by Mack Olmsted

As bad as this season was for the Giants in 2020 , week 17 actually mattered. They were actually in a position to win their division and get a home playoff game. The Giants needed to  beat the Cowboys, which they did (barely), then wait for the outcome of the Eagles/Washington Football Team (WFT) game later that night . The Giants needed the eagles to beat the WFT .

The Eagles had a lead up until late in the 3rd quarter, but the WFT took a three point lead near the end of the 3rd quarter. The Eagles had time for a comeback, but their coach Doug Pederson coach decided to take out their quarterback and put in their 3rd stringer . An interception and a lost fumble later, the Giants season was finally over after the last game of the NFL season. Had they gotten in to the playoffs, the Giants would have been the worst team to make the playoffs in the Super Bowl era.

The failure to make the playoffs is a blessing in disguise, though . If they did make the playoffs with a record of 6-10, upper management may have been somewhat satisfied. I am not. They need to get better. Yes, Daniel Jones did cut down on his fumbles and they had a 4 game winning streak (the first one of those since 2016), but they need to improve. Next year, running back Saquon Barkley is expected to be back fully recovered from his ACL injury. John Mara (Giants co-owner) reportedly said that he “Certainly expects him to be a Giant for a very long time.” If Barkley can return to his potential, the whole Giants offense will be much improved.

All in all, it was impressive that there was a 2020 season amidst a raging pandemic, and the NFL managed to get through it without canceling any games. Enjoy the playoffs…it’s a miracle that we even have any.