0-3 Giants trying to stay positive
Daniel Jones of the Giants looks on with his teammates in the fourth quarter against the 49ers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Not yet. Not now.
That was Logan Ryan’s answer this week when he was asked if it is time to panic about a Giants season that has begun with three straight losses, continues Sunday with them as a double-digit underdog against the Rams in Los Angeles, and has few if any soft spots in the remaining schedule in which a victory seems like a realistic outcome.
Not now. Not yet.
"It’s the fourth week of the season, nobody is in their final form yet," the safety said. "Obviously, you want to win every week, and we didn’t execute, we didn’t win the game [against the 49ers last week]. We didn’t play how we wanted; like I said, it was unacceptable. But there’s no panic button right now."
About the only thing the Giants have done consistently well this season is insist that they are fine and parrot talking points about getting back to work and following the process. This week, those stellar efforts continued.
"I think the mood is good," right tackle Cam Fleming said when asked about the locker room. "We know we have to work harder and do better to pull out some of these wins. I don’t think anything is going to get us down. I think we’re together as a team and we’re just ready to go out there and work some more."
That’s a philosophy that comes straight from the top.
"I think we’re fine," Joe Judge said of the team’s mental health. "I think the emphasis has to be for our guys on moving forward and executing, and that’s the biggest thing. We have to be better teachers and coaches, and we have to execute better on the field for 60 minutes. That’s really it."
That doesn’t mean they’re happy.
"The mental state, obviously, is we want to win," defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said. "The mental state is trying to get a win in any way necessary. No one is beating themselves up about it. We’re just taking these as lessons we have to learn from and see how we can improve every week. We can’t do anything about the past or the past games. We can only do something about who we play this week, which is the Rams."
Ah, yes, the Rams. The team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. The team with the best defensive lineman in the league in Aaron Donald, one of the top cornerbacks in the league in Jalen Ramsey and one of the most prolific offenses in the league. They are third in yards per game and averaging 29.7 points per game. The Giants have scored 38 points all season.
"We have the best offense in football that we’re going to go see at their place," Ryan said. "It’s going to make a big challenge for us, and we’re excited for it."
And if they come home with a loss, dropping them to 0-4, as almost everyone outside the building thinks they will?
Chances are they’ll be reciting the same football gospels, going back to work and focusing on improving for Week 5 in Dallas. They will be calm, even while the rest of the world around them screams displeasure and frustration at them and begs for upheaval.
Panic? That won't be evident in the locker room or the coaches’ meetings.
Not yet. Not now.
If things go according to plan, even if the Giants don’t win a game this season, not ever.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
