Call it improbable or unexpected. The pundits certainly didn’t expect it and even some fans didn’t see this coming, but maybe the Giants’ 6-1 record is a sign that the franchise found the right men for the job to herald the club back to its former glory.
The Giants have had to deal with a lot this season, between the injuries that continue to pile up and some players not living up to where they need to, but New York has found a way to win over and over and over again. And with each victory, it has become abundantly clear that they are a team that has bought into the message of Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen.
“I think the main thing is you’ve got to take it week-by-week,” running back Matt Breida said on Monday. “Like Dabs says all the time, you’ve just got to trust the process. We’re trying to go 1-0 each week; we’re not trying to look too far ahead. I think we’ve got guys on the team that have bought into that. They want to play for each other, play for our coaches. And I think that’s a big key to knowing where we want to get to.”
So far the process has worked and the Giants, believe it or not, are in the postseason mix. There is still plenty of season left to go and there are those that don’t expect their luck to continue going forward.
But even that chatter has died down even with a very tough road ahead of them through the final 10 weeks of the season. After Sunday’s meeting with the Seahawks and a bye week, the Giants will see the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders twice, as well as the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts.
Not an easy road, but the analytical models still have the Giants’ playoff chances very high. FiveThirtyEight has their playoff chances at 86%, the New York Times has them at 86% as well and Team Rankings has the Giants’ playoff chances at 88%.
That’s a massive credit to Schoen has managed to put together a competitive ball club despite some rather tough financial constraints due to previous administrations. That’s also a real tip of the cap to Daboll, who in his first year has put into place a culture and system that has led to instant success and a focused group.
“For us, we’re just trying to get better each week, day by day, corner Adore Jackson said, something that Daboll has preached from Day 1 of training camp. “Even though we do win, there are a lot of corrections that need to be made. For us, we understand that it’s a long season, and we’re just trying to be 1-0.”
In a year that was looked at as one that would be a rebuilding year, the Giants have earned their right to be in the playoff conversation. However, as well as they’ve played and the adversity they’ve overcome, things could go sideways just as quickly.
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Daboll has been equally as strong noting how the league can humble you, which is why he has been adamant about his message all year long.
“As soon as you’re done with this game and as soon as Mondays are over, you put it to bed, and you get focused on your next opponent,” he said. “Which, they’re all good in this league. Every game is hard, you’re going to get everybody’s best each week regardless of what your record is. You continue to prepare the way you know how to prepare to try to put yourself in the best position you can. That’s really all it is.”
