The New York Giants are maintaining an underdog mindset despite their 3-1 start to the season, ahead of their upcoming game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Cornerback Greg Newsome II emphasized that being underdogs fuels their motivation and helps them stay humble. The team is aware they face skepticism from outsiders but remain focused on proving their capabilities through performance rather than changing public perception.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
New York Giants face Washington Commanders in an important NFL matchup where the Giants are slight underdogs despite their surprising 3-1 start. Running back Cam Skattebo expressed frustration over being perceived as underdogs, but the team is using this skepticism as motivation. Cornerback Greg Newsome II emphasized that facing doubt every week keeps them grounded and focused. The Giants' recent wins against the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals have not changed public opinion regarding their legitimacy as a contender. With winning records, the Giants are among several teams listed as underdogs for upcoming games this week, including the Browns, Raiders, and Lamar Jackson-less Ravens. The team is embracing their underdog status to fuel their performance in what could be a pivotal game against the Commanders.
Written for “NFL Football Season” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 61632 · logged 2026-10-07
John Harbaugh might need to get his T-shirt designer on the phone again.
uncertain
Harbaugh → need → phone
Maybe the same person who created the “1-0” shirts that were all the rage around the Giants last week can create a red shirt with a “U” across the front and a blue cape in time for all the players to dress up as “Underdog” for Halloween.
asserted
players → create → Halloween
tRY IT NOW“We’re underdogs every week,” cornerback Greg Newsome II said after Tuesday’s meetings.
asserted
II → try → meetings
“That’s enough humbling for us.”
asserted
That → ’ → us
Off to a surprising 3-1 start, the Giants are aware that their back-to-back last-minute wins against the hapless Titans and Cardinals have not changed public skepticism about their legitimacy as a contender.
asserted
wins → change → contender
And another win against the Commanders — who are favored by 2.5 points — Sunday might not alter many opinions, either.
uncertain
Sunday → favor → opinions
The Giants, Browns (at Jets), Raiders (at Patriots) and Lamar Jackson-less Ravens (at Falcons) are the teams with winning records listed as underdogs this week.
asserted
Giants → list → underdogs
The cynics “definitely” have the locker room’s attention, Newsome said.
asserted
Newsome → have → attention
“You always want something to go into a game and just give you an extra motivating boost,” Newsome said.
asserted
Newsome → want → boost
“We don’t really care what the outside world believes.
asserted
world → care → what
We know what we have on this team.
asserted
we → know → team
We know what we’re all about, so at the end of the day, no matter who we play, we just have to play to the best of our ability and try to find a way to go 1-0.
asserted
we → know → way
NFL players are prohibited from wagering on the league.
asserted
players → prohibit → league
It doesn’t mean they are blind to the point spreads or the score predictions made on pregame shows.
asserted
they → mean → shows
Running back Cam Skattebo railed against the Giants being installed as home underdogs to the Cardinals, though teams without their franchise quarterback (Jaxson Dart) and Defensive Player of the Year candidate (Brian Burns) tend to be doubted.
asserted
teams → rail → Year
“It’s dumb to be underdogs at home,” Skattebo said after a 36-24 victory.
asserted
Skattebo → ’ → victory
When people want to bet against you at your own place and you’ve got a team coming from a six-hour flight on a time change, it’s a pretty difficult feeling as a team when you feel like you are put underneath them.
asserted
you → want → them
So we came out here and handled business.”
asserted
we → come → business
The Giants hold sole possession of first place in the NFC East for the first time since Week 11 of the 2015 season.
asserted
Giants → hold → season
Their 5-5 record at the time spiraled into a 6-10 finish.
asserted
record → spiral → finish
“For sure you can play [as a first-place team] with an underdog mentality,” Newsome said. “[Because] 3-1 can easily turn into 3-14 if you’re not careful enough.
asserted
you → play → 3
If you’re not humble, you will get humbled.
asserted
you → ’re → ?
So we have to continue to have that mindset that we had in the beginning of the season, and we’re going to carry it the entire way.”
asserted
we → have → it
If an “Us against the world” mentality is building, Harbaugh won’t stop it by downplaying the opportunity to continue surprising people in a wide-open division.
asserted
Harbaugh → build → division
“We have a game this week — a very pivotal game, a very big game — in terms of the opportunity that it presents our football team now, where we’re at,” Harbaugh said.
asserted
Harbaugh → have → where
“We have an opportunity to make headway on the season.”
asserted
We → have → season
The Aporia
