There’s a phrase that’s becoming part of the NFL coaching vernacular that simply states: “It will reveal itself on Sunday.”
Ask a coach a question about his game plan, a scheme or use of personnel the answer likely will be some version of: “It will reveal itself on Sunday.”
Well, this is what will be revealed Sunday when the Giants play the Cardinals at MetLife Stadium: we’ll know by the outcome whether the Giants are truly a team maturing into a unit that can make something of its season.
Can these Giants remain focused enough to capture what is essentially a must-win game and stay in contention in what is suddenly a wide-open NFC East? The Giants (2-4) insist they can and will, understanding they trail the suddenly struggling Cowboys (3-3) and inconsistent Eagles (3-3) by just one game with just under two-thirds of the season to play.
“If we just get on a roll and take them one at a time, who knows what will happen,” safety Antoine Bethea said. “That’s the way to get into the postseason is to win your division.”
The Giants were interested observers in the Cowboys’ 24-22 loss to the Jets on Sunday. It dropped Dallas to .500 on the season after threatening to run away with the division following a 3-0 start. But this isn’t about the Cowboys. It’s all about the Giants and whether they can improve enough each week to find themselves in the thick of a playoff race when December arrives. Sunday is the kind of game they need to win to show that kind of progress.
“If we do what we do and communicate effectively, make no mental mistakes, no shooting ourselves in the foot, we think we can be as good as anybody and play with anybody,” safety Jabrill Peppers said. “It’s just executing it for four quarters and playing complementary football.”
The Cardinals (2-3-1) aren’t a pushover. Quarterback Kyler Murray, the No. 1-overall pick in the draft, completed 27 of 37 for 340 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona won for the second straight week, beating the Falcons 34-33 on Sunday.
But this is the kind of game the Giants need to win to start playing the brand of “winning football” head coach Pat Shurmur is looking to build. Despite a 35-14 loss at New England last Thursday, the Giants are an early 2 ½-point favorite over the Cardinals. It’s essentially a pick ’em game between two teams trying to establish an identity behind rookie quarterbacks. Being able to win games like this is part of that growth process.
“I think the important thing is to get back to work and put all our efforts into winning our next game,” Shurmur said. “All of that other stuff, outside, standings, where you’re at, none of that matters.”
Well it does, but the Giants have the fourth-youngest defense in the league, and a rookie starting quarterback in Daniel Jones. Taking what’s taught during practice into a game isn’t as simplistic as it sounds. Teams that can do that consistently play in January.
The Giants have shown signs of growth over the past three weeks. But there’s no reason to get complacent now.
“The focus has been there,” Peppers said. “We’ve just got to crank up the attention to details; the little things that matter big in big moments.”
This is a big moment; a must-win game at home. They committed four turnovers and beat themselves against the Patriots who feast on young, vulnerable teams. But despite playing without RB Saquon Barkley, TE Evan Engram, WR Sterling Shepard and RB Wayne Gallman, the Giants were competitive for much of the game trailing 21-14 in the third quarter.
The next step is to keep their season alive by beating the Cardinals. Whether the Giants are good enough to do that will reveal itself on Sunday.