Giants HC Mike Kafka reveals why he changed tune on Shane Bowen before firing DC

Mike Kafka evidently doesn’t have as much faith in Shane Bowen as we thought. The New York Giants’ interim head coach made his first big move, relieving the defensive of his duties on Monday. The firing felt like a bit of a 180 after Kafka previously acknowledged having confidence in him.

Kafka explained his decision to dismiss Bowen to the media on Monday.

“When I got the job, I didn’t want to make a lot of rash decisions and jump to anything really quick,” said Kafka (Time Stamp 0:24).

“I wanted to have some time to sit back, evaluate,” Kafka added (Time Stamp 0:30).

When he reviewed the tapes, he saw some glaring things which prompted him to let Bowen go. Bowen had taken plenty of criticism throughout the year for the G-Men’s defensive performances. New York are currently the third-worst defense in the NFL, allowing 385.0 offensive yards per game. In 12 games this season, the Giants have given up a total of 334 points, the most in the NFC and second-most in the NFL behind the Cincinnati Bengals (360).

The Giants’ defense has looked particularly susceptible late in games this year, and that is part of the reason why they are dead-last in the NFC East at 2-10. Their 34-27 loss in overtime to the Detroit Lions on Sunday marked the fifth time this season that Bowen’s group let a 10-point lead slip away, an NFL record.

Only twice this season have the Giants outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter, while they have been outscored in eight of their 12 outings in the final 15 minutes. Bowen was anything but a beloved figure among Giant fans and critics who’ve been calling for his dismissal for weeks. A lot of that criticism came when the team lost 33-32 to the Denver Broncos. Bowen’s defense allowed all of Denver’s points in the final quarter of that game.

Many Giant fans were reportedly rejoicing when Bowen was fired.

Kafka believes Charlie Bullen is the right man to lead the defense

While Kafka has made his first big change, he is making similar comments about the new defensive coordinator. Charlie Bullen is the man in charge of defense for now, having previously served as the outside linebackers coach and pass-rush coordinator.

“I have a lot of faith in Charlie and the pedigree that he brings coming into this defense,” said Kafka.

The Giants currently rank 16th in team sacks, with 26 in 2025. While Bullen is the defensive coordinator on an interim basis, Kafka says the defensive game planning will be a collaborative effort.

While the Giants have lost six in a row, Kafka insists there are plenty of positives to build on. Five of their 10 losses this season have been by a single score. They’ll have their work cut out to try and end that slump when they battle the New England Patriots next on Monday, December 1. The Pats currently hold the best record in the NFL at 10-2.