Giants' Mike Kafka must fire Shane Bowen for self-preservation

Interim head coach Mike Kafka's seven-game audition for the New York Giants' top job hangs by a thread, much like Brian Daboll's did before his firing.

Daboll's fatal error? Sticking with defensive coordinator Shane Bowen despite repeated late-game meltdowns that eroded his authority.

Kafka can't afford the same misstep if he wants to emerge from this coaching search as more than a placeholder.

Kafka's aggressive offensive play-calling has sparked life into a stagnant attack, but Bowen's defense remains a glaring liability. Sunday's crushing 34-27 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions epitomized the rot: Holding a 27-17 lead in the fourth quarter, the Giants surrendered 17 unanswered points, including an 81-yard touchdown drive capped by Jahmyr Gibbs' 49-yard score.

A Jevon Holland interception offered brief hope, but the unit wilted again, allowing Gibbs a 69-yard overtime touchdown scamper amid a curious sideline absence for nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. This marked the fourth time this season Bowen's group blew a fourth-quarter edge and the fifth time they blew a two-score lead on the road, officially eliminating the Giants from the playoffs as the NFL's first out.

The pattern is damning: Three prior collapses against Dallas, Denver, and Chicago, where win probabilities above 92 percent evaporated amid blown coverages, missed tackles, and explosive runs -- hallmarks of Bowen's scheme.

Bowen himself admitted responsibility for Daboll's ouster, vowing tweaks but delivering none. Kafka pledged a full evaluation post-Packers loss, signaling scrutiny.

Yet, following the latest Sunday heartbreak, Kafka doubled down.

"Yeah, I do. I have a lot of confidence in Shane and his entire staff," he said.

Blind loyalty won't save Kafka. Firing Bowen signals accountability, buys Kafka goodwill in the search, and stems the bleeding. Anything less invites the same fate as Daboll -- irrelevance.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Mike Kafka must fire Shane Bowen for self-preservation