There are no Giants remaining from the last time an interim head coach was in charge.
But two people who remember that situation — when Ben McAdoo was fired and replaced by Steve Spagnuolo in 2017 — will be on the opposite sideline Sunday for the Lions.
They can relate to these Giants — led by Mike Kafka after Brian Daboll was fired.
Kalif Raymond was a youngster trying to carve out a place in an injury-plagued receiver corps.
The 31-year-old Raymond, now in his fifth season with the Lions, was a Second-Team All-Pro last season and is averaging 7.3 yards per punt return (with a touchdown) this season.
“He has the elite top-end speed that you want in that position,” Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said. “He has the short-area quicks to make you miss. He’s a dangerous guy with the ball in his hand. We have to make certain that our locations are right, our coverage fundamentals are right and then ultimately bringing a guy like that down with good tackling fundamentals. I think Khalif is a top-tier returner.”
The other familiar face is defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who was a starting linebacker for the 2017 Giants. He played one more season with the Lions before retiring and getting into coaching.
Sheppard spent four seasons under his mentor Aaron Glenn before being tapped to replace Glenn when he took over the Jets.
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“Aggressive,” Giants interim offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said of Sheppard’s defense. “In the schemes that they play, the techniques that they use, there’s a lot of press coverage. If you look at their ’backers … all those guys are aggressive in terms of how they attack the ball carrier and different blocks. They’re aggressive in how they attack the football with the punch-outs, and there’s a definite mindset there for them to go and attack the ball.”
Kafka’s coach at Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald, has been on the sideline at the last two practices. The defensive-minded Fitzgerald has been out of paid coaching since he was fired in July 2023 when a school investigation found him culpable for hazing within the program.
“Coach Fitz is coming up to visit and hang out and be around the guys and around myself,” Kafka said. “It’s been great to have him around. He’s a mentor of mine.”
WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (illness) and CB Rico Payton (illness) were upgraded to limited participants in Thursday’s practice.
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CB Nic Jones (hamstring) was added to the injury report as limited.
CB Paulson Adebo (knee), TE Thomas Fidone (foot), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder) and Cor’Dale Flott (personal) did not participate. Flott welcomed a baby.
Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen suggested slot cornerback could be a week-to-week rotation position between Jones and struggling two-year starter Dru Phillips.
“Nic earned the right to play a little bit, right?” Bowen said. “He’s done a really good job. We got him in there, felt confident in his ability to go in there. So, we’ll kind of see where that goes.”
Bowen said he still has “confidence in Dru.”
