The New York Giants fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen on Monday, replacing him with outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen in Mike Kafka’s first major shakeup since becoming interim coach following Brian Daboll’s dismissal.

Kafka made the move after the team lost its sixth consecutive game to drop to 2-10 this season. It had another fourth-quarter blown lead in a season full of them, with Detroit racking up 494 yards and winning 34-27 in overtime.

The Giants have allowed nearly 28 points a game, have the worst run defense in the NFL and rank 30th out of 32 teams overall. Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.

Kafka initially said after taking over for Daboll that he was not immediately making any other changes to his staff beyond promoting tight ends coach Tim Kelly to succeed him as offensive coordinator. He also held off making any moves following his debut, saying he and his assistants were excited to attack the week.

“I had an opportunity to watch the tape (of the Lions game) and I felt like this was the right time to do it,” Kafka said after confirming his decision. “The results just weren’t where we wanted them to be.

“Charlie has the pedigree that he brings to the defense. He’s aggressive and ready for the task. No one’s panicking. Our spirits are high and confident. No one is down in the dumps.

“We are going to give Charlie the reins to make the corrections that he sees fit for the defense, whether it’s personnel, scheme or communication calls. It’s his vision and how he sees it.”

Bullen, who has 18 years of coaching experience with 12 in the NFL, is in his second season with the Giants. Before that, he was outside linebackers coach and pass rush coordinator at Illinois in 2023.

He also spent seven years as an assistant with the Miami Dolphins from 2013-18, where Giants general manager Joe Schoen served in the front office for a stretch before joining Buffalo in 2017.

Losing a fifth game this season when leading by double digits was enough to cost Bowen his job just past the midway point of his second season on the job. That also happened at Dallas on Sept. 14, at New Orleans on Oct. 5, at Denver on Oct. 19 and at Chicago on Nov. 9, which was the final straw for ownership with Daboll.