The Giants had no business being in that game, none.
Not off the loss a week ago to the Cowboys. Not when they had to fly across the country to Seattle. Not without their best offensive player in Malik Nabers, or second best in Devin Singletary.
The Seahawks should have blown the Giants out – had the buses to the Seattle-Tacoma airport warming up at halftime. That’s what conventional wisdom told you.
Instead, the Giants beat the Seahawks, 29-20. They were the more physical team. The more ready team. The better coached team.
You want a sign this team is headed in the right direction? This is it.
The Giants are far from a Super Bowl contender. They’re unlikely to make any form of a realistic playoff push. They’re probably the fourth-best team in their division, unless the Eagles continue to implode in a way that makes their roster talent irrelevant.
Wins, the rest of the way, might be hard to come by. They’re still rebuilding. You look for signs from teams in the Giants’ position that they’re progressing, improving, not stagnant in their development. That’s with the staff acquiring players and building the roster, to the coaches developing those guys.
Sunday was everything you hoped to see – tangible proof what they’re doing is working.
The Giants’ offensive line has long been this team’s greatest weakness. GM Joe Schoen let Saquon Barkley walk in free agency in large part because it afforded him the financial flexibility to infuse the front with talent.
The thought: The offense would lose a playmaker like Barkley, but the improved front five would lead to more production from Barkley’s replacement and quarterback Daniel Jones.
The Seahawks had three sacks, but one came when Jones was tackled at the line of scrimmage. Tyrone Tracy, a rookie drafted in the fifth round, ran for 129 yards on 18 carries (7.2 per). Jones completed 23-of-34 passes for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also ran for 38 yards. Wan’Dale Robinson caught another six passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Darius Slayton had eight for 122 and a score.
Schoen invested draft picks and cash into the defensive line to make it one of the most ferocious in the NFL. Dexter Lawrence had three sacks, Brian Burns had one on fourth down, and Kayvon Thibodeaux was credited with half a sack.
The Giants dominated in yards (420 to 333) and time of possession (37:22 to 22:38). They sealed the game with a blocked field goal (Isaiah Simmons) they returned for a touchdown (Bryce Ford-Wheaton) with under a minute to play with the Seahawks trying to tie the game.
The Giants are building their culture as much as their roster. Teams that are directionless, rudderless lose this game. They show up, get blown out, collect their checks and head home.
You read stories about ex-Giants receiver Golden Tate having his golf clubs in his locker, that’s what happens when players quit. That behavior becomes the standard.
The Giants were down their top two offensive players (Nabers, Singletary) and it didn’t matter, they asserted their will on Seattle.
There will be times this season where the Giants are simply at a talent disadvantage and lose because of it, but moments like this are why you should be optimistic for when the talent does catch up.
The Giants shouldn’t have won this game.
The fact they did? It means everything.
