All a coach can do is make the call, then watch what transpires.
The gameday responsibilities for Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka center around signaling the plays into the quarterback, in this case, Jaxson Dart. That is Step 1. Well actually, Step 1 is for Kafka to select the play he wants to go with. Then, Step 2 is relaying that call to Dart via the radio transmitter in the helmet of the quarterback.
And so, when Kafka called in a flea-flicker in the second quarter of last week’s 26-14 loss in New Orleans, it caused a ripple effect with Dart, running back Cam Skattebo (he would take the handoff and shovel the ball back to Dart), the offensive linemen and wide receiver Darius Slayton, the intended target on the play. If it all synced up properly, the Giants might have a big play for themselves.
Right guard Greg Van Roten got pushed back by a Saints defensive lineman, but that did not disrupt the entire flow of the play. Skattebo got the ball, got it back to Dart, and Slayton was running free deep down the field — Saints safety Terrell Burgess bit on the handoff. Dart did not step into the throw the way he needed to — he was flat-footed — and the pass was underthrown, allowing Burgess to recover and make the pass breakup. Perhaps Slayton could have battled more fervently to come up with the ball.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
