Shane Bowen’s Defense Has Been A Huge Failure For New York Giants — And He Knows It

If there was any reason to be bullish on the 2025-26 New York Giants, it was their revamped defense — namely, an impressive D-Line.

But two weeks in, none of that has mattered. The Giants sit in an embarrassing 0-2 hole, largely because their defense has surrendered 61 points across those two games.

Week 1’s heartbreaker against the Cowboys was especially painful. The Giants saw the final play coming — a push to set up Brandon Aubrey for a game-winning kick — yet still failed to stop it. Bowen admitted to blowing that call, which allowed Dallas to reach field-goal range and seal the overtime loss.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.(Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"All of us are accountable for it, right? To everything. Obviously, I’m accountable to that and that call," Bowen said. "I told ’em, ‘I wish I woulda been a little bit tighter, made a little bit different call for you guys.’"

"I gotta be better, wish we would have been better," Bowen told reporters this week (via the New York Post), unable to hide from his defense’s sloppy start. "Hopefully, we can move on and progress from it and learn from it and be better … feel for them."

Now on the early-season hot seat, Bowen faces heavy scrutiny as his defense squanders the benefits of a major offseason talent boost — including the acquisition of Brian Burns, the drafting of Abdul Carter, and the additions of secondary standouts Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo. 

When asked about pressure on his job, Bowen said, "I feel pressure to do my job, right? Like, I feel pressure to do my job. I’m here for the guys. … I’m in charge of that group. And between me, the defensive staff, the players, we got things we gotta fix. We understand that, we’re working hard to find solutions, to make adjustments where needed."

Heading into Week 3’s Sunday Night Football matchup with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, no one in New Jersey — Aaron Glenn included — needs a bigger bounceback than Bowen.

While not perfect, the Giants’ offense at least held its own, putting up 37 points against Dallas in Week 1. In fact, New York leads the league in passing yards per game (289.5).

The Brian Daboll-Joe Schoen experiment continues to crumble, and eyes are now on Giants ownership: either step in with firings or watch the ship sink for yet another season.

For all his flaws, former DC Wink Martindale could at least generate a pass rush with far less talent than Bowen has at his disposal.

This week, social media buzzed with rumors that star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is growing frustrated with the lack of winning after six years in New York. The truth is, if not for the giant Giants tattoo on his arm, Lawrence might already be gone — just as All-Pro talents like Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney walked out the door.

Dexter Lawrence II of the New York Giants speaks to the press during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on July 23, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

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