Logo

Giants Push Reset on Defense: Why Belief in First-Time Play-Caller Charlie Bullen Could Change Everything

Giants Push Reset on Defense: Why Belief in First-Time Play-Caller Charlie Bullen Could Change Everything


Mike Kafka Turns to Charlie Bullen as Giants Seek Defensive Reset - The  Forkball

The New York Giants are pressing the emergency button — again. After another defensive collapse, highlighted by a brutal loss to the Detroit Lions, the Giants fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. In his place steps Charlie Bullen, a 40-year-old assistant suddenly thrust into one of the toughest jobs in the NFL: fixing a defense many view as the league’s worst, and doing it as a first-time play-caller.

Bullen’s promotion is not about pedigree or reputation — it’s about urgency. The Giants couldn’t wait. Their run defense has been gashed weekly, with wide-open lanes and missed tackles becoming a familiar sight. Worse, New York has repeatedly failed to close games, watching fourth-quarter leads disappear. With the season slipping away, the organization needed change now, not later.

For Bullen, the opportunity is about belief as much as scheme. This isn’t about installing a brand-new defense overnight — it’s about unlocking what this roster already does well. Get the players aligned, shut down the run up front, and suddenly this Giants unit has a chance to flip the script fast. That’s where real change, he believes, truly begins.

Previously the Giants’ outside linebackers coach, Bullen has never officially called defensive plays on game day. But he hasn’t walked into this role unprepared. He’s been deeply involved in weekly planning, adjustments, and in-game conversations. Interim head coach Mike Kafka believes that preparation — and Bullen’s command of the locker room — made him the right choice. “Charlie has earned this opportunity,” Kafka said.

At the core of Bullen’s approach is a simple philosophy: players over plays. He isn’t promising a radical schematic overhaul. Instead, he wants to put players in positions that highlight their strengths. “We have to stop the run. That’s priority No. 1,” Bullen said, acknowledging the Giants’ most glaring weakness.

That belief carries weight inside the locker room, particularly among the Giants’ edge rushers. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Azeez Ojulari — all players Bullen coached directly — have voiced strong support. Burns put it plainly: “He’s got the juice. The guys love him.”

Defensive leader Dexter Lawrence echoed that confidence. “We believe in Bull. He’s been here, he knows us, he knows what we can do,” Lawrence said. Bullen’s first test arrives immediately Monday night against the New England Patriots — and for the Giants, it’s no longer just about fixing a defense. It’s about restoring belief before the season slips away for good.

4 views
Not a Touchdown, Not a Win – The Sideline Moment When He Recognized His Childhood Soulmate, and What Happened Next That Made the Entire NFL Respect Josh Allen and Showed Buffalo a True Leader
Buffalo, New York – Ahead of a practice session preparing for the Week 15 matchup against the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills’ facility moved at its usual pace: intense focus, urgency, and precision. But along the sideline, a very human moment quietly unfolded — and soon echoed across the NFL. During warmups, Josh Allen suddenly stopped. His eyes turned toward the low stands near the field, where a familiar face was waiting. Not a fan asking for an autograph. Not a camera. It was a childhood soulmate — someone who stood beside Allen long before he became an NFL star, before the lights and the cheers existed. The clip capturing that moment spread quickly: Allen walking over, embracing his old friend, exchanging a few short words, then taking a photo together. No script. No performance. Just a hug rooted in memory. For Bills Mafia, the image reflected exactly why they believe in their quarterback — a leader who never let fame erase who he truly is. HEARTWARMING: #Bills superstar QB Josh Allen spotted his high school friend on the sideline before the game and made sure to over and take pictures with them.👏This is awesome.pic.twitter.com/g9vnuKLBDX — MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 13, 2025 But the story did not end with the clip. According to those present, that evening Josh Allen personally invited his childhood friend to dinner — a simple meal meant to reconnect after years of life pulling them in different directions. And the next day, Allen took it a step further: he gifted his friend a ticket to Gillette Stadium, inviting him to attend and support the Bills in their Week 15 showdown against the Patriots — one of the most emotional matchups for Buffalo. “I wouldn’t be standing where I am today without the people who believed in me from the very beginning, the ones who still remind me who I was before the lights and the cheers — and seeing them again at a moment like this means more to me than any moment on the field.” Inside the locker room, teammates were not surprised. This is the Josh Allen they know — a leader who shows who he is through actions, not speeches. For Buffalo, inviting a childhood friend to dinner and bringing him to Gillette wasn’t about generosity. It was loyalty to the values that shaped Allen from the start. And for the NFL, the moment served as a powerful reminder: greatness is not defined only by touchdowns or wins. Sometimes, it comes from recognizing your past in the middle of a shining present, and choosing to honor it through simple but meaningful actions. Not a touchdown.Not a win. But enough to earn respect across the league — and to show Buffalo clearly that it is led by a true leader.