Giants Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka Lauded for HC Debut

Mike Kafka has earned wide praise for his early work as the New York Giants' interim head coach.

New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The New York Giants' interim praised the way things have run... in the interim.

Mike Kafka wasn't the only one who earned a field promotion in the wake of head coach Brian Daboll's firing, as tight ends coach Tim Kelly moved up to Kafka's former post of offensive coordinator.

A spirited effort against the contending Green Bay Packers in the revamped staff's debut has drawn solid praise, and Kelly joined the fray as the group prepared for part two against the Detroit Lions on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox).

"He did a great job," Kelly said of Kafka. "Obviously, not the easiest of circumstances to kind of take over in that situation. But he did a great job making sure that the team was ready to play, and I felt like our guys responded well to him.

"He went out, and we played hard. We fell short. Ultimately, obviously, we want to win that game. Still, I felt like everybody was flying around for the entirety of the game, and, again, I think that's just a testament to Mike, and he did a great job of getting this team ready to go both mentally and physically."

Kafka and Kelly's first test at the helm was a visit from the contending Packers, one of the seven teams in the current NFC playoff bracket.

It was also the Giants' first full game without any of the offensive triumvirate it hopes to carry into the future, as Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Cam Skattebo all sat out due to injuries.

But the severely shorthanded Giants put up a respectable effort in their makeshift state, keeping pace with the Pack until the very end.

The Giants enjoyed two rushing scores from Devin Singletary and a third from quarterback Jameis Winston, while the receiving load was carried by Isaiah Hodgins, a three-year New Yorker who returned to the Meadowlands last week after spending time in San Francisco and Pittsburgh's systems.

Kelly called Hodgins' speedy entry and progress, which produced 57 yards on five receptions, "one of the cooler things [he'd] seen" during his NFL tenure, which dates back to the 2014 Houston Texans.

"I don't think he got here until Thursday, coming in, learning the game plan," Kelly recalled.

"I know there was some comfort level with his previous experience here, but I would say it's changed a little bit since he's been here ... Isaiah obviously put in all the work to make sure that he was able to go out there and not only know what to do but do it at a high level and make some plays for us."

Time will tell if Kafka is a legitimate candidate to succeed Daboll as the full-time boss.

Still, he'll have his share of worthy opposition to work against: the Giants (2-9) face two playoff teams on the road before going into their late bye, visiting Detroit this week before going up against the surging New England Patriots in Foxborough for Week 13's Monday night closer.

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