The top assistant coaches for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys have more on their plate this weekend than just divisional playoff games. Teams with head coaching vacancies will be interviewing offensive and defensive coordinators who are still in search of this year’s Super Bowl.
The Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts all fired their head coaches during the 2022 season The Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans made changes after the Week 18 finale. All five teams have been linked to coordinators who will be working during the divisional playoffs.
New York could potentially lose both of its top assistants in 2023. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will interview with Colts, Panthers and Texans Sunday, NFL Network reports. Indianapolis is set to speak with Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale Sunday.
The interviews will come only a few hours after New York tries to punch its ticket to the NFC Championship Game. The Giants and Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to play at 8:15 p.m. ET Saturday night.
The Dallas Cowboys visit the San Francisco 49ers Sunday night in the second NFC divisional playoff game. Assistants for both teams have interviews scheduled before this weekend’s action gets underway.
The Broncos and Colts are interviewing Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn Friday, according to NFL Network. San Francisco defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is interviewing with Houston Friday, one day after completing an interview with Denver. The Cardinals are also expected to interview Ryans before the 49ers host the Cowboys.
Ryans has been a 49ers assistant since 2017 and was elevated to defensive coordinator for the 2021 season. San Francisco finished third overall a year ago. This season, the 49ers gave up the fewest yards and points.
Dallas has finished seventh and fifth in scoring defense under Quinn. The defensive coordinator is the only aforementioned candidate who has experience as a full-time NFL head coach. Quinn went 43-42 with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020, making a trip to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season.
New York’s coordinators are 24 years apart, though neither one has been an NFL head coach. Kafka is a rookie offensive coordinator after spending four seasons as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback coach. Martindale has been an NFL assistant for nearly two decades and spent 2018-2021 as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator.
Under rookie head coach Brian Daboll, the Giants’ coaching staff helped New York win five more games than it did a season ago.
