Brian Daboll has become one of the offseason’s favorite comeback stories, but Giants fans have every reason to roll their eyes at the way that narrative has taken off.
After his November 2025 firing, Daboll didn’t stay unemployed for long. He landed with the Titans as offensive coordinator and immediately got tied to second-year quarterback Cam Ward, a pairing that has drawn plenty of buzz from national outlets all spring and summer.
There’s a reason the optimism exists. Daboll did have success as the Bills’ offensive coordinator with Josh Allen, and that track record is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the way people are talking about him now. But the praise has gone well beyond reasonable hope and into full revisionist-history mode, with some outlets treating Daboll like an offensive wizard instead of the coach who presided over some rough Giants attacks.
That’s the part Giants fans aren’t buying.
The same talking points keep coming up whenever Daboll gets mentioned as a quarterback developer: Wan’Dale Robinson, his work with Allen, the idea that he can unlock Ward. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton added to that chatter on Monday by putting the Titans among the NFL’s five most improved offenses.
The Giants, of course, were left out of that discussion entirely. That’s a separate argument, but it says plenty about how quickly the conversation around Daboll has shifted.
Still, the results in New York are hard to ignore. In 2023, the Giants finished No. 30 in points, No. 29 in yards, and posted the league’s worst yard differential. Saquon Barkley still managed 1,242 yards from scrimmage on 4.3 yards per touch, but the offense around him never came close to matching the hype.
The next year wasn’t much better. With Barkley gone to the Eagles, the Giants again landed at No. 30 in yards and No. 31 in points. Plenty of fans were stunned the team kept Daboll at all.
Now Daboll is back in the spotlight with Ward, who was sacked an NFL-high 55 times last year. The Titans also chose Carnell Tate instead of using that pick to keep addressing the offensive line, which makes the whole setup feel like a dangerous bet.
None of that means Daboll can’t still become a successful head coach again someday. And it doesn’t mean he can’t help Ward play at an above-average level.
But the clock is already ticking toward Week 3, when Daboll gets his first real chance to justify the offseason hype by taking on the Giants. If he doesn’t, the “told-you-so” crowd in New York will have a field day.
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