Pro Football History.com Blog
November 13th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
Halfway through Brian Daboll's fourth season as the head coach of the New York Giants, the team fired him and turned the reins over to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. It’s been a consistent downward trajectory for the team after starting with such promise in 2022 with a 9-7-1 season and their first playoff victory since the 2011 Super Bowl. Since that season, the team hasn’t had a .500 record or better in a season since Week 2 of the 2023 season, a 31-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Today we look at what went wrong in New York during the four seasons, and most specifically during this season. And while you prepare for Week 10, check out https://www.actionnetwork.com/ for all the latest gaming odds.
Quarterback Daniel Jones
By the time that Daboll joined the Giants, there was skepticism if Jones was going to be the franchise quarterback the team had hoped for when they drafted him sixth overall in 2019. Through his first three seasons as a starter, the Giants only won twelve of his thirty seven starts. Things looked so grim that the team declined his fifth year option for the 2023 season.
However, in his first season under Daboll, Jones showed a lot of improvement, posting career highs in passing yards, accuracy, and cut down his interception percentage to a NFL-best 1.1%. This improvement was good enough to come in 11th in the Comeback Player of the Year vote at the end of the season, and hope was high that Daboll had helped fix Jones.
Fresh off the outstanding season, Jones signed a 4-year, $160 million dollar extension with the team. However, in 2023, Jones missed most of the season, only starting six games before tearing his ACL. By the time 2024 had rolled around, Jones would be waived mid-season after ten games.
Giants had hoped that Daboll would be able to get the same type of success out of Jones as he did with Josh Allen when Daboll was the Bill’s offensive coordinator. That never came to fruition, and Jones finally had his major career breakthrough this season with the Indianapolis Colts (8-2).
Running Back Saquon Barkley
The year before the team drafted Jones, the Giants drafted running back Saquon Barkley second-overall. Barkley was explosive right from the beginning of his career, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage. By the end of the 2023 season, Barkley had worked his way up to fourth all-time on the Giants rushing leaderboard with 5,211 yards.
After the season, Barkley became a free agent and had every intention of remaining with the Giants. However, after the front office felt he wouldn’t get his asking price from another team, they decided to let him test free agency (in a discussion captured during Hard Knocks). The result? He signed with their division rival Philadelphia Eagles and posted one of the best seasons for a running back ever, in a season that culminated in the Eagles winning the Super Bowl.
In a difficult season that followed, players noticed the lack of leadership in the locker room amidst a 3-13 season. While the Giants leadership may have underestimated the impact of Barkley on the team psyche, it falls on the head coach to understand the pulse of his team.
This Season
Entering this season, the feeling around the NFL was that Daboll was a dead man walking. The team signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback this year, and that experiment only lasted three games before the team turned to rookie Jaxson Dart. Dart was drafted in the first round of April’s draft, and while he has been an electric playmaker for the team, he has been evaluated for concussions the last four games.
It’s unclear if Dart will be ready to play this upcoming week or if Kafka will be forced to go back to Wilson. With little to play for this season, the team should plan on letting Dart take it slow coming back to the starting line up. As for Kafka, after nine years in the league, he’s getting his first shot at leading a team. With a strong finish to the season, it could be his job to lose.
November 12th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
Halfway through Brian Daboll's fourth season as the head coach of the New York Giants, the team fired him and turned the reins over to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. It’s been a consistent downward trajectory for the team after starting with such promise in 2022 with a 9-7-1 season and their first playoff victory since the 2011 Super Bowl. Since that season, the team hasn’t had a .500 record or better in a season since Week 2 of the 2023 season, a 31-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Today we look at what went wrong in New York during the four seasons, and most specifically during this season. And while you prepare for Week 10, check out https://www.actionnetwork.com/ for all the latest gaming odds.
Quarterback Daniel Jones
By the time that Daboll joined the Giants, there was skepticism if Jones was going to be the franchise quarterback the team had hoped for when they drafted him sixth overall in 2019. Through his first three seasons as a starter, the Giants only won twelve of his thirty seven starts. Things looked so grim that the team declined his fifth year option for the 2023 season.
However, in his first season under Daboll, Jones showed a lot of improvement, posting career highs in passing yards, accuracy, and cut down his interception percentage to a NFL-best 1.1%. This improvement was good enough to come in 11th in the Comeback Player of the Year vote at the end of the season, and hope was high that Daboll had helped fix Jones.
Fresh off the outstanding season, Jones signed a 4-year, $160 million dollar extension with the team. However, in 2023, Jones missed most of the season, only starting six games before tearing his ACL. By the time 2024 had rolled around, Jones would be waived mid-season after ten games.
Giants had hoped that Daboll would be able to get the same type of success out of Jones as he did with Josh Allen when Daboll was the Bill’s offensive coordinator. That never came to fruition, and Jones finally had his major career breakthrough this season with the Indianapolis Colts (8-2).
Running Back Saquon Barkley
The year before the team drafted Jones, the Giants drafted running back Saquon Barkley second-overall. Barkley was explosive right from the beginning of his career, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage. By the end of the 2023 season, Barkley had worked his way up to fourth all-time on the Giants rushing leaderboard with 5,211 yards.
After the season, Barkley became a free agent and had every intention of remaining with the Giants. However, after the front office felt he wouldn’t get his asking price from another team, they decided to let him test free agency (in a discussion captured during Hard Knocks). The result? He signed with their division rival Philadelphia Eagles and posted one of the best seasons for a running back ever, in a season that culminated in the Eagles winning the Super Bowl.
In a difficult season that followed, players noticed the lack of leadership in the locker room amidst a 3-13 season. While the Giants leadership may have underestimated the impact of Barkley on the team psyche, it falls on the head coach to understand the pulse of his team.
This Season
Entering this season, the feeling around the NFL was that Daboll was a dead man walking. The team signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback this year, and that experiment only lasted three games before the team turned to rookie Jaxson Dart. Dart was drafted in the first round of April’s draft, and while he has been an electric playmaker for the team, he has been evaluated for concussions the last four games.
It’s unclear if Dart will be ready to play this upcoming week or if Kafka will be forced to go back to Wilson. With little to play for this season, the team should plan on letting Dart take it slow coming back to the starting line up. As for Kafka, after nine years in the league, he’s getting his first shot at leading a team. With a strong finish to the season, it could be his job to lose.
November 12th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
As we enter the final two months of the regular season, we look at the AFC playoff picture and a few of the surprises that are in store for the final seven games of the season. If the standings hold true, we are looking at a very cold Wild Card round, with three home games played in possibly snowy outdoor conditions based on the NFL data archive.
#1 Indianapolis Colts - Currently leading the three-way tie for the best record in the league, the Colts have come out of nowhere to lead the AFC. Last season, the team went 8-9 and finished second in the AFC South. This year, behind backup-turned-starter quarterback Daniel Jones, the offense is best in the league at both points and yards. This is a feat that not even the Peyton Manning-led Colts achieved, and you have to go all the way back to 1976 when the Colts led both categories in the same season.
#2 Denver Broncos - The current AFC West leaders are a surprise as well in head coach Sean Payton’s third season with the team. The team ended their eight-year playoff drought last year, and Payton has the team hoping for more this year. The Broncos defense has played exceptionally well all season, and is currently ranked third in points allowed for the second consecutive season.
#3 New England Patriots - The current AFC East leaders are yet another surprise to this list. After replacing their head coach for the third consecutive season, the Patriots think they found their new stride with a familiar face. Head coach Mike Vrabel played for the Patriots back in their dynasty, and in his first year has far surpassed expectations.
#4 Pittsburgh Steelers - The final AFC division leader is the Steelers, and while they are leading the division, they have the shortest leash of any division leader. At 5-4, if they fall out of the lead, they likely will not qualify for a wild card spot. Fans have been growing disgruntled with the mediocre performance by the Mike Tomlin-led teams for years, and this year is no different. The team had hoped that acquiring future hall of famer Aaron Rodgers would give the offense a spark in 2025, but the offense has been average all season long.
#5 Los Angeles Chargers - The first wild card spot falls to the Chargers, who are hot on the tail of the Broncos. The AFC West has certainly shaped up to be the most competitive division, behind the stellar talent of head coaches and star playmakers throughout the roster. While the Chargers are likely to make the playoffs, it would likely be on the road against the AFC North winner in a cold or snowy game.
#6 Buffalo Bills - The Bills are checking in as the second wild card spot, but this is viewed as a major disappointment for the team. If these results hold steady, it will be the first time since 2019 the Bills won’t have won the AFC East. Before the season started, we predicted this would be yet another Bills division championship, but the Patriots emergence has surprised many around the league. Having to go on the road against the Patriots in the playoffs may be in the future for the Bills.
#7 Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars currently lead a slew of 5-4 teams competing for the final wild card spot in Liam Coen’s first season as a head coach. The Jaguars have a tough road ahead, with both games against the Colts remaining, a road game in Denver, and playing host to the Chargers this upcoming week. The Jaguars will need a strong finish to the season with the former AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs knocking on the door to the wild card at 5-4 as well.
November 11th, 2025
It’s not an overstatement to say that coaches play an extremely important part in any sports team, NFL teams included. They not only shape the direction, strategy, and play-calling of their teams but also alter how football is played, leaving a lasting impact on the league’s development. Let’s look at the five NFL coaches who changed the game over the years and the contributions they made to the sport.
Paul Brown: The Father of Modern Football
Paul Brown was the one who introduced the first structured playbooks that gave players clear, organized strategies. He also pioneered calling plays from the sidelines via messenger guards, a method that developed into today’s headset communications. More interestingly, he pushed for the use of film study to scout opponents and review performances, making game preparation more scientific and detailed.
As teams are better prepared for games, predicting outcomes becomes more complicated, affecting betting odds for those interested in football wagering. If you live in Ontario, you can click here for Ontario online betting, which also covers NFL betting. Overall, Paul Brown’s methods truly laid the foundation for modern football coaching.
Bill Walsh: Architect of the West Coast Offense
Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense thoroughly changed NFL offenses in the 1980s by focusing on short, accurate passes and gaining yards after the catch, moving away from run-heavy attacks. His system emphasized adaptability, efficiency, and quick decision-making from quarterbacks, especially when under pressure. Walsh’s offense led the 49ers to three Super Bowl titles, reshaped how teams approached passing, and inspired many modern offensive coaches.
Tom Landry: Innovator of Defensive and Offensive Schemes
Tom Landry, longtime coach of the Dallas Cowboys, invented the “Flex Defense”, which added complexity by allowing defenders to adjust according to offensive formations. He also popularized the shotgun formation to give quarterbacks clearer views while protecting them from pass rushers. Landry’s ideas heavily influenced both defense tactics and offense setups throughout the league.
Sid Gillman: Pioneer of the Modern Passing Game
Sid Gillman is known as the “Father of the Modern Passing Game” because he emphasized vertical routes and precise passing before it was widely accepted. His approach forced defenses to grow and increased offensive dynamics, further changing how offenses attacked defenses. Gillman’s influence can be felt across multiple generations of NFL coaches, who learned under his guidance or reading about his philosophies.
Don Coryell: Developer of “Air Coryell” Offense
Don Coryell’s “Air Coryell” offense emphasized stretching defenses vertically with deep passing routes and multiple receivers, as well as moving the ball downfield. As head coach of the San Diego Chargers, his aggressive system scored points at a remarkable rate and changed quarterback-receiver dynamics. Elements of Coryell’s offense remain strong influences in today’s NFL passing attacks.
These five coaches once again proved that having the right, influential mentors with a forward-thinking mindset is crucial to driving success and pushing the limits of what teams can accomplish on the field. Their willingness to challenge conventional methods and adapt to new ideas continues to serve as a model for leadership and strategic thinking in the NFL today.
November 11th, 2025
Decades of watching football teaches pattern recognition that casual fans miss. You know how certain teams perform in divisional rematches. You remember how weather and travel affect specific offensive approaches. You’ve seen enough late-season road spots to know when the market is overvaluing a home favorite. That knowledge has always been valuable in conversation; now platforms like HotTakes let longtime fans prove it through accuracy-based leaderboards without financial risk.
Why Football Knowledge Matters in Predictions
The sharpest predictors don’t just watch highlights. They understand historical context, recognize situational patterns, and know which factors truly move outcomes.
If you’ve followed the NFL for years, you’ve internalized edges like these:
- Historical Matchup Tendencies. Specific coaching matchups have produced repeatable results. For example, Bill Belichick’s Patriots went 3–0 in postseason games against Andy Reid’s teams; defeating Reid’s Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX (2005), his Chiefs in the 2015 Divisional Round, and again in the 2018 AFC Championship (OT).
- Travel/Body-Clock Effects. West Coast clubs asked to play early on the East Coast have historically won about 36–41% straight up depending on the window studied (since 2003), even as against-the-spread performance has improved with modern travel planning. That’s a meaningful baseline disadvantage casual fans often miss.
- First-Time Playoff Starters. Quarterbacks making their first career playoff start win roughly one-third of the time outright (35.4% since the 2002 postseason format) and are 25–40 against the spread in that spot. It’s a real, persistent tax on inexperience that veteran observers account for.
- Fourth-Down Tendencies. Coaching aggressiveness in clear “go” situations matters at the margins. League-wide, coaches now go for it on ~71% of obvious 4th-down “go” scenarios (per Ben Baldwin’s model), but several staffs remain notably below that bar in neutral situations. Context that experienced fans track when handicapping late-game edges.
Turning Knowledge Into Competition
HotTakes turns that know-how into a skill contest. You make picks on NFL games, log a public hit rate, and climb leaderboards on accuracy, not bankroll. Consecutive correct calls build streaks and amplify rewards, so your opinions carry accountability instead of volume.
The Advantage of Historical Perspective
Casual fans react to last week. Experienced fans weigh patterns over noise: teams that peak in November but fade in January, franchises that routinely underperform as primetime favorites, or travel/weather splits that actually show signal. On a transparent platform, every pick is timestamped and permanent, there’s no cherry-picking, no memory-holing misses. Over time, your record answers the only question that matters: does your football knowledge translate to predictive skill?
Building Your Prediction Record
Because platforms like HotTakes remove financial risk while preserving competition, they’re ideal proving grounds. If you’ve spent years studying NFL history, recognizing setups, and understanding how games are really decided, this is validation with receipts. Your knowledge has value; your pattern recognition is measurable; your read on matchups becomes a track record.
You’re not gambling, you’re testing whether those decades of Sundays actually made you better at reading the game.