Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Giant Collapse

Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Podcast: ESPN New York

Episode Overview

This episode of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg focuses on the devastating collapse of the New York Giants in their game against the Denver Broncos. The hosts dissect the historic loss, assigning blame, debating the direction of the franchise, and fielding fan reactions. It’s an hour of intense emotion, deep analysis, and classic New York sports radio energy—serving both as group therapy and sharp critique for fans in shock.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Historic Collapse: Setting the Scene

• Unprecedented Loss:
  The hosts express disbelief at the Giants’ historic collapse—blowing an 18-point lead with five minutes remaining and conceding 33 points in the fourth quarter, something that "literally hasn't happened in 1,602 games" (Rosenberg, 02:04).
• Comparisons Across Sports:
  Don tries to find a parallel in other sports, likening it to “blowing a seven-goal lead with three minutes to play” in hockey (Don, 01:16), but concludes this is almost unimaginable.

Where It All Went Wrong

• Critical Mistakes & Coaching Decisions:
  The hosts debate the "fateful choice" to pass the ball up 10 under five minutes, rather than running out the clock:

  "As great as the kid played, that decision to throw right was the fateful decision...That’s what happens with the rookie quarterback." (Rosenberg, 02:46)

  • The conversation critiques Head Coach Brian Daboll for mismanagement, arguing he should have protected his rookie rather than going for the kill shot.
• Rookie Quarterback Management:

  “A head coach with a clue would know: I can't put my rookie quarterback in that situation...If the defense gives it up, they give it up, but...make them go 70, 75 yards, not 30.” (Don, 03:38)

• Kicker Woes:
  The lack of a competent kicker and continued faith in injured veteran Graham Gano are cited as fundamental operational failures.

  “How do you go into a game in the NFL without a kicker?...That’s on Shane.” (Don, 10:04)

Organizational Accountability & The Case for Overhaul

• Blame Spread Wide:
  Don and Rosenberg argue the collapse is organizational—a "sloppy operation" reflective of deep flaws in game management, talent acquisition, and coaching leadership.

  “This isn't a one thing. This falls on everybody. There’s a lot of people that have blood on their hands for a loss like that, an embarrassing loss like that.” (Rosenberg, 13:40)

• Daboll’s Emotions and Leadership:
  The hosts critique Daboll for being too emotional (“he loses his...ish against his own coaching staff in front of everybody”—Rosenberg, 06:45), and lacking the CEO leadership necessary for a New York franchise.
• Parallel to Giants’ Past
  Don recalls previous humiliating Giants’ losses—Miracle at the Meadowlands, San Francisco collapse—and highlights how past debacles triggered regime changes:

  “If you want to spin this as a positive...this will be the undoing of this regime.” (Don, 07:59)

Silver Linings & Hope for the Future

• Quarterback Bright Spot:
  Even amid disaster, the hosts celebrate the potential of rookie Jackson Dart:

  “Despite the mistake, you got a quarterback, man. Like Donnie, you got a quarterback...When you see him in the post-game, that’s not an act. I think this killed him. That tells you: you got one. And I don't care who's coaching him, you're going to win with this kid.” (Rosenberg, 12:49)

• Necessity of Staff Overhaul:
  The hosts agree that, painful as it is, the loss may ultimately “be what finally moves this organization into the right direction,” opening the way for better leadership (Don, 24:06).

Listener Calls: Fan Therapy and Frustration

• Vinnie from Staten Island:
  Echoes the hosts’ criticism of Daboll, adds that "if I hear anybody say Kayvon Thibodeau is a good player, I'm gonna lose my mind because he absolutely stinks." (Vinnie, 27:31)
• Tessa in West Caldwell:
  Delivers an emotional “top five” list of “bums” responsible for the loss (herself for believing, the coaching staff, the kicker, the team in the final 5 minutes, and ownership). She delivers a passionate fan perspective and ultimately sees the loss as “the dagger we needed...to finally get rid of them” (Tessa, 31:21-34:54).
• Mike from Orlando:
  Calls for a “clear house” of the entire coaching staff, including GM Joe Shane, for repeated failures to address obvious roster deficiencies (Mike, 45:00).

Deeper Analysis: Conditioning, Defensive Play, and Lack of Preparation

• Altitude and Conditioning:
  The collapse is partially attributed to the Giants’ potential lack of physical conditioning—blamed on Daboll’s light training camps and illustrated by the defense “sucking wind” in the altitude of Denver (Rosenberg, 28:24; Don, 29:07).
• Coaching Panics and Playcalls:
  The hosts cite poor decision-making leading to unnecessary risk, missed opportunities to run down the clock, and a tendency to "look for the home run" instead of steady play (Rosenberg, 20:46).

  “It just felt like panic. It just felt like he got a little too emotional.” (Rosenberg, 20:51)

• Leadership in Adversity:
  The Giants’ lack of a steadying force is contrasted with Sean Payton, “a really good coach who’s won a Super Bowl,” keeping his team focused and prepared for opportunity (Don, 17:17).

Big-Picture Takeaway: The Need for a Real CEO Head Coach

• The Coordinator-to-Head-Coach Trap:
  Don retells a lesson about head coaches—the need to be organizational CEOs, not just play-callers or “quarterback whisperers” (Don, 50:26).

  “It doesn’t matter what you’re good at as a head coach. You have coordinators for that. You have to handle the media, motivate, be a CEO.” (Don, 50:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You saw something that has never been seen before...no team has ever lost worse than that. Ever, ever.”
  — Don Hahn (01:14)

• “This is a rookie quarterback, as we know...horribly mismanaged. This just feels—again, if you wanted to make the case...against Shane Bowen...Brian Daboll made the choice to fire Wink Martindale.”
  — Rosenberg (06:07)

• “The Giants entire season is a suitcase without a handle. It’s right there. They just can’t pick it up.”
  — Don Hahn (23:48-23:54)

• “This is the dagger that we finally needed. Like the dagger that we needed in our side and pulled it back out. And now we’re bleeding out.”
  — Tessa, Caller (34:44)

• “You don’t blow a game like that and give up 33 points in the fourth quarter because of one reason.”
  — Don Hahn (09:59)

• “All you want as a fan is to know that your team week after week has a chance to win. And they did. In fact, they not only had a chance to win, they had a chance to blow out this team on the road.”
  — Rosenberg (48:15)

Important Timestamps

• 00:55 – Opening monologue, theme of Giants’ loss
• 01:14 – Hosts react with disbelief to unprecedented nature of the loss
• 02:46 – Breakdown of the turning point: the choice to throw, not run out the clock
• 06:07 – Debate on coaching decisions, leadership, and staff drama
• 07:59 – Big-picture historical comparison, why this loss could spark change
• 12:49 – Discussion on rookie QB Jackson Dart’s leadership and potential
• 17:47 – Critique of prevent defense, missed extra point, and final defensive series
• 28:24 – Fan call: conditioning, altitude, and defensive fatigue
• 31:21 – Emotional "top five bums" call from Tessa, encapsulating fan despair
• 45:00 – Mike from Orlando: calls for mass firing
• 47:29 – Discussion of ongoing roster issues, especially at kicker and receiver
• 49:46 – Comparing “sloppy operation” as a phrase for the whole Giants organization
• 50:26 – Don’s lesson on head coaching: leadership over X’s and O’s

Tone and Energy

The episode moves between exasperation (“How do you go into a game in the NFL without a kicker?”), gallows humor (Don’s story about eating a peach during the Miracle at the Meadowlands), and rare optimism (recognizing the flashes of promise from their rookie quarterback). The trio’s deep New York sports knowledge and emotional investment drive candid, sometimes raw assessments—offering catharsis for fellow suffering Giants fans.

Conclusion

“Giant Collapse” captures the pain and bewilderment of an extraordinary football loss—interweaving sharp analysis, fan testimony, and the indispensable chemistry of Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg. Ultimately, the hosts argue that the Giants’ miserable defeat could trigger welcome change for a long-frustrated franchise, especially if their new quarterback is the real deal. For fans reeling from Sunday’s disaster, this episode is a thorough, bracing debrief—and maybe, the first step on the road back.