Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast

Hour 3: Protecting Dart

Date: December 1, 2025
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, (Peter Rosenberg—out, moving day)

Overview

The episode delves deep into New York Giants storylines ahead of their Monday Night Football matchup against the Patriots, with a primary focus on the return of starting quarterback Jackson Dart and the long-term implications for the Giants’ head coach situation. Other major discussion points include the psychology around NFL coaching, player concussions (especially concerning Dart), what’s working for the Knicks this season, and some lighthearted banter about the hosts’ lives and “old guy” tech struggles. The hosts field passionate fan calls on everything from coach value to playoff expectations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Moving Day Blues and Life Admin

• [00:41–02:30]
  • Alan shares the stress of moving, relating it to mental exhaustion and how it’s one of life’s most frustrating chores.
  • Don echoes: “When I move out of this, it's going to be in a box.”
  • Sets a comedic, relatable tone as they transition into football talk.

2. Giants vs. Patriots—Jackson Dart’s Return & Big Picture Stakes

• [02:30–05:40]

  • Jackson Dart is back as Giants QB for a game with major implications for interim head coach Mike Kafka.

  • Kafka’s offense has performed well with both Dart and Winston, with Kafka potentially auditioning for the permanent head coach role:

    “I believe he's been given the road to get this job, and if the team performs well and they win some games, I think he's got an excellent shot.” (Hahn, [04:49])

  • Host optimism: If the Giants play as they have recently, there’s a real chance to beat the 10-2 Patriots.

3. Protecting Jackson Dart—Concussions and Playing Style

• [05:41–10:48]

  • Dart’s injury history is in focus: he’s missed two weeks due to concussion; there are concerns about his ability to protect himself.

  • Hahn raises the issue that the team—and its head coach—must find ways to use Dart effectively while keeping him healthy:

    “I also have to be able to protect him from himself...I have to be smart with the usage.” (Hahn, [05:41])

  • Dart’s take on his own play:

    “When I look back at the game, like, there's not a hit where I'm like, dang, I shouldn't have taking that hit, to be honest.” (Dart interview, [06:38])

  • Don questions whether Dart is simply prone to concussions—raising memories of other players like Steve Young and Eli Manning, who had wildly divergent injury luck.

  • The debate: Is Dart’s style the risk, or is he uniquely susceptible? References to Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa as cautionary tales.

  • Quote:

    “Every time you get tackled in the open field and he's wobbly getting up, it can't just be, well, he's got a slide. Well, you can't always slide. ... He's got to be able to take a hit.” (Don, [10:48])

4. Giants Coaching Carousel—Kafka’s Audition & Organizational Direction

• [11:00–13:22]

  • The pod zeroes in on the real pressure on Kafka: even if the interim stint looks good, recurrent late-game collapses would raise doubts about his long-term prospects.

  • Organizational inertia versus the need for a fresh start—owners have voiced opposing preferences about radical change.

  • Notable Moment:

    “If it's something where he just needs to correct the way he's doing things...he'll be fine. But if...when he gets hit, a concussion's on the table...then we've got a much bigger problem.” (Don, [08:29])

5. Knicks’ Hot Start—Coaching Adaptation & Quarter-Season Review

• [15:24–24:23]

  • Discussion pivots to basketball: The Knicks continue to thrive, advancing to the In-Season Tournament knockout stage for the third consecutive year.

  • Analysis centers on Coach Mike Brown “getting out of his own way”—abandoning early-season experimentation in favor of last year’s successful offense:

    “Don't break it. You know what I'm saying? .... He was saying, you know what the problem was with us? The problem was me.” (Hahn, [20:12–20:26])

  • Don and Hahn praise both the humble, adaptive approach and the core rotation bringing consistent results.

  • Fun recall of a memorable Cup game comeback against Miami, enhanced with their own play-by-play memories.

6. Lighter Moments—Tech Woes, Wardrobe Repeats, and Weather

• [27:29–33:16]
  • The show briefly detours into Don’s fuzzy Zoom camera, resulting in mutual ribbing and a rare moment of technical discovery by the hosts ([29:16] “Two old guys figuring out technology.”).
  • Some chat about the struggles of dry cleaning schedules and snowblower versus shoveling exercise.

7. Listeners’ Calls: Coaching, Playoff Life, & “Bum Energy”

• [33:56–52:21]

  • Steeler fan “Al” ([33:56]): Defends Mike Tomlin’s legacy, asserts he shouldn’t be blamed for roster moves, and prefers him to retire as a Steeler; Don counters that Tomlin is “a coach at heart.”

  • Jose in CT ([43:34]): Advocates for pairing Tomlin with a strong OC and pushes back on fan calls for Jon Gruden:

    “Once again, he is not the GM. We cannot blame him. ... I think Mike Tomlin should retire as a Pittsburgh Steeler Coach.” (Caller Al, [34:47])

  • Jason in Daytona Beach ([44:39]): Asks about franchise-building—QB or coach as the true foundation?

    • Don’s take: Great coaches have more often succeeded with mediocre QBs than the reverse, citing the NFL’s historic trends.

    “I haven't seen a great quarterback overcome an average or bad coach. I think you need the coach.” (Don, [45:52])

  • Brad in Montclair ([47:33]): Shares a Barry Switzer story—Troy Aikman squashed a Switzer idea (running the wishbone), underlining how sometimes a veteran team runs itself more than a hands-off coach.

  • Tessa in West Caldwell ([49:14]): Passionate Giants fan tired of mediocrity:

    “We're thriving off of being bums and losers. So we need somebody that season. I don't want to OC. I want a seasoned coach that knows how to win.” ([51:04])

  • Discussion of what it means to be a fan “going week to week,” searching for wins as hope, with the Kafka/Tomlin debate remaining central.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Kafka’s Opportunity:

  “I believe he's been given the road to get this job, and if he. If the team performs well and they win some games, I think he's got an excellent shot to get it.” (Hahn, [04:49])

• On Concussion Risks:

  “Some guys can dive head first and never have an issue. ... Everyone's different. ... There are times they get smacked in the head with a hammer, don't have a concussion, and you sneeze on them wrong...they get a concussion. It is such an inexact science.” (Don, [11:27] and [11:55])

• On New Coaches and Humility:

  “Mike Brown made it clear...the problem was me. I was trying to change something that didn’t need to be changed.” (Hahn, [20:26])

• On Giants Fan Frustration:

  “I'm tired of being sick to my stomach. ... We're bums and we're thriving. We're thriving off of being bums and losers. So we need somebody that season.” (Tessa, [51:04])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Moving Day and Life Talk: [00:41–02:30]
• Giants-Patriots Preview & Coaching Stakes: [02:30–05:40]
• Protecting Dart (Concussions & Style): [05:41–11:00]
• Kafka’s Head Coach Audition: [11:00–13:22]
• Knicks in Cup/Coach Mike Brown Adjustment: [15:24–24:23]
• Fan Calls (Tomlin, Franchise-building, Playoff Hope/Bum Energy): [33:56–52:21]
• Passionate Giants Fan “Tessa”: [49:14–52:21]

Tone & Style

• Conversational, energetic, full of relatable analogies and New York sporting banter.
• Don offers the measured, occasionally curmudgeonly voice; Alan mixes reporting and wit; Peter is mostly absent, referenced amid tech jokes.

Final Thoughts

This episode captured the pulse of New York sports—persistent fan anxiety about coaching, the tantalizing hope (and dread) of a volatile Giants season, a Knicks squad starting to jell under adaptive coaching, and all the little anecdotes that make the show a grab bag of sports, life, and humor. Even if you missed the episode, this summary reveals why Don, Hahn & Rosenberg resonates so much with local fans—they tackle the X’s and O’s just as deftly as everyday life.