The New York Giants opened the 12 months hopeful that they’d narrowed the hole within the NFC East and would have a good time their a centesimal season with a return to the playoffs.
What transpired is the precise reverse of that.
The Giants went winless within the NFC East for the primary time in franchise historical past. They gained solely a single residence sport and have been pressured to take a seat idly by whereas their former coaches and gamers get pleasure from playoff success.
It has turn into a nightmare of epic proportions.
Over the weekend, the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles gained their respective contests to arrange a divisional matchup within the NFC Championship Recreation, highlighting simply how far again the Giants are from the pack.
As dangerous as that appears, they will discover no solace when wanting on the AFC Championship Recreation, which additionally gives loads of causes for pessimism and disgust.
For co-owner John Mara, your complete franchise, and their followers, Convention Championship Sunday will likely be a troublesome capsule to swallow.
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Kansas Metropolis Chiefs vs. Buffalo Payments
The very purpose the Giants employed the regime of common supervisor Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll was because of their success in Buffalo.
Schoen was common supervisor Brandon Beane’s shut pal and righthand man for 5 seasons. He acquired vital reward for serving to flip the group right into a constant contender, whereas Daboll was credited with the event and success of quarterback Josh Allen.
With out the pair, the Payments haven’t missed a beat. They’re each bit nearly as good, if not higher than when Schoen and Daboll have been on the town. The Giants, in the meantime, are an unmitigated catastrophe.
Then there’s the Chiefs, who’re being led by a dominant protection this season. The person on the helm? Former Giants defensive coordinator and interim head coach, Steve Spagnuolo.
Spagnuolo is aided by one other former Giants assistant, defensive backs coach Dave Merritt.
After which there’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whom former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo desperately wished to commerce up for within the 2017 NFL draft. As a substitute, they remained in place and took tight finish Evan Engram at No. 23 general.
What may have been?
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Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders
The Eagles and Commanders being on this spot is hard sufficient for the Giants, however how they bought right here solely provides extra salt to the injuries.
As everybody noticed throughout “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” Daboll signed off on buying and selling up for quarterback Jayden Daniels within the 2024 NFL draft. That’s the participant he wished.
Schoen was unable to get a deal executed. Daniels went to the Commanders at No. 2 general after which fellow quarterback Drake Maye went to the New England Patriots at No. 3 general.
The Giants stayed in place and chosen huge receiver Malik Nabers, Daniels’ former LSU teammate and shut pal, at No. 6 general.
Though Nabers is a celebrity within the making, the Giants have an empty cart at quarterback. Daniels (or Maye) ought to have shored that situation up however as an alternative, the Giants have been left to choose from the secondary market in 2025.
And eventually, the Eagles…
Led by Saquon Barkley, the Giants’ former captain and offensive cornerstone, Philly is a dominant all-around unit able to creating holes giant sufficient to drive a semi truck by means of. At any given second, Barkley can break off a game-changing run and bury the dagger even deeper into the center of John Mara.
Mara stated throughout an episode of Laborious Knocks that it could be a “nightmare” to see Barkley in an Eagles uniform. Even he couldn’t have imagined how horrifying that nightmare would truly turn into.
Per week from now, we might be speaking about Barkley, an MVP candidate, main Philly to the Tremendous Bowl — probably the most becoming doable ending for the worst season in Giants historical past.
