Are The New York Giants In Trouble This Season?
On Wednesday night, the New York Giants got embarrassed—at home, no less!—by their rival Dallas Cowboys during the first game of the 2012-13 NFL season. Although they only lost the game 24-17, the truth is that Tony Romo & Co. spent the first half spinning their wheels and struggling to get into any sort of rhythm before finally hitting their stride at the beginning of the third quarter. So, the final score really could have been worse than it was. So, even though it was only their first game of the season, should Giants fans be pushing the panic button already?
No. In fact, hell no. As a Giants fan, I wasn’t particularly happy with the way the team played, especially since it was on opening night. But, at the same time, I think the game said more about the Cowboys than it did the Giants. After struggling to finish off games all of last season, the ‘Boys finally came through and broke down whatever mental wall was standing between them and the finish line. They proved to the rest of the league—and, more importantly, to themselves—that they can play with a lead and finish a game out. Good for them.
For the Giants, the game proved that they’ve got some work to do on both sides of the ball and that they aren’t going to be able to rest on their laurels when it comes to defending their Super Bowl title from last season. That starts with making some of the plays that they absolutely need to make—Victor Cruz, you dropped too many balls last night—and ends with them getting some of their defensive secondary healthy. That in and of itself will make them a better team right away and put them in a better position to win in the future.
At the end of the game on Wednesday, two things became crystal clear to me as a fan of the G-Men: One, they’re not going to go 16-0 this season. And, two, the Giants are going to have to fight once again just to make the playoffs in the tough NFC. But, if they can do it, they’ve got the talent in place to make some noise again when January comes around. So, don’t go getting all crazy just yet, fellow Giants fans. The team might’ve gotten embarrassed—at home!—by the Cowboys in Game 1 of the NFL season. But, it’s only one game, and they’re not in any trouble. Yet.
