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Carpe diem for Giants

Hard to believe. The Giants can win the NFC East. As much as I love mocking and savaging them, the opportunity presents the Giants to win the division, even if they do it with a losing record.

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles stink. Does anyone really trust Alex Smith and the Washington football team? Yes, the Giants live in a world where opportunity resides. Life is not fair for the other wild-card contending teams such as the Minnesota Vikings if they miss out while the Giants may make it with a losing record.

Here’s a challenge for the Giants: Win the division with a winning record to prove they are legitimate. If they want to be taken seriously as a playoff team, win five in a row to finish the season that would put them at 9-7. A winning record means progress under first-year coach Joe Judge.

The Giants play the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Cowboys in their final five games. This doesn’t scream murderers’ row, does it? This seems feasible to get it done.

The Seahawks come nowhere close to the Super Bowl team they boasted. Their defense makes it easy for opposing quarterbacks to go deep and pad astronomical numbers. They win because Russell Wilson plays like an MVP quarterback.

The Cardinals are free-falling, and they travel to North Jersey to play the NFC East division leaders next week. That should be another win for the Fightin’ Judges.

The Browns are not your father’s Browns. No matter. That’s another beatable team for Big Blue to beat at home.

The Ravens’ struggles give the Giants a chance to beat them with so many injuries and Lamar Jackson struggling at quarterback.

Yes, the Cowboys own the Giants, and it’s a divisional game, so anything can happen, but let’s be real here: The Cowboys struggled since Dak Prescott suffered an ankle injury that ended his season. There’s no reason for this Giants team to lose to them at home.

The Giants peak at the right time. Schedule and improved play give them a chance to finish the job of winning the NFC Least. It’s on them to get it done.

Giants fans brag about their team being in first place despite a losing record. No one can blame them after watching their team play itself out of the playoffs these past few years. They take whatever they can get, and that’s fine. In a year where nothing is normal because of COVID-19, being in first place with a losing record works.

But the Giants should have higher standards than just getting by. How about winning the division by force as in dominating and not looking back? The Giants control their destiny. Win out, and they win the division. Simple as that.

Win out and outsiders look at the Giants in a different light. The team would be perceived as a team that no NFC team wants to face in January. They would be a hot team peaking at the right time. Everyone stops laughing at them and respect them.

The players and coaches know all this. They understand the sense of urgency.

The Giants can talk about progress all they want under Judge, but the truth remains they have a losing record. A winning record becomes a game-changer. It provides hopes heading to next season. Maybe they can win a playoff game or two or pull a 2007 and 2011. Think of those possibilities.

There should be no excuses for why the Giants can’t get it done. Now they need Daniel Jones to come back for this to work, but it looks like the Giants quarterback may be playing next week after he suffered a hamstring injury in the Giants’ 19-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday.

He may even play on Sunday, even though that could be unrealistic. The Giants won’t be foolish in making him play when they need him for the next few weeks.

The Giants can win at Seattle with Colt McCoy under center. They can do worse when it comes to backup quarterbacks. He can steal a game or two while they wait for Jones. It’s not like he is Cowboys’ backup quarterback Ben DiNucci.

Again, the Seahawks scare no one. Don’t be fooled by their 8-3 record. They almost lost to the Minnesota Vikings and Cardinals at home until Wilson cooked them to a win. The Giants’ defense can make the Seahawks quarterback not cook as he worries about being sacked.

The Seahawks game should provide a starting point for a December to remember. Credibility starts at that game. A game the Giants can send a message that they are ready to put their NFC Least competitors out of their misery.

If the Giants can’t start Sunday, when will they?

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