Brian Daboll denies tablet flip was meant to show up Giants’ QB Daniel Jones

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll on Tuesday rejected the idea that he was showing up quarterback Daniel Jones by flipping a tablet away in apparent disgust over discussing a 97-yard pick-six thrown by Jones Monday night in a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

“I’m not doing that,” Daboll said.

“I’m just coaching. So, I’m coaching Daniel when he comes off the field. Again, the tablet thing, I’d have to go back and see it. But again, I remember exactly what it is. We were talking about a particular play, and I just tossed it off to the side.”

Daboll pushed back on the idea that he even threw the tablet.

“I wouldn’t throw a tablet there,” Daboll said. “I just tossed it to the side because obviously it was a little bit of frustration but no, I wouldn’t throw a tablet at him.”

The interception came late in the third quarter with the Giants at the Seattle 6-yard line trailing 14-3. A touchdown would have pulled them within four points. The pick-six, thrown behind Parris Campbell while tight end Darren Waller appeared to be open in the end zone, gave the Seahawks a 21-3 lead and blew the game open.

Daboll denied any frustration between himself and the quarterback. Jones appeared at one point to brush past Daboll on the sideline.

“I’d say Daniel and I are in constant communication, so I think we have a good understanding of one another,” Daboll said. “Again, there are certain plays that happen in game where, again, I’m not going to coach everybody the same, but I have a great appreciation for Daniel and how he approaches things.”

Here are some other takeaways from Daboll’s Tuesday Zoom call with reporters.

On the frustrations of Waller ...

The tight end said he “felt like there was an opportunity to get the football” on the pick-six and seemed frustrated as to why the optimism about an offense that looked to have impressive potential in the summer has melted away.

“I’d say that there were play calls for Darren but certainly can do a better job of that. I’d say there was a number of them that we just couldn’t get to. Whether it was the progression, whether it was the pressure, whether it was the read, but we have to do a better job of that as a coaching staff.”

On whether Jones needs to be better at handling pressure ...

“I think that’s just team offensive football. There’s going to be pressure, I’d say, on a considerable amount of plays in the National Football League. Whether it’s free runners, just congestion versus jail break and there’s times where it’s just jail break and he’s got to do a good job of saving the play. Congestion, moving in the pocket, keeping our eyes downfield but again, that’s a team thing, too. Receivers being where they’re supposed to be, line working together, quarterback throwing on time, and we haven’t done a good enough job of that.”

On whether he still has confidence in the team ...

“I think – look, when you’re in this position you tell them what we’re not doing right, you own it, you own it as a leader, and you come back ready to go. Again, not the start that we had hoped for, we had worked for, but a long road ahead and a lot of improvement to be done.”

On how this year has gone so wrong after last season was so successful ...

“Yeah, I would say every year is a new year. I’ve said that since the start of OTAs. And it is. There’s a lot of things that have to go right each game to be successful and right now we’re not there yet. We’re certainly working to be there, but we’re not there yet. And that’s what we’ll try to do this week.”

On whether he worries about locker room dissension after Dexter Lawrence said he might have to ‘hurt some feelings’ among his teammates ...

“No, I know the guys that we have on this team and the coaches, and look, we’ve got a lot of work to do, make no excuses. Not how we wanted to start, but again, like I said last night, I have confidence in the players, I have confidence in the coaches.”