FootballRegional Sports

Giants open up new possibilities

Who saw this coming?

The Giants pulled an upset over the Seattle Seahawks after a 17-12 road victory Sunday at Lumen Field.

Not even the optimistic Giants fan could have thought that way. Even Joe Judge and the Giants players couldn’t envision this with backup quarterback Colt McCoy leading the way. They may claim they believed they could win the game, but they are full of it. Beating the Seahawks at Seattle is hard to do.

But the Giants found a way on the play of their defense. They made MVP candidate Russell Wilson like Sam Darnold under center all game long by sacking him five times and making him holding the ball too long. Their defense put them in the game, and then Wayne Gallman ran for 39 yards on the Giants first three plays that set the stage for McCoy to throw a touchdown to Alfred Morris, finishing up a 5-play, 48-yard drive, giving the Giants a 14-5 lead in the third quarter. From there, their defense finished the game.

This win shows the Giants are trending in the right direction. The type of win they needed to show they can make a run now and in January. A signature win to show they can finish the season with a winning record. A win demonstrating they know how to win games, which no one could say two months ago.

It’s a credit to what Judge has done as the first-year Giants head coach. His attention-to-detail and discipline now pay off. The wins and the play speak for itself. When was the last time the Giants made bonehead errors? Been a long time going back to Ben McAdoo’s first season as head coach.

Judge now is making a case to be the NFL Coach of the Year. If the Giants finish with a 9-7 season, he should get it after a 1-7 start.

It’s possible the Giants can achieve the goal of winning the division with a winning record. They are 5-7 by winning four a row after that hideous start. They can finish the season with an eight-game winning streak if they win their final four games. The Giants play the free-falling Arizona Cardinals next, and after watching the Cardinals struggled defensively and at times offensively in their 38-28 loss to the Los Angeles Rams Sunday at State Farm Stadium, this is a game the Giants should win at home.

One game at a time Judge and the Giants say. The Giants put the Seahawks in the rearview mirror, and now they focus on the Cardinals rather than getting ahead of themselves of what could be. After the Cardinals, they face the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Dallas Cowboys.

Maybe Judge and the Giants can focus on one game at a time, but Giants fans don’t have to since they are not playing the game. They can envision what’s to come. It’s what fans do.

This isn’t about playing meaningful December games anymore. This is about peaking at the right time when it matters the most. The great teams play well this time of the year in their pursuit of the Vince Lombardi trophy.

The Giants can actually not just win the division and win a playoff game, but they can go far in January. Maybe to the Super Bowl. Don’t laugh since there is not a dominating NFC team out there as we saw with the Seahawks on Sunday. With no fans attending playoff games this year, the Giants can win three road games in a row.

The Giants not only sent a message to the Seahawks and their NFC East rivals, but they sent a message to the NFC that they can beat anyone anywhere and anytime in January. With that defense and a mature quarterback getting it, anything can happen.

The current NFC East division leaders are in a good place. The vibe is so much better as a result of the wins. They play with confidence every week. Players trust Judge for now, which wasn’t the case when the Giants started training camp.

The process is no longer about winning the division. The Giants believe they clinched it.

It’s now about how much better they can be in the next two months.

This team provides more intrigue now than they did a few weeks ago.

That itself is progress.

Related Articles

One Comment

Check Also
Close