The New York Giants finally found a reason to get this right.
That reason's name is Jaxson Dart, and in the end, Brian Daboll's head coaching job depended on how the Giants' leadership viewed his chances of being the right guy to journey into the future with Dart.
They decided Daboll's road has ended, firing him Monday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Of course, this could've happened irrespective of having found a franchise quarterback. Daboll, who came to the Giants after being a star offensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills, wasn't winning enough games.
But with Dart in town now, the stakes were high.
The Giants had to decide if Daboll was the right man to pair with Dart for the long run.
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Dart has proven he's the future. The Giants traded up to get him at No. 25 overall in April's NFL Draft.
Daboll went with the proven Russell Wilson for three games, but even he couldn't hold Dart out for longer than that, even knowing that his own job was likely on the line.
Dart has been brilliant, if a little risk-heavy in his play style. He already looks like the guy, the next Ole Miss QB to become a Giants star, a la Eli Manning.
The Giants will now look for the guy who can be his partner in what they hope is a long, winning journey.
Some teams in this position would hire an offensive-minded head coach to mesh with Dart. Others would go for a guy whose specialty is elsewhere, figuring Dart has the offense under control already.
Either way, the Giants have to nail this choice.
It's not every year that a face of the franchise shows up in the draft. And Dart, no matter who the Giants hire, can surely win a lot of games for New York.
But to win the final game of the season some day, Dart needs a worthy partner.
It won't be Daboll, and now the Giants have a huge coaching search on the horizon.
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