Brian Daboll’s emotions at the end of the Titans’ loss to his former team were clear.
The ex-Giants head coach and current Titans offensive coordinator was irate inside the coach’s box on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium as he watched his side’s last-ditch comeback effort go up in smoke.
After Giants safety Jevón Holland intercepted a pass from Titans quarterback Cam Ward in the red zone, the CBS broadcast showed Daboll slamming his fists on the table.
The pick secured the Giants’ 12-7 win in Daboll’s first time facing his former team since he was fired midway through the 2025 campaign.
The interception was the final nail in the coffin on a frustrating day for Daboll’s offense.
The Titans didn’t get onto the scoreboard until there was 5:35 left in the game, when Ward threw a TD pass to Wan’Dale Robinson. They nearly went the entire first half without a first down.
The last attempt to tie the game nearly paid off with the Titans on the Giants’ 7-yard line on first-and-goal. But Ward opted to throw the ball after escaping pressure despite having room in front of him to run the ball himself.
“A year ago, we lose that game, 100 percent,” Giants star Cam Skattebo told reporters. “This year, we were able to pull through.”
There had been plenty of buildup surrounding Daboll’s return to face the Giants, though he tried to downplay it ahead of Sunday’s game.
“I’ve faced a lot of former teams before,” Daboll told reporters last Thursday. “It’s a one-week season every week, so you’ve got to put everything you got into it. You’ve got to get ready for scheme, new coordinators on their end, different players. As simple as it sounds, that’s what it is every week in the National Football League. I have a ton of respect for the people in that organization. Very grateful for the opportunity the Mara family and Tisch family gave me. From top down to the bottom, really good people in that building.
“But it’s about getting the players ready for a game. I’ve been on a number of teams that played my former teams before. But the focus is on our players.”
