Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s fourth-quarter decisions came under scrutiny after the team blew a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s 33-32 loss to the Broncos.
Bowen was criticized for dropping eight players in coverage on a key Broncos completion ahead of their game-winning field goal and for not having defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence on the field as one of the three players trying to pressure quarterback Bo Nix. Both were things that head coach Brian Daboll could have pushed to change, but Bowen said on Thursday that “it’s all me” when asked about who ultimately makes those calls and said it is up to him to make sure the Giants are situated for success.
“It’s all about how you want to delegate your resources,” Bowen said, via a transcript from the team. “The situations, they’re always changing. They’re always evolving. They’re all a little bit different. Them not having any timeouts. I think they were in seven-man protection. They had those guys in there. So, I mean, it’s a cat and mouse game, understanding how they’re going to attack you. I had an idea of what was coming. It felt like we were in a good call. Obviously, it didn’t work out, and it wasn’t what we wanted it to be. So that’s something we’re evaluating. I have continue to work that to make sure I can put our players in the best position to execute in those moments.”
Daboll waved off the idea of coaching changes in the wake of the Broncos loss and a strong rebound against the Eagles on Sunday will quiet things down after such a crushing loss. The Giants also let a potential win against Dallas slip away from them, however, and any similar outcomes in the future will revive calls for a new defensive voice.