Now it really gets difficult.
asserted
it → get → ?
The Giants didn’t lose their grip on first place in the NFC East by falling 24-21 to the Commanders, but they did squander a chance to add breathing room against the second-worst opponent on the schedule between this week and New Year’s Day.
asserted
they → lose → week
Considering the Giants have built their 5-3-1 record by beating teams with a combined .317 winning percentage, the jump over the next six games to a .607 level of competition sounds daunting.
asserted
jump → consider → competition
“We don’t live in that scared world,” head coach John Harbaugh said.
asserted
Harbaugh → live → world
“I said it was an important game before the game for that very reason, but now we don’t sit back and go, ‘We have to beat a heavyweight.’
asserted
We → say → heavyweight
And the first game of 2027 might be the most important of all if the Cowboys can get enough defensive stops and wins that Week 17 in Dallas is what decides the NFC East.
uncertain
what → get → East
“We want all the smoke with all those teams,” edge Abdul Carter said.
asserted
Carter → want → teams
“We’re not ducking no smoke.
asserted
We → duck → smoke
Everybody’s going to get our best.
asserted
Everybody → go → best
There’s no team that we’re looking at like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’
asserted
we → ’ → that
We’re going to play every team the same way.”
asserted
We → go → team
How do the Giants avoid seeing their season go up in flames when their probability to reach the playoffs dropped from a potential 78 percent by beating the Commanders down to 50 percent with the loss?
asserted
probability → avoid → loss
“I think we’ll respond fine,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said, “but if we want to go where we want to, we have to win games like this.
asserted
we → think → this
Here’s a look at the gauntlet ahead that will either prove right or wrong the critics who believe the Giants are phonies propped up by a bad division and soft schedule:
asserted
Giants → ’ → division
, the Jaguars started the week with three all-in trades to fuel Super Bowl aspirations.
asserted
Jaguars → start → aspirations
“Every one of these games is going to be hard to win,” Harbaugh said.
asserted
Harbaugh → go → games
“Starting with the Jacksonville game, that will be our focus.
asserted
that → start → game
We are going to expect to win the game.”
asserted
We → go → game
At Colts (2-7): A must-win given that the Colts are tanking after a trade-deadline fire sale.
The complications are that it will be Daniel Jones’ first game against the team that unceremoniously released him and Jonathan Taylor’s memory will be fresh that the Giants didn’t want to trade a first-round pick to acquire him.
asserted
Giants → give → him
The Giants need to be able to score at will against a defense ranked No. 30 in points allowed and rushing yards allowed.
asserted
Giants → need → points
Kyle Shanahan hates when the injury-cursed 49ers play the MetLife Stadium turf monster.
asserted
49ers → hat → monster
But he defies the myth that west-to-east travel is a killer, as the 49ers are 14-7 in Eastern Standard Time since 2021 (0-1 this season).
asserted
49ers → defy → 2021
Brock Purdy is building a quiet MVP case.
asserted
Purdy → build → case
At Seahawks (5-4): Despite owning the third-worst record in the NFL since 2020, the Giants are 2-1 in Seattle, which is regarded as one of the toughest places to play.
asserted
which → own → places
It’s only tougher when defending Super Bowl champions need every win just to stay in the wild card hunt and the defense (No. 1 in yards allowed and passing yards allowed) is the NFL’s stingiest.
asserted
defense → ’ → yards
The season has been disrupted by quarterback Sam Darnold’s multiple injuries.
asserted
season → disrupt → injuries
Will Drew Lock still be filling in by then?
asserted
Lock → fill → ?
Who has the edge in Harbaugh against his protégé Monken, who nearly followed him to the Giants as offensive coordinator?
asserted
who → have → coordinator
The Browns rank No. 29 in points scored but still are sticking with Deshaun Watson at quarterback … for now.
asserted
Browns → rank → quarterback
Attention, Carter: No one has taken more sacks than Watson.
asserted
one → take → Watson
At Lions (6-2): Jamhyr Gibbs shredded the Giants for 264 yards and three touchdowns on turf last season.
asserted
Gibbs → shred → turf
The Giants might have to un-handcuff J.J. McCarthy to keep pace with the Lions and take advantage of their last-ranked passing defense (18 touchdowns allowed).
uncertain
Giants → have → defense
At Cowboys (4-5): If the Cowboys win and cancel out the Giants’ head-to-head tiebreaker, a tie between them will go to the better division record (made easy by the Giants’ tie).
asserted
tie → win → tie
The Giants ended a 13-game losing streak in Philadelphia.
asserted
Giants → end → Philadelphia
The next hovering curse is a nine-game skid in Dallas.
asserted
curse → hover → Dallas
The Cowboys can’t stop offenses through the air.
asserted
Cowboys → stop → air
Coordinator Christian Parker seems to be hanging by a thread.
asserted
Parker → seem → thread
Eagles (2-7): How they’d love to play spoiler, unless it hurts general manager Howie Roseman’s grand draft plans.
asserted
it → love → plans
The Eagles won’t come riding in on a 14-game losing streak then, right?
asserted
Eagles → come → streak
It could depend on how many more players shut it down.
uncertain
players → depend → it
The Aporia
