So far, the Giants have not had the 2025 campaign they were hoping for. Offensive weapons Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo are out with injuries; head coach Brian Daboll has been fired; and the team is 2–11 on the season, joining the Raiders, Saints and the Titans in a race to the bottom.
That doesn't tell the whole story, though.
Despite the efforts made to bolster the unit in both the draft and free agency, the Giants’ defense has perhaps struggled the most. Indeed, New York has allowed 385.8 yards per game, currently 30th in the league, and blown multiple fourth-quarter leads—two facts that, when taken together, amounted to the firing of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen in November.
Speaking at his bye week news conference on Tuesday, one day after a tough loss to the Patriots in prime time, general manager Joe Schoen spoke candidly about the team’s struggles in this regard and did not mince words when evaluating the group as it stands.
“Offensively, we have gotten better. Run and pass, the numbers are better,” Schoen told reporters. “Defensively, I believe we were 30th last year at this time. That's with the addition of Abdul Carter, Paulson Adebo, Jevon Holland, Chauncey Golston, Roy Robertson-Harris.
“We’re in that same area, unfortunately. To say I expected that, no, but again, it starts with me. We’ve gotta do a better job. I didn't anticipate we’d still be 30th in the league in defense with the addition of those players, but we are. And we've got to do a better job.”
Watch that answer below:
"I didn't anticipate we would still be 30th in the league in defense at this point with the addition of those players. But we are, and we're got to do a better job"
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 2, 2025
Joe Schoen on where the Giants' units are this year as opposed to last year: pic.twitter.com/waEIYnVol9
It was the first time reporters had heard from Schoen face-to-face since Daboll and Bowen’s firings, and he was sure to mention both coaches in his remarks. He also made clear that he does not believe the team is close to competing right now.
“We're at two wins, we’re not there,” he said. “We’ve got to do better. That is what it is. We're two wins.”
The GM also added that he believes the team’s young core will be an attractive asset for any coach interested in the current opening, and admitted he has had as much a hand in the team’s failures as Daboll did. He continued that he will investigate “all avenues” to get the franchise back on the right path.
The team will return in Week 15 to host the Commanders at 1 p.m. ET. In many ways, their season is already done, but a win there could certainly help some morale.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giants GM Had Extremely Blunt Assessment of Team’s Defensive Struggles Amid 2–11 Year.
