Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 3: Daboll's Future

Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Main Theme: An in-depth exploration of the New York Giants' recent meltdown, the future of head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen, and the growing hope surrounding the team's rookie quarterback. Listeners are invited to unpack the painful loss, coaching decisions, and broader ramifications for the Giants' future.

Episode Overview

Hour 3 is dedicated to the fallout from the Giants’ catastrophic fourth-quarter collapse against Denver, focusing on whether the disaster will finally prompt ownership to move on from the current coaching regime. The hosts juxtapose frustration over the coaching with optimism about the young quarterback, debate the value of wins vs. development, and take passionate caller reactions to the defeat and franchise direction.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Giants’ Unprecedented Collapse & Coaching Futures

• Don La Greca opens by asserting that the Giants' collapse—allowing 33 points in the fourth quarter—should be enough to force ownership to reconsider Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen’s futures:

  • "Maybe this finally is the last straw for John Mara and he will find a new coaching staff at the end of the season… You can't win without good coaching." (00:47)
  • References how repeated regime changes can harm a young quarterback’s development but insists bad coaching must be addressed.

• Peter Rosenberg argues the silver lining is that the team appears to have found a legit franchise quarterback, even if he's making rookie mistakes:

  • "He's giving you reason to believe that this guy you can win with for years to come… on the sideline the youngest guy on the field is turning around all his teammates saying 'win the frickin game.'" (02:42)

• Alan Hahn emphasizes that while moxie alone doesn't carry a young QB, this one also has the "gamer" quality:

  • "There’s moxie, but if you don’t have the play to back it up… But yesterday he made a few throws that made me really stop and go, okay... he’s a gamer." (04:04)

2. Balancing Coaching Mistakes vs. Quarterback Development

• The hosts dissect the pivotal interception late in the Denver game:
  • Rosenberg contextualizes the rookie's error, emphasizing the need to accept mistakes as part of the growth process.
  • Don La Greca argues Daboll put the QB in a bad spot on third-and-long, and running would have been the safer call—criticizing "emotional" decision-making over situational awareness:
    • "Daboll should never have put the kid in that situation… The prudent thing would be to run on third down, force Denver to call their timeouts." (04:58)

3. The Dilemma of “Winning Too Much” and the Treadmill Problem

• Rosenberg poses the tough question: if the QB wins enough to keep the team competitive, does the regime survive—possibly prolonging mediocrity?
  • "If you win seven, eight games and you're alive in December with your young quarterback, you're giving Shane and Dable a contract extension… and then you never win because you don’t have the GM and coach to get it done. Where are you then?" (07:26)
• Don suggests that perhaps losing out provides clarity and the chance to reset around a promising QB, making the Giants “an attractive place for people to come.” (09:02)

4. Coaching Market Outlook and Realistic Options

• Discussion of potential replacements: Ben Johnson (Bears), Vrabel (Patriots), Tomlin (Steelers), Harbaugh (Ravens), and the appeal of college "next McVey/Shanahan" types.
• Don insists not to keep a bad regime just because of a lack of better options, while Rosenberg acknowledges the difficulty of finding "the guy":
  • "That doesn't give a reason to stick with what you have when you clearly see it does not work." (11:03)

5. Remaining Schedule and Daboll’s Job Security

• They analyze the remaining ten games and what record would (or wouldn’t) save Daboll:
  • “You win half of them, that gives you seven wins.” (13:31 – Peter)
  • Consensus is that 6–7 wins aren’t enough, especially when losses look like “giveaways” due to coaching. (15:02)
• Don reiterates: "I always say this. I need to see what it looks like... if they all look like the kid saved the day, the coach don’t know what he’s doing—does it really matter what the record is?" (15:09)

6. Ownership, GM Accountability, and Kicking Game Woes

• The kicker fiasco becomes a flashpoint for GM Joe Schoen—how could they go into the game unprepared when Gano’s injury had been an issue for weeks? (17:44–19:20)
• Alan gives a partial defense: “He’s not the only one. Every week in this league there are a few teams where you get to the kicker and they go up, ‘well, let’s hope for the best.’” (19:20)

7. Caller Reactions: Collective Therapy & Second-Guessing

• Robbie from Lenox, MA delivers a fiery historical rant, comparing the loss to legendary football gaffes:
  • "33 points in the fourth quarter is the most embarrassing thing… This is Russell Wilson throwing the ball in the Super Bowl. This is Shanahan blowing three Super Bowls with stupidity. You don't put the ball in the air if you don't have to." (23:52–27:42)
• Robbie pins blame on “three blind mice”—Daboll, Kafka, and Bowen—calls for smarter, situational coaching.
• Don agrees, turning the focus to the modern NFL’s obsession with analytics over “feel for the game.”
• Chris from Barnegat and other callers voice ideas for replacements and lament ownership's alleged frugality (but Don disputes that label).

8. The Larger Coaching Conversation

• The hosts debate Jon Gruden as a hypothetical candidate but ultimately dismiss him as too far removed from modern NFL success (39:24–41:15).
• They list the greatest fourth-quarter collapses in football, placing the Giants’ debacle in context. (42:16–44:13)
• The discussion moves to whether the Jets and Giants should demand proven, experienced head coaches (when there’s no salary cap for coaches) or stick with developmental names.

9. Jets Sidebar

• Brief aside to compare the Giants’ coaching predicament to the Jets and Aaron Glenn, noting historical offensive ineptitude (46:13–48:07).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Don La Greca (00:47):

  • "Maybe this finally is the last straw for John Mara and he will find a new coaching staff at the end of the season…You can't win without good coaching. You can't. I don't care how good your quarterback is. Let's not forget Patrick Mahomes has Andy Reid. That's a big deal."

• Peter Rosenberg (02:42):

  • "I think after four weeks of him starting even with all the mistakes that he has made…. You know you're going to live through it. But what he's giving you is not only a shot of adrenaline…he's giving you reason to believe that this guy you can win with for years to come because of what he's made of."

• Alan Hahn (04:04):

  • "He made a few throws that made me really stop and go, okay. Now I don’t know, it’s way too early to know what level this kid can get to, but he’s a gamer."

• Caller Robbie (26:56):

  • "This is a transition between John McVeigh right in the beginning of George Young and Ray Perkins and then Bill Parcells. If this talent group had anything of a coaching staff, it would be much better…All you have to do is force timeouts. That is football 101. ABC. How could you consider yourself an NFL coach?"

• Don La Greca (31:46):

  • "I’m not interested at that point. Yeah, I’d love to get the first down, but right now my goal is to make them use their timeout. And it becomes a field position game."

Important Timestamps

• 00:47-02:42 – Don’s opening on the Giants’ collapse and the possible end of the Daboll/Schoen regime.
• 02:42-04:39 – Rosenberg and Hahn discuss the quarterback’s moxie and potential.
• 04:58-07:24 – Debate over the late-game interception and Daboll’s situational decision-making.
• 09:59-11:03 – Coaching carousel options and the challenge of finding “the guy.”
• 13:31-16:00 – What record (if any) would save the current staff?
• 17:44-19:57 – Discussion on the kicker issue and GM accountability.
• 23:51-27:42 – Robbie’s historical breakdown and coaching rant.
• 32:11-34:20 – Philosophical debate about coaching by perception vs. situation.
• 39:24-41:15 – Jon Gruden as a hypothetical hire.
• 42:16-44:13 – Greatest fourth-quarter collapses in football history.

Tone & Language

The hosts are deeply passionate, veering from frustrated exasperation to hopeful optimism. The tone balances hardcore sports talk radio with therapy for exasperated Giants fans. Confrontational, candid, and occasionally cathartic, the conversations are filled with rapid-fire interjections, strong opinions, and sardonic humor.

Summary Takeaway

This episode encapsulates the agony of blowing a winnable game, the existential dread of being stuck in mediocrity, and the tantalizing hope that maybe, just maybe, the quarterback is finally for real. The hosts pull no punches on coaching blunders, ponder the landfill of NFL retread coaches, and articulate both the pain and resilience of the New York fanbase. If you want unfiltered, intelligent, and emotionally honest New York sports talk, this is the hour to catch.