Mike Kafka might be smart to add some whipped cream and sprinkles to the typical vanilla preseason schedule.
Like most teams, the Giants won’t want to give too much away to sharp-eyed future opponents when they take on the New England Patriots on Thursday. But Kafka, a first-time offensive coordinator, is simultaneously trying to impress head coach Brian Daboll and keep play-calling duties in his possession once the regular season begins.
Therein lies a double-edged sword.
“I see it as an opportunity,” said Kafka. “Everyone out there is working hard to build the team and show they can build a role. So I’m trying to do my job the best I can and put the guys in the best position to be successful. There is a balance.”
The look of an offense designed in combination by Daboll – the former Buffalo Bills offensive line coordinator – and Kafka – the former Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach – is the main selling point of the preseason opener. The Bills (28.4) and Chiefs (28.2) ranked 3rd and 4th in points per game last season, respectively, while the Giants ranked 31st (15.2).
“Part of it is Dabes, part of it is Kafka,” said receiver Robert Foster, who played under Daboll in Alabama and with the Bills. “They’re different people but they both come from aggressive teams so it marinates well.”
Mike Kafka will get the chance to show he should name coach Brian Daboll’s playbook this season. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Daniel Jones is doing a “phenomenal job”, leading and pushing the pace, said Kafka. As soon as the words were spoken, Jones missed 10 of 15 passes and threw two interceptions in practice on Monday.
“As a quarterback, you’re playing the game through the eyes of a coordinator,” said Kafka, a former NFL journeyman third stringer who switched to coaching in 2016. “You’re starting to understand what his intention as a play-caller is and why he’s calling a particular piece. Once they get on the same page, I think you really see things there that are special.”
One kink that needs to be worked out is communication. Not only between Jones and the rest of the offense, but also on the headset.
“Sometimes I get excited and overexcited and might be a bit too loud with my volume,” Kafka said of his rush to bring the piece to Jones. “I think that was probably the biggest thing at the moment. I probably just yell it too fast, and then it suddenly comes out a little too muddled.”
The Giants have spent a lot of practice time drilling red-zone, short-yardage, two-minute and other situations in hopes that open collaboration will lead them to the same brainwave. Kafka shouldn’t be thinking, “What do I want to call?” as opposed to a second guess, “What would Brian call?”
“This game is all about matchups,” said running back Matt Breida, who played with the Bills. “If we feel like we have a 1v1 match that is better with our man, we will uncover it all day. The best thing about this attack is that it’s so explosive and you’re going to score a lot of goals.”
The Giants released their first unofficial depth chart Monday and included four rookie starters (TE Daniel Bellinger, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, RT Evan Neal and OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux).
Other notable finishes: TE Ricky Seals-Jones, who has missed eight straight training sessions, is a fifth team player; WR Darius Slayton is a second team player ahead of David Sills, CJ Board and Collin Johnson, all of whom appear to be higher in the exercise repeater rotation; CB Rodarius Williams (cruciate ligament recovery) and S. Dane Belton (broken collarbone) are second-team players and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) is a first-team player despite being out of practice.