GAINING GROUND

Giants keep coordinators; Eagles lose top assistants

There is no doubt Brian Daboll, in his first season as a head coach at any level, was greatly aided by the two coordinators he brought in from other organizations, despite not having previously worked with either.

Since the season ended, it appeared as if Daboll might lose both of them or at least one of them. Instead, Daboll heads into Year 2 with the Giants with his top-level staff intact.

Mike Kafka, the 35-year old offensive coordinator, will return after he was courted by the Cardinals for their head-coach opening. It took until Tuesday for the situation to gain clarity, as the Cardinals dropped Kafka from their candidate list and hired Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new coach.

Earlier in the NFL hiring cycle, Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale interviewed twice for the Colts’ head-coach position that on Monday went to Shane Steichen, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. Martindale had been informed a few days earlier that he was not going to get that job.

Daboll was thrilled that his two top assistants were in the running for promotions, but he was also concerned about losing one or both after only one season together. One of Daboll’s first major decisions was to entrust Kafka with the offensive play-calling, even though Kafka had never called plays during his one year as an assistant at Northwestern and five years working under Andy Reid with the Chiefs.

Daboll retained heavy involvement in the offensive inner workings during the week and on game days, but by not calling the actual plays he was free to keep his head up at all times and manage the entire game. This proved to be a winning formula and a big reason why the Giants went 9-7-1 in the regular season, won a playoff game and Daboll was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year.

Kafka added several Chiefs wrinkles into the offense, showed a good feel for what was working and not working during a game and built a strong trust with Daniel Jones. The Giants want to sign Jones to a new multiyear contract, and having Jones and Kafka together again will surely be a boon to both individuals and also the Giants.

After only one year as a coordinator, Kafka became a hot prospect, earning head-coach interviews with the Cardinals, Colts, Texans and Panthers, and second-interview call-backs from the Cardinals and Texans.

Daboll will gladly welcome back his offensive and defensive coordinators, while Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni lost both his top assistants. Perhaps this will narrow the gap that exists between the two NFC East rivals after the Eagles became the first team to ever beat the Giants three times in one season.