The NY Giants must quickly put Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos in the rearview mirror, as the NFC East opener looms large against the Washington Football Team Thursday night
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One game into the NY Giants 2021 season, and a team meeting was already necessary.
Following a disheartening 27-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon at Metlife Stadium that had fans streaming for the exits with under 10:00 to play, the attention already shifted among the players to the short week ahead, before a Thursday night NFC clash on the road against the Washington Football Team.
“We just had to talk about it in the locker room; told everybody has to keep their heads up,” NY Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard said following Sunday’s loss. “We have a short week this week, so you’ve got to in this league, you have to be able to throw things away really quick and move on.”
As NY Giants head coach Joe Judge pointed out, by the time the players return to the facility for treatment and to breakdown Sunday’s film on Monday, it’s already the Thursday of a typical game week.
Even with an additional game this season, negativity can snowball and issues can quickly be exasperated, even in a division where the only team with a win following Week 1 is the Philadelphia Eagles.
If the NY Giants aren’t careful, and are unable to right the issues plaguing a stagnant offense that produced just seven points through the first 59:59 of Sunday’s game and a defense that allowed 7-of-15 third down and three-of-three fourth-down conversions, it isn’t difficult to lose the Broncos game twice … Once in the rearview mirror and again Thursday night in Washington.
“If you let it dwell and you keep thinking about it and then you’re not able to move on,” Shepard said. “Move past it. So, guys have got to be able to throw it away and we got to move on and I’m sure everybody will do that.”
The NY Giants open as four-point underdogs to Washington, according to WynnBet, an indication of how the public views New York, given that Washington will be without quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and is coming off a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We have work to do,” NY Giants safety Logan Ryan told reporters. “But listen, man, this team is together, you don’t have to worry about that. Unfortunately, we’ve been here before, but it’s just one week in a season. It really doesn’t define you. What we do this next game is going to be more of a defining factor in how we respond.”
After falling to the Broncos, Week 2 in Washington has the chance to define the stakes for the rest of the NY Giants’ season.
Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com.