For Giants, it's a win-&-incredible feeling that awaits them

Everything the Giants possibly could have dreamed about is right before their eyes. 

With a win over the Colts on Sunday, the Giants will rejoin the contenders and leave behind the pretenders.  

This is everything for the Giants, in their first season under general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll. 

With a win, tears of joy. 

With a loss, complete exasperation and angst. 

Let’s face it: Door #1 is the only acceptable choice for the Giants. 

Just ask Leonard Williams, who has spent a combined eight years as a Jet and Giant with no playoff appearances to date. The Jets got close but lost when Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three fourth-quarter interceptions as Buffalo foiled the Jets' playoff bid in the 2015 season finale.  

This next opportunity is one Williams doesn’t want to squander. 

“It means a lot to me,” he said. “I’m in Year 8; it’s obviously been a long time in the league to not go to the playoffs. That’s been a very tough part of my career and it would mean a lot to me to be able to go with these guys that I’ve been grinding with for the last few years. I’ve seen a lot of these guys here; I know a lot of these guys here now pretty well. It’d mean a lot for me, and also a lot for me to see them go as well.” 

If the Giants do punch their playoff ticket, Williams will have earned it. 

“I’ve never been a fan of wanting to be a [veteran player] and jump to a team that are Super Bowl contenders, almost like bandwagon-jumping type of thing,” he said. “It wouldn’t feel as good to me. Being on a team like this where I’ve seen the ups and downs and I’ve known these guys pretty well, I know how much of a struggle we’ve been going through and stuff like that. So to be able to go with a team like that means a lot more to me.” 

The Giants (8-6-1) are home favorites, and deservedly so. While they and their fans are focused on securing a playoff spot for the first time since 2016 and the second time since 2011, the Colts (4-10-1) are looking at draft position. Indianapolis has lost five in a row after winning interim coach Jeff Saturday's debut in Week 10. 

While Daniel Jones has started every game at quarterback for the Giants, the Colts have had a revolving door at the position. 

Matt Ryan played in seven games before getting benched for Sam Ehlinger, who played in two before Ryan started the next five. Nick Foles became the Colts' third starting quarterback last week, and he threw three interceptions and was sacked seven times in a 20-3 loss to the Chargers on Monday night. Foles will start at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. 

Asked about the seven sacks, Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale initially chalked it up to Foles not playing all season and said he likely will show improvement against the Giants.  

“So it’s going to do nothing but get better for him, seeing things, going at a faster pace of it,” Martindale said. “But there’s definitely blood in the water.'' 

Colts quarterbacks have been sacked 56 times, the second most this season.  

Martindale’s most important call on Sunday might be: “Sic 'em!” 

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.