Giants Seek to Remain in Control of Their Own Playoff Destiny

The playoffs are right there within reach for the Giants if they stick to the plan head coach Brian Daboll presented them with on Day 1.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Nov 30, 2022 11:24 AM EST

"Carpe diem!"

That famous Latin phrase, which translates to seize the day, has been New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll's battle cry to his team ever since he welcomed the players to the start of the off-season program in April.

So far, the message has been received loud and clear. By following that message, the Giants have put themselves into a position where they are playing meaningful football in December and in which they are in control of their destiny.

That's why Daboll told his players in a team meeting on Monday when they returned from a long weekend off that "the season starts now," that everything they want is right in front of them, but only if they remain loyal to what got them to this point int he first place.

"I’ve been on teams that have played meaningful games in December, and I’ve been part of teams that haven’t. It’s not a lot of fun when you’re not playing meaningful games," Daboll said.

"So, let’s come to work with a great attitude, a positive mindset. Keep getting better. And you focus on the week’s opponent: That’s how you have to do it. But they’re important games now."

The players have followed Daboll's lead without hesitation, which is why there is a growing buzz in the team's locker room for the first time since 2016, when the Giants last made the playoffs and were in control of their destiny.

"It’s exciting," said quarterback Daniel Jones. "I think this is where you want to be, these are the games you want to play in, and to be part of it is exciting, but it still comes down to one week at a time, taking care of business and focusing on what’s immediately in front of you.

"That’s the only way you’re going to be in the position you want to be in at the end of the season. That’s what we’re focused on, taking care of business this week and playing as well as we can."

"It feels really good. It feels good to be a part of this team and to have the opportunity," added tight end Daniel Bellinger. "Coach Dabs (Daboll) talks about how a lot of teams don’t have the opportunity, so it feels good to have the opportunity. Of course, we’ve got to capitalize on it."

To capitalize on what's ahead, they start with the present. Regardless of what happened in the past, take the relevant lessons, build on them for the future, and avoid dwelling on the past, good or bad.

That routine is especially key in these final few weeks of the season, where the Giants, who have lost three of their last four, have little room for error.

"Every week’s a big game," Jones said. "The last two haven’t gone great, but our visions are set forward. We’re going forward and looking forward to this opportunity (against Washington). It’s a big game for us, like we said, a divisional game, a meaningful December game. We’re fired up, we’re ready to go.

"I expect us to respond well. I expect us to play a really good game, a clean game, and that’s what we’re certainly planning on doing. I think our mindset is right, our approach is right, and we’ll focus on what we have to do this week at practice and make sure we’re in a good spot going into Sunday," he added.