Giants, Saints & Titans Masochism (Mailbag Part 1)

Is Brian Daboll toast? Is Brian Callahan the new Rich Kotite? Has the Too Deep Zone run out of Saints salary cap jokes? The answer to these questions and more in Part 1 of Week 4 Mailbag.

My dear readers, it is going to be hard to write future editions of TankWatch if you keep asking questions about the NFL’s worst teams!

Rest assured, TankWatch will soldier on in the months to come. But this week’s mailbag was loaded with Saints and Giants questions. So let’s get roasting! And if you asked about something else, don’t despair: there will be much more Mailbag this week.

Giants Stuff

Although they probably should wait until week 10 or so, do the Giants have no choice but to play Dart at this point with their season circling the drain? – Kesavan Menon

Welp, this question aged poorly. Jaxson Dart will be starting in Week 4.

The most surprising thing about this Giants season so far has been how unsurprising it has been. Russell Wilson looks just as creaky as he looked with the Broncos and Steelers. The offense has all the usual problems. If I polled readers in August about where they thought the Giants would be after three games, 75% of you would probably respond: 0-3, maybe with a close call against Dallas, and considering a quarterback change.

Daboll is clearly playing Career Preservation Ball right now. Rest assured that he did not want to play this card this quickly.

Will Russell Wilson drop to QB2 or QB3 after he gets benched for Dart? – Phillip Johnson

Yes!

But seriously: Wilson might soon get released. The Giants released Daniel Jones soon after his benching. Sean Payton deactivated Wilson in Denver in 2023, though there were contractual injury guarantees at play. Wilson isn’t the sort of fellow you want skulking/sulking around the facility while trying to boost a rookie’s confidence. And running the scout team? C’mon, Wilson deserves to retain some dignity.

Should the rebirth of Danny Dimes be the final red flag that having Daboll develop your rookie/future QB is a disaster waiting to happen? – JT

Folks, Daniel Jones has not suddenly gotten good. He has faced two scout-team defenses with no pass rushers or cornerbacks. He’s having, at best, a variation on his 2022 season. It’s important for me to know that you know this.

First-time, long-time, Mike. Thanks for taking my call. ;)

Yes, I'm a masochist - Giants fan by birth, and Falcons fan by address most of my life. Which team's front office coaching staff has failed their fans more? – Adam Shapiro

I am guessing you are talking about recent history. You don’t need a tour of the Giants’ trophy case.

As of 2019, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones were not yet cooked, and there was enough talent elsewhere on the roster to justify the Falcons’ belief that they were still in a Super Bowl window.

The Giants, in that same year, had reached the playoffs just once since 2011, were three years removed from Eli Manning’s last goodish season, and were in the middle of the transition from out-of-touch Tom Coughlin through Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur to Joe Judge, with Dave Gettleman managing the roster and payroll like it was still 1988.

Since 2019, the Falcons have typically been a 7-10 or 8-9 team with a knack for snakebitten losses. The Giants have mostly hovered between 3-13 and 6-11 while tossing draft capital in the incinerator.

Giants fandom is, therefore, utter hopelessness. Falcons fandom, by contrast, is a perpetual exercise in raising and pulverizing hopes, often on a weekly basis. The Falcons are funnier on Monday morning. The Giants are funnier in the offseason.

You’re the self-identifying masochist, Adam. You decide which hurts better!

Saints Stuff

Obviously, most of the blame for the Saints’ ongoing mess is Mickey Loomis. Gayle Benson married Tom late in life, and so was totally unprepared to lead an NFL franchise. I imagine she recognizes this, and I'd still prefer her to the failsons running the Bengals and Raiders (or Tom's granddaughter, who was originally tapped to inherit the reins).

It seems like Gayle probably knows her limitations and is trusting the organization she inherited. Sean Payton left after four years and they promoted from within (I'd bet she favors loyalty and continuity). I think Dennis Allen could have been an OK choice; he could have taken the blame for the rebuild while we recovered from the salary cap nonsense from the end of Drew Brees's career. Instead we stayed in "ignore the future to be as relevant as possible this year," which kind worked for a couple of years until it didn't.

Now we're staring down at least a couple of years of utter hopelessness (and I know what it's like to support a team that is outmatched every single week; it sucks a lot worse than just going 8-9 in a weak division). There is no reason to think Loomis is going to change (the fact that he didn't sign some journeyman quarterback to a four-year deal does feel like a victory).

My question is: what is the most likely course that changes things? Here are a few: Gayle sells the team (I think this is unlikely), Dennis Lauscha (technically Loomis' boss) recommends to Gayle that Loomis be replaced (also unlikely), Loomis retires (he's 68), or (not to be morbid) Gayle dies (she's 78) and the succession plan sells the team. Is there something else? – Erik Hymel

Now, THAT’s a question. And an essay. And a morbid rumination on mortality.

To backtrack a bit, Gayle Benson owns the Saints, the NBA’s Pelicans, seven auto dealerships and three collision centers. Dennis Lauscha is the Saints and Pelicans president and has some sort of management role in the dealerships. He handles big-picture financial and legal responsibilities. Mickey Loomis has absolute control of Saints football operations. It’s the kind of quasi-ownership power Tex Schramm held in Dallas in the 1970s-80s. It’s rather rare nowadays for a GM to possess that much autonomy.

Eventually, Benson and Lauscha will become concerned about the value of the Saints brand and how that impacts both the bottom line and Benson’s pillar-of-the-community status.

As you mention, the Saints were competitive until last year. They went 9-8 in 2021 and 2023. They weren’t a laughingstock to the casual observer. That’s starting to change. Benson will not abide being laughed at.

Also … has Derek Carr been completely memory-holed? Loomis DID sign a journeyman to a four-year deal! That journeyman gnawed off his arm to get out of it.

What will other general managers learn from the Saints cap management? – Daniel Winslow

Nothing that they should not have learned from high school Home Economics, or from their parents, or from Poor Richard’s Almanac. Avoiding revolving debt is just common sense.

If you look at how the Bills, Eagles, Rams, 49ers and other successful front offices manage their rosters, you will find that smart GMs have created all sorts of cap management and risk-mitigation techniques. No one but Loomis says, “Herp-derp, time to turn everyone’s salary into a signing bonus and amortize it over four years” anymore.

Loomis runs his finances like a deadbeat dad selling his blood plasma to pay child support. You don’t learn from people like that, except as a cautionary tale and object lesson.

Should Kellen Moore have walked away from the cushy Eagles offensive coordinator gig to accept the head coaching vacancy with the Saints? Would he have been better off waiting a year for a better opportunity than the worst situation in the NFL? Or is being head coach of a disaster for a year or two that significant of a financial decision that it is better being that than offensive coordinator for a contender for another year? – Justin

A few thoughts:

• I think Moore did a fine job getting the worst 53-man roster in the NFL ready to compete in Weeks 1 and 2. Spencer Rattler looks like a real quarterback at times!

• Most new head coaches take over one of the worst situations in the NFL. That’s literally how it works. If Moore passed up the Saints this year, he might be auditioning for the Dolphins, Giants or Browns next year. Sure, the Dolphins/Giants look better than the Saints right now, but it’s a matter of degree, and …

• Moore thought he would have Derek Carr and Tyrann Mathieu when he was hired. The Saints situation looks a lot like the Giants situation if you replace Rattler with Carr.

• A coordinator cannot assume that he will stay on the Hot List for multiple years. And it’s not safe to start turning down jobs. Josh McDaniels gets away with it because of Patriots success. Ben Johnson could cite unfinished business, and he was really rolling the dice. Moore couldn’t risk a reputation as a coattail-rider.

• One of the best ways to become an NFL head coach is by being a former NFL head coach. The league loves retreads! Former NFL head coaches tend to get “anchored” at the coordinator or major-program college coach level. Moore has raised the lower threshold of his career for the next 30 years.

Finally, almost nothing bad that happens to the Saints over the next two years will stick to Moore’s reputation, unless he starts squabbling with players or something.

Moore is 36 years old. Mike Shanahan was 36 when Al Davis hired him during one of his early dysfunctional periods. Papa Shan spent 1.25 years with the squabbling Raiders, got tossed back into the big-name coordinator pool, and reemerged as the head coach of the John Elway Broncos and one of the literal Fathers of Modern NFL Offense.

Moore will be fine.

Transitioning Smoothly to Titans Stuff

What are other terrible coaching decisions that remind you of Kellen Moore kicking a FG on 1st and goal before 2nd half down by 35? – Ori Lauterbach

There were three seconds left! And I am not sure the difference between 38-6 and 38-10 at halftime was going to matter much. I can imagine that Moore didn’t want to risk ending the half on a negative note.

Meanwhile, in Tennessee, Brian Callahan ordered Joey Slye to attempt a 64-yard field goal with the Titans trailing 17-6 midway through the second quarter. While 60+ yard field goals are becoming more common, they remain more of a last-play-before-half strategy, for obvious reasons. Even the Cowboys aren’t like: “Hey, we’re at midfield, let’s just kick a field goal.” Though give them a few weeks.

Anyway, Slye missed. But OK: it was fourth-and-8. The Titans offense is practically a Senior Bowl roster. Might as well try something.

On the next series, the Titans faced fourth-and-1 at the Colts 40-yard line with 42 seconds left. The Colts called their first timeout. The play clock wound down with Cam Ward looking toward the sideline in puzzlement.

The Titans called a timeout. Ward kept looking at the sideline. Callahan flipped his play sheet over as if he were searching for the cocktail menu. Eventually, Slye was sent out for a 57-yarder. The Colts smelled a fake – Johnny Hekker is the Titans’ holder, and the long deliberation was suspicious – so they sent their defense onto the field. Slye and Hekker began waving their arms as the play clock wound down again.

Apparently, there was an issue with the “K-ball,” the special football that kickers use. There was a regular football on the field, not a K-ball. Slye can be seen on the television replay, gesturing about the wrong ball. The Titans claimed that the referees grabbed the wrong ball but didn’t bother resetting the clock. There may have been some confusion about which ball to use because the Titans took so long to select a field goal.

Sure. Fine. But since the Titans already called one timeout while dithering about what to do, they could not call a second one.

Delay of Game. Fourth-and-6. Sure, the refs might have screwed you. That happens. Time to punt, right?

Nope: 62-yard field goal attempt. Deflected! Colts get the ball near midfield, then drive for a short field goal.

Now, THAT is some horrendous coaching. I haven’t seen anything like it since Rich Kotite couldn’t read his two-point conversion chart in the rain.

Curious for your thoughts on the Titans situation. Callahan clearly seems underqualified and overmatched with new game management blunders every week.

When is too early to fire a head coach? What do they do about his dad on staff if Callahan is fired? Does moving to an interim coach actually improve the situation for young players like Cam Ward who need to develop or is continuity more beneficial? – Max Dambach

Callahan’s Week 2 blunder was calling a series of handoffs and settling for a Slye chipshot when the Titans reached the Rams 32-yard line with 27 seconds left before halftime and two timeouts left in a 10-10 game. You can argue that Callahan was protecting Ward, except that Ward had just executed a two-minute drill for a touchdown on the last series, before a Rams interception.

Callahan is a ninny. That said, upheaval is bad for a rookie quarterback, especially in Week 3. The rookie-laden Titans offense needs a stable weekly routine, not a bunch of coaches suddenly taking on new roles or wearing multiple hats. A bad teacher is usually better than a substitute teacher. We can revisit the question at the Week 10 bye, but even that feels early.

It’s not unusual for a father or son to remain on a staff after the other family member has been fired! It’s just one of those weird things that happen in the insular world of NFL coaching.

Please share your definition of “good” ownership, and in your opinion which teams FOR SURE have it besides the Ravens and Eagles? I assume good owners are prepared to write cheques as needed, hire good people to do their jobs, not meddle, but step in when things are going offer the rails? In my view, over ½ the teams in the league have "bad” ownership including Jets, Dolphins, Browns, Bengals, the entire AFC South, Raiders, Chargers, Cowboys, Bears, Panthers, Saints, and Cards. I think the jury is out on the rest of owners. Are the Krafts good owners, or did they simply luck into a GOAT QB and HOF HC? What about the Hunts – are they good owners or did they just luck into a HOF HC and QB combo? The Mara/Tisch and Rooney families probably consider themselves to be good – and old school – owners, but are they really? Thanks. — FinsUp72

NFL owners are, by definition, rich people. Roughly 95% of rich people suck. That figure goes up to 99.9% for rich people with inherited wealth, which describes an ever-increasing number of NFL owners. It’s easier for a camel to fit through the eye of the needle than for an NFL owner to be “good” in a way that satisfies most definitions.

That said, FinsUp72 covers most of the bases: write checks and be the sitcom dad who doesn’t interfere until the hijinks have spun out of control.

I believe in family ownership. An owner should care about the team and its region. The NFL team should be their top priority. Teams with corporate conglomerate or mega-magnate ownership (Rams, Buccaneers) have enjoyed recent success, but I don’t think that’s the ideal model. If the owner owns other sports teams, the NFL team should be top priority: owning the Sabres (Terry Pegula, Bills) is better than owning Manchester United (Glazer family, Bucs).

The owner should know what a play-action pass is. He or she should work from an office in team headquarters. The owner should be able to recognize the team’s top veterans if they bump into one another in the hallway.

Ideally, there should be a team chairperson between the owner and the general manager. The chairperson/president/COO/whatever can handle the legal/community/stadium/advertising organs of the team and serve as a bursar and buffer between the owner and the head of football operations. This individual should not be related to the ownership family by blood or marriage. This isn’t common now, but I think it’s helpful. The owner can wipe his or her hands clean of just about any unpopular decision, serving instead as a figurehead, Man Behind the Curtain, and Mascot in Chief. We mentioned the Saints earlier: if Dennis Lauscha were a Saints-only team exec, he might have reined in Mickey Loomis two or three years ago.

Beyond that, we must accept that winning teams will be perceived to have “good” owners and losing teams “bad” ones. I am not sure who the good owners are. Shad Khan seems like a decent fellow and a shrewd businessman. Jim Irsay had serious substance issues which led to many daffy decisions, but he was one of the few NFL owners you could talk to for an hour without coming away wanting to overthrow capitalism. Robert Kraft seems reasonable to work for if you are not a raging egomaniac, but who knows what his sons will be like?

Ultimately, NFL teams should be run like midlevel regional businesses, because that is what they are. No one wants their Big Boss breathing over their shoulder or showing up tipsy to fire people on Monday morning. No one wants their Big Boss operating out of Stark Tower and deciding their fate by thoughtlessly deleting a line from a budget, either. We want to work for humans, even highly flawed ones. And heaven knows the NFL ownership community contains plenty of those.

TOMORROW IN MAILBAG: Eagles, Seahawks, Edge Rushers, Blocked Field Goals, Kickoffs and much more!