The New York Giants have shown progress throughout this season, and their most recent step forward is a third win. They took down the Raiders on Sunday, but perhaps more importantly, showed some resolve towards the end of the game and contrasted their early season performances where the team largely ‘played to lose.’
The victory is also distinct for another reason – it gives the Giants their best record through nine games since 2016.
This statistic is both good and bad, depending on how you look at it.
On one hand, the Giants are back in the win column and the defensive performance was a genuine step up from some of the showings earlier in the year. Even with the team’s record still being poor, it’s encouraging to see clutch moments such as the strip-sack that sealed the victory.
On the other hand, the fact that 3-6 is any kind of positive accomplishment shows how far the Giants have fallen since their last playoff appearance, and really, since their last Super Bowl. 3-6 isn’t a good spot to be, and looks to be out of the running in the NFC East, but the Giants have struggled to do better in recent years.
Many have counted out the Giants this season based on their start, but playing close against Kansas City and beating the Raiders shows that this team can at least play up to the competition and keep the games interesting down the stretch.
Will the Giants have a major turnaround and establish this team as the best out of the past few years? Maybe.
For now, though, this current team can rest knowing that they’ve put up more fight at this point in the season than any Giants team since the 2016 one that made the playoffs.