Giants, Coughlin have first chance to quiet skeptics
PAUL SCHWARTZ’s BIG BLUE PLAYBOOK
Harumph. That was coach Tom Coughlin’s general feeling about thev way his Giants were perceived this summer, as he believes the line of questioning he faced was, well, far from upbeat.
“They’re all negative, everything is negative,” Coughlin said.
Just wait. If recent form holds and the Giants start their season with a thud — they have dropped four consecutive openers — the mood certainly will not brighten. Already, there seems to be a tone of immediate desperation around a team that went 6-10 in 2014 and has not advanced into the playoffs since 2011. Already, players are talking about “must-wins’’ and the immediate need to establish themselves in an NFC East race that few observers believe they will be a part of.
It is a whole lot to attach to Sunday night’s extravaganza of an opener against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, a building made for evenings like this.
“It’s kind of hard, going into Dallas, you got the amazing stadium so your eyes just kind of — you got to tell them you got to zone in and focus and understand we’re there for a job,’’ cornerback Dominique RodgersCromartie said.
Based on injuries and performance, there was not much to get excited about this summer with the Giants, and Coughlin said he alerted his players that it is time to turn on the switch.
“Fellas, buckle your seatbelts,’’ he said. “Because whether you’re ready or whether you’re not ready, it’s starting Sunday night. You better be ready.’’
Jason Pierre-Paul (finger) has returned to South Florida. Victor Cruz (calf) will remain back home in New Jersey, as will middle linebacker Jon Beason (knee). But Eli Manning is here and so is Odell Beckham Jr., and maybe the Giants can confound their legion of critics and pass their first test.
“No time to build up,’’ Prince Amukamara said. “This game matters. It’s in the division, it’s Sunday night, all the hype is there and it just matters. Our number one goal is to win the division and if we beat Dallas, that’s one step heading towards our goal.’’