goals of 50 or more yards, and only made 26…in fact, it’s why many in green Bay speculated that the only reason Mason Crosby was still the kicker in Green Bay the last couple years is because he still does Thanksgiving dinner with Aaron Rodgers and they were best friends.
“Mason Crosby, not his fault, great veteran kicker, but he lost all his rang. Daboll knows that. It’s why when they brought him in for a workout earlier in the year, they preferred Randy Bullock. So in this moment, you would think 52 yards isn’t enough. What does Brian Daboll do? Instead of putting it in the hands of Tyrod Taylor, he hands it to Saquon with nobody blocking for -2 yards, and the next play is Tyrod throwing it in the dirt…I think the play was designed in a way that they know it was not gonna be complete.”
Morash believes Daboll will operate similarly on Sunday, perhaps not outwardly tanking but maybe calling plays that could lean toward a loss if the game is tight, in an effort to secure a top pick for the franchise’s next quarterback.
“I think Brian Daboll, very smartly and in collaboration with general manager Joe Schoen, understand what it will take for long-term job security, and for them to keep their jobs here long term, they’re gonna need to generate success and results,” Morash said. “That’s not turning a five-win season into a six-win season, it’s turning this team into finding a franchise quarterback.”
