The New York Giants made the move all fans were waiting for the entire season: showing defensive coordinator Shane Bowen the door.

My Hottest Take: This Overdue Move Marks The End of a Disastrous Season

At the start of the 2025 season, the Giants didn’t have an identity as they relied on Russell Wilson for the first few games of the season. Following Bowen’s first collapse of the season against Dallas and then dropping to 0-3 the next week, New York put in Jaxson Dart at quarterback and tried to see what he could do.

The team improved to 2-4 over the next three games, which should have been 3-3 if it weren’t for an offensive collapse against the New Orleans Saints. The Giants had a commanding 32-0 lead against the Denver Broncos in Week 7, until Bowen’s defensive unit completely melted down for 33 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Calls for the defensive coordinator’s firing accelerated after the game.

Then, when the team lost Cam Skattebo for the year and Jaxson Dart for an extended period to injury, the bottom fell out. After losing to the San Francisco 49ers, the Giants lost three games which they led at some point in the game. Bowen blue a fourth-quarter against the Chicago Bears and then did it again against the Detroit Lions. The last play of Bowen’s defensive tenure with the Giants? A 69-yard run from Jahmyr Gibbs to take the lead in overtime.

What You Need To Know: The Giants' Defense Was Awful Under Bowen

New York’s secondary is a big issue with a shocking lack of talent and depth outside of Cor’dale Flott and Jevon Holland. Still, the team has three highly talented, aggressive linebackers in Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie Abdul Carter. In fact, Burns is second in individual sacks with 13, trailing Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett. This isn’t even including Dexter Lawrence on the line.

The results, however, have been a complete disaster. As of Week 12, the Giants had the third-most yards surrendered per game with 385. They have given up the second-most points across the entire league and have surrendered nearly 2,000 yards on the ground. The passing game, despite Bowen opting for a more conservative approach, still surrendered the sixth-most yards throughout the season.

That lack of aggressiveness may very well also contribute to a low takeaway rate. New York has the third-lowest takeaway count of the entire league at seven, only above the Washington Commanders and New York Jets. They allowed nine of 13 fourth-down attempts, and are slightly below league average when it comes to third-down conversions at 40.1%.

The team’s defense is in serious need of work, both in terms of direction and depth. While the depth issue must be addressed by Joe Schoen during the offseason, the direction will be the biggest test for the newest coordinator.

Before You Go: Who Will Be The Newest Defensive Coordinator?

Even though there is still a lot of football to be played, the team will start its search for a permanent replacement early now that it’s out of the playoffs. While fans would like to see Wink Martindale return to the sidelines, it’s unlikely given that he currently serves as the defensive coordinator for Michigan.

It’s too early to assign names to the position since most coaches will be fired at the end of the season. However, early indications are the team could go external instead of just promoting someone internally. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and former Giants Antonio Pierce are names considered, but it will be a while before we have a clear idea of who is on the market.