Despite a 3-7 record, there are three special reasons for New York Giants fans to count their blessings this year.
The first half of the 2018 season was a disaster for the New York Giants. No one could envision a 1-7 start after all the changes to beef up this team and compete for the playoffs.
But the Giants have won their first two games following their bye week, giving their fans something to cheer about.
Normally, when a team is 3-7, their fanbase has little to be thankful for when it comes to their team. But that’s not the case for Giants fans as they still have much to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.
1. It’s a down year for the NFC East
When teams are 3-7, more often than not, they are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. But that’s not that the case for the Giants. If they’re able to run the table and win out, they could possibly win the NFC East and make Odell Beckham Jr.’s vision a reality.
As of Thanksgiving morning, there’s only one team in the division with a winning record and that’s the Washington Redskins (6-4), but they just lost their quarterback Alex Smith for the season.
If the Redskins lose to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, and the Giants defeat the Eagles on Sunday, the Giants would only be two games out of first place with five games remaining. After Sunday, the Giants still have games against the Cowboys and Redskins so there is still time to make a run at the division.
It would be one of the most improbable runs in sports if the Giants could finish 9-7 and win the division. But thanks to the rest of the division struggling, there is a glimmer of hope for the Giants and their fans.
2. Saquon Barkley
Many felt that Saquon Barkley was the best player in the draft and so far, he’s proving them right. Through 10 games he has 1,268 all-purpose yards and has 10 touchdowns. He was just named NFC Offensive Player of the Week and he remains the frontrunner to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The debate on whether the Giants should have drafted Sam Darnold instead of Barkley will be debated for years to come. But as of right now it’s clear that Barkley has a higher projected NFL career than Darnold.
Despite just being 21 years old, Barkley is mature beyond his years and has already established himself as one of the leaders of the team, and the player that will lead the franchise in the post-Eli Manning era.
Barring injury, he will lead this team to postseason success in the coming years.
3. Recent progression
Often when a team starts the year 1-7 you’ll see a lack of effort and focus by the team. But that hasn’t been the case for the Giants as they’ve won two games in a row for the first time in almost two years. True, their wins have come against the 49ers and Buccaneers who have a combined record of 5-15, but wins in the NFL are hard to come by.
Some fans would prefer the team to tank so that they can get a higher draft pick. But you can’t have that mentality if you’re a player in the NFL. You want to win every game regardless of your record.
The progression the Giants have shown in the past two weeks shows that Pat Shurmur hasn’t lost the locker room and that the New York Giants are still battling despite adversity, which will bode well for the organization going forward.
