Chances are, as a Giants fan, you probably aren’t crazy about how little head coach Brian Daboll opens the door to his soul or that of his team.
You have a better chance of getting Bill Belichick to dish on his current love life than you will getting Daboll to show much outward emotion — before, during or after games.
One of his buzz phrases when asked about his team is that he’d prefer to keep it “in-house.’’
Like it or not, this is a method to Daboll’s head coaching madness. He’s hellbent on maintaining a levelheadedness that permeates his locker room and prevents his players from riding the roller coaster of emotions that can often distract them from the task at hand.
What Daboll does inside the meeting rooms, on the practice field and in games is what should matter most. This is where he builds his players and coaches up.
Through five far-from-perfect games this season — the Giants are 2-3 entering Sunday night’s huge swing game against the Bengals at MetLife Stadium — Daboll has made a difference for this team.
A positive difference.
His game plans in victories at Cleveland and last week in Seattle were the Giants’ 12th Man — with no apologies to the Seahawks faithful that have a patent on that nickname.
“His coaching is definitely a difference-maker for us,” Giants linebacker Micah McFadden told The Post.
The Giants need Daboll to be a difference-maker on Sunday against an explosive Bengals team that will come into this game desperate at 1-4 with their season on the brink.
The challenge Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow presents to the defense will be immense. And offensively, the Giants will be without receiver Malik Nabers, their most explosive weapon, for the second consecutive game with a concussion.
This is where Daboll’s creative game plans, his synergy with his assistant coaches and his belief in his players will come into play.
“Mindset and attitude are huge, especially in this league, and that starts with ‘Dabes,’” Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke told The Post. “That dog mentality that we talk about, discipline, attitude, will and grit, that’s real. That’s not just lip service. That’s our team mantra. It’s really just a ‘next play’ mentality — never too high, never too low, just keeping that positive mindset. That’s kind of an unspoken thing.’’
It was unspoken but effective last Sunday in Seattle, where the Giants offense took the opening drive 79 yards in 16 plays, swallowing 10 minutes off the clock, before an Eric Gray fumble at the goal line was returned 101 yards for a Seahawks touchdown.
The stunning 14-point swing could have broken the Giants if they were a weak-minded bunch.
But instead, the Giants responded and controlled the game en route to a 29-20 upset victory in one of the toughest NFL environments.
Two weeks earlier, it was a Gray fumble on the opening kickoff in Cleveland that led to a Browns touchdown and a 7-0 lead just 11 seconds in that could have ruined the Giants.
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But it didn’t. The Giants came back to win, 21-15.
There are reasons for that, and one of them is Daboll and the mental toughness he’s helped breed in his players.
“If you have a coach that preaches a certain thing and you have guys that believe and buy in, then it affects the whole team,” Giants guard Greg Van Roten told The Post Friday. “We had some games that could have gone the other way and didn’t. From the beginning of the season, [Daboll] has been preaching a lot about attitude and being positive and picking guys up.’’
Special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial called Daboll “a tremendous leader for our team and a tremendous leader for coaches.”
“He empowers you as a coach,” Ghobrial said, one week after Daboll welcomed his scheme to block a Seattle field goal to seal the win in Seattle.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who like Ghobrial is in his first year on Daboll’s staff, said Daboll’s strength is “staying levelheaded, because it’s a tough league. It’s not always going to be roses.
“We know there’s going to be adversity every single game. Like last week [in Seattle], we’re sitting on the bench and going to our guys and [saying], ‘We’ve been here before. Cleveland. We were there two weeks ago.’ He does a good job building that resolve within the team, within the guys.
“That’s the culture. Guys play with confidence and we’re getting to the point where we can overcome some things.”
If the Giants can overcome the talented Bengals Sunday night, they’ll be 3-3 and in the thick of an NFC East race few thought they’d be even in the conversation this season.
