For the first time in a long time, since 2016, the New York Giants are playing in the postseason. The lone player still on the Giants from that 2016 team, Sterling Shepard, has unfortunately been sidelined for the season with a torn ACL since Week 3.
Not only do the Giants enter this one young with their players, but the head coach and general manager are just in their first years.
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Playoff experience is no big deal to Giants first-year HC Brian Daboll:
Head coach Brian Daboll was recently asked to comment on, perhaps, the lack of experience the Giants have as a team entering the Wild Card matchup with the Minnesota Vikings and shared the following.
“I think really what you make out of it is the experience is probably overrated, to be honest with you. It’s how you prepare, how you practice and ultimately how you play the game and coach the game on whatever day it is. I’ve been around a lot of different teams that have had varying levels of experience — some a lot, some a little, some not much. I think really, what matters is taking advantage of your opportunities when they come and playing a good football game and coaching a good football game. But I really think it’s an overrated thing. I’ve been in so many different situations. The first year that I was part of a Super Bowl, the quarterback didn’t have any playoff experience there at New England. Some of the guys did. Some didn’t. We had some experience at Buffalo, we lost.”
Getting to see Daboll’s personality on the sideline this year, his response to a lack of experience the Giants have going into this one comes as no surprise.
His main focus is what the deal has been all year, outcoaching his opponents. As long as Daboll keeps it at that, he has proven he can put this football team in more than ideal situations to win, as the Giants have shattered expectations all year.