Ex-Giants OL Justin Pugh on How a Head Coaching Change Can Affect the Locker Room

Former New York Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh said the players have to keep their eyes on the prize.

Mike Kafka is set to coach his first game in Week 11 as the Giants interim head coach. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The New York Giants head into Week 11 amidst a litany of change, as interim head coach Mike Kafka is set to coach his first game following the dismissal of Brian Daboll.

The Giants have been down this road before. After a 2-10 start during the 2017 season, the Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo and named defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo as interim head coach.

Such a move by a team made in-season can be somewhat unsettling. Still, former Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh, who was there when the Giants dismissed McAdoo, offered some insight into how the locker room can quickly adjust, noting that the mood can fluctuate.

“It is a sobering experience to see the business of football shine through," Pugh told Paul Dottino on the Big Blue Breakdown podcast.

"When you're not winning games in this league. You always have the potential to be fired or have someone come in and replace you. It is, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ league,” Pugh said.

Business as usual

Despite the shock and surprise that can come when a head coach is let go, it remains business as usual for the players and coaches that remain, as long as there are still games left to be played.

When McAdoo was let go in 2017, Pugh says the players and coaches used the remaining games on the schedule as an audition for future opportunities, even though everyone wanted to remain loyal to their former boss and ensure they might have a job the following year.  

“That was kind of how we all felt in that locker room. It was, 'Hey, if Spags is the head coach, we want to impress him,'" Pugh said.

"If they bring someone else in, this tape is going to show who I am as a player. And I think assistant coaches feel the same way because assistants have loyalty to the coach that brought them in, but they also have loyalty to wanting to have a job the next year,” Pugh added.

Pugh expects that this current team holds the same mindset; if they don’t, the Packers will make them pay for it on Sunday.

“That's the reality of it. And that's exactly what the atmosphere was like the last time. And I know in that facility, it's been business as usual. Yes, there was talk about Daboll not being there, but if they do not prepare to go against the Green Bay Packers, they're going to get embarrassed,” Pugh said.

Kafka has to be ready for his close-up

While the team and assistants audition, Mike Kafka takes over as interim head coach for a team that has underperformed and dealt with injuries on both sides of the ball.

Before, his role was to figure out how to get the offense to execute each week; now, he will have to oversee an entire team.

Kafka announced that tight ends coach Tim Kelwill will serve as the interim offensive coordinator, so he will take on more responsibilities on the offensive side of the ball, but Kafka will retain the play-calling responsibilities.

With Kafka’s offensive workload seemingly remaining the same, Pugh thinks the added responsibilities could be challenging.

“It is a tough situation that Kafka finds himself in because his job was to focus on the offense," Pugh said.

"His job was to focus on putting together a plan for Jaxson Dart and the offense. And now he's tasked not only with putting that plan together, but also with getting the defense to buy in and play in that system. That's a very hard job to find yourself in.”  

Although it will be a difficult task for Kafka, Pugh believes he is prepared for this moment, especially given his past interviews to become a head coach.

“Kafka auditioned and interviewed and had experience going through that process to be a head coach. So, you know, in his mind, he's thought about what he would say to the team if he ever got that job. So I think he was best set to take over that position,” Pugh said.

Quarterback change adds to the intrigue

The Giants' Week 11 matchup against the Packers will also feature a change at quarterback, as Jameis Winston will make his first start of the season for Jaxson Dart, who is in concussion protocol.

A change at head coach and quarterback in the same week is a less-than-ideal scenario, but it is what the Giants are dealing with as they are set to face the Packers.

When McAdoo decided to bench Eli Manning, it sent shockwaves throughout the National Football League. Still, Pugh explained that once the original shock passed, it was business as usual with a backup quarterback.

“When Geno Smith called the play, I'm locked in to do my job on that play. Yes, I wanted Eli out there. And look, Geno is still a really good quarterback. We've seen that with what he's done since.

"But, like, when Geno calls the play, he's the quarterback. The team has to go on,” Pugh said.

There most likely won’t be too many changes to the Giants' offensive playbook at this point in the season. While this may be the case, an interim head coach can still provide a spark that gives an offense new life.

Pugh notes that a spark comes not necessarily from any passion or disdain toward the fired coach, but from a sense of awareness that they, too, could be fired if they do not perform up to par.

“There definitely is a little bit of a jolt to the team, and it's not a jolt of energy because the head coach isn’t here and he's this rah-rah, great human being. It's like every player and coach is like, ‘Oh my God, we're all about to lose our jobs. We'd better go out and play harder, and hungry dogs run faster.' You will see that on Sunday,” Pugh said.

The storyline surrounding the Giants this week will definitely be about the change at quarterback and head coach. Although change is prevalent this week, one thing that has remained consistent is the offensive line's strong play.

“It is a tremendous opportunity for the offensive line to continue to go out there and prove they can play with the best. (Packers outside linebacker) Micah Parsons is one of the best in the NFL.

"I was happy when I saw Dallas trade him. And then you look at the calendar and you still see (the Giants) have to play him anyway,” Pugh said

“But that's fine, right? That you can play against elite pass rushers day in and day out. You sleep well at night knowing you have Andrew Thomas over there at left tackle and Jermaine Eluemunor playing right tackle,” Pugh said.

The changes and losing streak could have the Giants in disarray, but with the young stars the Giants have, and hope for a bright future, Pugh says whoever plays has to execute to the best of their abilities.

“(Left tackle) Andrew Thomas still has to be Andrew Thomas on Sunday, regardless of whether it's Jameis, if it's Russell (Wilson), if it's Jaxson Dart, and you never want to see a young player get hurt.

"Rest up, Jaxson Dart. You've got a bright future. Rest up, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers. The future is bright. We're going to get ready to go do this, but let's find out who's going to be a part of that journey,” Pugh said.

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