Despite Record, Joe Judge Says Giants Are Moving in the Right Direction
Bill Parcells, the Giants Hall of Fame head coach, always used to say, "You are what your record says you are."
But don't tell that to Giants head coach Joe Judge, whose team is currently 1-6, which puts them in last place in the division and, if the season were to end today, would give them the No. 2 overall pick in the draft next spring.
The Giants, who since 2016 have won 13 games, have struggled to get over the hump in proving they know what it takes to win. Whether it's a costly mistake or some other twist of fate, the Giants haven't been good enough to overcome the adversity of what's been thrown their way on the field.
But don't tell Judge that. No, the 38-year-old eternal optimist has insisted every week that the Giants have made progress and are not stuck in any psychological rut that prevents them from winning games.
“I don’t see the obstacle with believing they can win. I see these guys have confidence in each other as a team by the way they work on a daily basis and attack each game,” Judge said.
Although the Giants are off to a 1-6 start, that record could have easily been a lot better, as other than a Week 3 blowout by the 49ers, the Giants have been close in every game they have played.
“I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: The 'learning how to win' to me is really more about learning how to execute for 60 minutes consistently throughout the game,” Judge said.
“Really, it’s the sum of what you do throughout the game that leads to the totals right there. We’ve had opportunities, we have to make sure we make more of them. We have to clean up some mistakes that have put us behind in the past.”
Safety Nate Ebner, who with the Patriots has seen what it takes to win, said that while the results haven’t been what anyone wanted, there is no quit in the locker room.
“We can say what we want about the work we put in, but ultimately, we’re just trying to get the outcome that we strive for,” he said.
“Obviously, it’s been disheartening with some of the results, but I can tell you that the work is to the maximum every week and it continues to be so. Guys really want to get the outcomes that we work so hard for.”
Almost weekly, Judge has insisted that the Giants have shown improvement, and he reiterated that point when he spoke to the media Tuesday.
He sees his long-term vision for the team starting to take shape and insists that the team is on the right track despite the won-loss record.
“The culture we’re building, the foundation we’re laying right now, I see improvement across the board from all the players on a daily basis,” he insisted. “The way they come to work and the way they fight on a weekly basis is what we’re looking for.”
At the same time, Judge understands that the fan base, which hasn’t had much to smile about when it comes to Giants football, is impatient.
“We’re not asking the fans to go ahead and be happy with mediocre results. We want to go out there and we want to win for the fans, we want to win for this organization,” Judge said.
“Our players work hard every week to have tangible results. I see improvement; they see improvement.
"We also understand as an organization, we have to do better to give ourselves the opportunities to finish all the games we’ve been in. Our guys have shown they can fight for 60 minutes, that they can play through adversity, they can play in comeback situations. We can get a lead, we have to fight to maintain and capitalize on those leads."
Although the Giants have been their own worst enemy when it comes to finishing games, Judge reiterated the team has come a long way from Day 1.
“I know we’re a better team today than we were 10 days ago. I know we’re a better team today than we were in Week 1. I know we’re a better team today than we were in training camp,” he said.
“So is every other team, so we have to keep making progress and developing long term. When you look at the players we’re building with, I see a lot of progress and I see us moving in the right direction.”