Joe Schoen’s job is in jeopardy. Brian Daboll’s job is in jeopardy.
Daniel Jones might have lost his job already.
The Giants are not a team anyone can believe in after Sunday’s pathetic 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold and scorned former head coaching candidate Brian Flores.
The touchdown count for the season so far is Saquon Barkley three, the Giants’ entire team zero.
The fans booed the team into the locker room at halftime as Bill Parcells and the Giants’ legends walked on with a “100 Seasons” banner to honor the franchise’s centennial.
They streamed for the exits when Jones threw a pick-six to Vikings edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel on a bubble screen call by Daboll with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter.
They jeered when Jones came back onto the field with the Giants offense on the next offensive series. The stadium emptied when Jones got intercepted in the end zone by Vikings defensive end Harrison Smith on the Giants’ next drive.
Then the Vikings’ fans overtook the atmosphere with a “SKOL” chant.
In between the third and fourth quarters, co-owner John Mara was standing and pacing pensively in the hallway behind his viewing suite.
He has a lot to think about and a lot to rue. It wasn’t just Jones.
The Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell and Flores coached the pants off Daboll and new Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Daboll’s team committed nine penalties.
Jones got hit way too often behind the supposedly-fixed offensive line. And five receivers dropped passes from Jones: rookie tight end Theo Johnson, running backs Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr., rookie receiver Malik Nabers and wideout Jalin Hyatt.
An 11-point halftime deficit quickly became 21-3 Vikings with 12:08 remaining in the third quarter after Darnold drove the ball 70 yards in six plays.
A Kayvon Thibodeaux personal facemask kept the drive alive early, and Cor’Dale Flott got beaten on Darnold’s 21-yard TD pass to Jalen Nailor.
The Giants only managed a 50-yard Graham Gano field goal, his second of the game, the rest of the way. Van Ginkel’s 10-yard interception return rounded out the scoring.
The Giants (0-1) now limp lifelessly into a Week 2 road trip to the Washington Commanders.
Darnold completed his first 12 passes for 145 yards and a 3-yard touchdown to Justin Jefferson, and the Vikings trotted into halftime up, 14-3, to a chorus of boos from the Giants crowd.
Darnold, the former Jets quarterback, was comfortable throwing against Shane Bowen’s zone-heavy defense with Brian Burns and the Giants’ big-name pass rushers rarely invading his space.
The Giants at least scored the first points of the game.
Rookie corner Dru Phillips forced a fumble by Vikings fullback C.J. Ham, and linebacker Bobby Okereke recovered it on the Minnesota 20-yard line to set up a Graham Gano 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 7:16 remaining.
But the Vikings answered immediately with a five-play, 65-yard touchdown drive built on a 36-yard pass interference penalty on recently re-signed corner Adoree Jackson against Vikings receiver Jordan Addison.
Running back Aaron Jones beat Nick McCloud off the left edge for a 3-yard touchdown run and a 7-3 lead with 3:50 remaining in the first quarter.
That lead felt larger than four points because of how pathetic Daboll’s offense looked early, including a first drive that went for -9 yards, including a delay of game penalty and a Theo Johnson drop.
Jones and the Giants offense managed only 87 yards of offense in the first half. Their only points came on the short field after the Vikings’ game-opening fumble.
One reason was a lack of discipline. Daboll’s team committed six penalties in the first half alone.
Daboll finally got Nabers his first target with 1:45 remaining in the first quarter and his first catch two plays later for a 25-yard gain. But the Giants offense then committed three penalties in the next four plays:
First they had too many men on the field. Then right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor got whistled for holding. Then wideout Wan’Dale Robinson was called for a hold.
Punter Jamie Gillan helped out by pinning the Vikings offense at Minnesota’s 1-yard line with the help of coverage players Ty Summers, Dane Belton and McCloud.
That just meant more passing yardage for Darnold, though. He directed an 11-play, 99-yard touchdown drive, including a 44-yard bomb to Jefferson over top of Deonte Banks down the left sideline.
Bowen’s defense sat back in zone, and Darnold easily hit two more passes for 16 and 13 yards, respectively. Then, on 4th and 2 from the 3-yard line, Darnold zipped a 3-yard slant TD to Jefferson against Banks for a 14-3 Minnesota lead with 6:55 to play in the first half.
On the Giants’ ensuing drive, Daboll confusingly called back-to-back designed QB runs for Jones on 2nd and 5 and 3rd and 2 near midfield, then punted on 4th and 3 from the Vikings’ 49-yard line.
The stadium grew restless because the fans knew what they were watching: a white flag decision by their head coach and offensive play-caller.
The Giants managed to escape into halftime still down by 11, although a Darius Slayton muffed punt caused a scare. He was only back there, of course, because the Giants had attempted to play punt returner Gunner Olszewski – who had been limited all week with a groin injury – and he aggravated the injury on the field before the game.
The dysfunction was non-stop. The fans were disgusted.
This was not a product fit for a day when the Giants honored their legends.
This is not a satisfactory product if Schoen and Daboll intend to keep working in New Jersey at all.