Under Kafka, the Giants played competitive football, losing five of their last 10 contests by one possession before finishing the year with two big wins over Las Vegas and Dallas.
Kafka’s performance as interim coach continued a three-year trend in which he attracted head coaching interest from clubs and he interviewed for the full-time job with the Giants before New York turned to fired Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Kafka also interviewed for the Lions and Buccaneers offensive coordinator openings.
The former Giants assistant will instead join a Lions staff that recently hired former Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to the same role in Detroit — the move was made public Monday — and aims to add his offensive flair to a mix looking for a spark after firing OC John Morton after one season.