For the New York Giants, a team that has had a lot of success over the years, including two championships in the last 20 seasons, the past four years have not been so good. Last season, the Giants were 6-10, but because they were in the NFC East, they finished one game behind the first-place Washington Football Team.
Over the last four seasons, the Giants are 18-46 and have not made the playoffs since 2016.
On Tuesday, Giants president, co-owner, and CEO John Mara addressed the media, and according to Mara, he would like to start winning at a high level again in New York.
“I want to see us make progress and become a winning team again,” he said. “We’re overdue on that, and we spent a lot of money in free agency. I think we’ve had a couple of really productive drafts; now it’s time to prove it on the field.”
On paper, Mara thinks New York is better than last season.
“I certainly think we’re a lot better on paper; I’d like to see us show that on the field now and win more games and make the playoffs,” he said. “I mean, that’s my expectation every year coming into the season. Obviously, we’ve fallen far short of that the last four years, but I think on paper, I’m pleased with where we are, but I want to see us win some games.”
This is GM Dave Gettleman’s fourth season with the team, and during Gettleman’s first three seasons in New York, the team has won only 15 games. When asked if Gettleman is on the hot seat, Mara said the following.
“We’re all on the hot seat, with our fans in particular,” he said. “We’ve given them too many losing seasons; it’s time for us to start winning. But no, I wouldn’t say that. I wouldn’t say that’s an accurate statement…
“Let’s see what happens, let’s see what happens during the season. Let’s see what kind of progress we’ve made. Let’s see if we’ve won some games, and we’ll address that after the year.”
New York is still trying to determine if QB Daniel Jones is the guy to lead the team beyond this season. For Jones, who is entering his third season with the Giants, the first two seasons have been a mixed bag. You saw some good, and you saw some bad, especially with the turnovers. However, Mara still believes in Jones.
“Obviously, we want it, we need to see more wins, but I do have a lot of confidence in Daniel,” Mara said. “One of the things that gives me that confidence is the way that the coaches in this building feel about him. They love him. They love everything about him; we just have to win some games now. I like everything that I see on the field with him. I like his leadership; I like his work ethic; I like the way the players respond to him. We just have to win some games now.”
The Giants were solid near the end of last season, especially on defense, and entering his second season, head coach Joe Judge appears to have a plan. However, there are still questions, mainly on the offensive line and at the quarterback position. Based on what Mara is saying, it appears the pressure is on Jones and the whole organization to make the playoffs this season, and in the NFC East, that could be possible. However, that won’t matter if the Giants are not better in 2021.
