Four things New York Giants fans can be thankful for this year

Unlike the previous three seasons, there are several things New York Giants fans can be thankful for this year.

As we all get ready to give thanks and enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner amid this difficult year, New York Giants fans can surely be thankful for the strides their team has recently made.

No, you can’t take pride in having a 3-7 record, but for the first time in years, the team is finally making some progress.

Let’s take a look at why fans can be thankful for the current state of Big Blue.

Joe Judge

From the moment Joe Judge was introduced as head coach, he’s had a firm grasp on the team and culture he’s trying to build. It took over a month for him to earn his first win, but the Giants have been competitive in almost every game.

Unlike Giants teams of recent years, this specific one is physical, fundamentally sound, and pays attention to every small detail. This is a reflection of Judge and his coaching staff. Judge has even spent more time with the offensive line, which explains why it’s made improvements over the last month.

It’s too early to officially declare him a savior, but it seems like ownership found the right man to lead their team.

Dave Gettleman’s free-agent acquisitions

Dave Gettleman has been under scrutiny during his tenure as Giants general manager, and rightfully so — some of his draft picks and free-agent signings haven’t panned out whatsoever.

But the key free-agent signings he’s made this year in James Bradberry, Blake Martinez, and Logan Ryan are why the Giants once again employ a solid defense.

Bradberry and Martinez are poised to earn their first Pro Bowl nods, and Ryan is likely the team’s most versatile defender. Although the NFC East has been historically bad this season, it’s hard to envision the Giants being contenders without these three players.

An improving offensive line

Gettleman said after the draft that he wanted to fix the offensive line once and for all. Well, for the first month of the season, that specific unit looked as bad as any we’ve seen in recent history.

But since then, the offensive linemen have made significant strides, especially rookies Andrew Thomas, Matt Peart, and Shane Lemieux. Daniel Jones has possessed more time to throw the ball and the unit is creating holes for Wayne Gallman. Rookies improve with experience, so the best is yet to come with this young group.

They’re in the NFC East

If the Giants were in any other division, they would have no chance of making the playoffs. But since they reside in the putrid NFC East, they’re within a half-game of first place.

While the other three ballclubs seem to be descending, the Giants are developing and have been the best team in the division for the last month or so.

With the Giants sporting a young roster, the improvements they’ve made not only bode well for their 2020 playoff chances, but their overall future as well. It’s been nine long years since the Giants last won a division title, and they seem poised to conclude that drought this season.