New York Post, Sunday, November 15, 2020nypost.comPROVEIT:DanielJonesthrew an interception, losta
fumble and tossed two touchdownpasses the last time
the Giants tangled with the Eagles. This is allpart of the
assessment when it comes time for the coaching staff
and front office to determine if Jones is their guy moving
forward.
“I’m not sure I can afford to focus on that
as much as just prepare as well as I can to
win a football game,’’ Jones said. “I’m doing
the bestI can to improve and putmyself in
a position to play well and put the team ina
position to win games.’’IAMIRONMAN:The funky offensive line rotation the Giants
are using does not involveKevinZeitler. He has been on the
field for580 snaps at right tackle— every single one of them.
What else is new? In his previous eight seasons,Zeitler played
100 percent of the snaps three times and 99 percent of the
snaps two times. There was some talk the Giants
would look to tradeZeitler, but why give up on
the team’s best offensive lineman who, at 30,
remains dependable and durable?
“I had only seen rumors pop up in thepaper or
what not,’’Zeitler said. “Obviously, nothing came
of it. I’m glad to be in NewYork.’’THEFTDEPT.:Forcing five turnovers, as the Giants did
againstWashington, is not the norm. The Giants cannot
expect to live in that turnover world very often. But
they should expect to take the ball away in this game.
CarsonWentzhas committed an NFL-high 16 turnovers
(12 interceptions, four lost fumbles).
“It’s obviously something thatwe ’ve
got to fix,’’ Eagles coachDougPederson
said. “Ourball security isa big issue
offensively. The Giants are coming offa
huge takeaway game and it helped them
win that game.’’2 3 4
272727 ,,
16
DIVISION OF
LABORED
T
HE FIRST ninegamesof the season
do not matter.
Evan Engram dropping that critical
fourth-quarterpassat the Linc does not
matter. Andrew Thomas mimicking Ereck
Flowers does not matter.
DanielJones stumblingat the endof
that 80-yard sprint does not matter. His
turnover history does not matter. Golden
Tate’s timeout does not matter. Lawrence
Taylor sackingRon Jaworski does not
matter. MichaelStra han versus Jon Run-
yon does not matter.
ChuckBednarik laying
out Frank Gifford does
not matter. Bill Parc ells
versus Buddy Ryan does
not matter.
Sunday at 1 p.m. mat-
ters.
Only 2020 could
give us a seasonwhen
a team that hasn’t beaten anyone exce pt
the WashingtonFootballTeam can still be
thankful this closeto Thanksgivingto be
playing what will feel lik e a playoff ga me.
That team, of course , is theNew York
Football Giants.
Only 2020can give us a divisionwhere
a 2-7 record is nota death sentence. When
a 3-7 record would mean new lif e, sudden
life.
That division,of course , is the NFC
East.
No one — not the Eagles, not theCow-
boys, not the Giants, not theWashington
FootballTeam — has madea conv incing
argument that they want to win it.
The Giantsget this one last chance to
make that argument.There were never any medalsfortry-
ing, notev en witha ro okie head coach
navigating a pandemic in the midstof an
ongoingrebuild, but now?
There are only medals
for winning.
The Giants are cer-
ta in they ar e bet te r than
they were at the startof
the season.Theybelieve
they are better than they
were last week, because
they believe they are
getting better every day.
If they aspire to be remembered as
something more meaningful than the
fightingJoe Judges, as busy Big Blue bea-
vers who are together astogether can be,
they will be better than the3-4-1 Eagles on
Sunday:
DanielJones shows up as an aggressive
game managerwho treasures thefootball
and directsa balancedoffense behind an
evolving,rotating offensive line.
Redemptionfor Engram and Thomas.
More than the onetarget DariusSlay-
to n re ceiv ed against WFT (good self-
restraint, Mrs.Tate) and the threetargets
he received in thefirst Eaglesgame.
A defense that finally finished against
Alex Smithfinishes this time againstCar-
son Wentz.The last time the Giants beat the Eagles
was Nov. 6, 2016 , at MetLifeStadium.Ben
McAdoo wa s a rookie head coach. Eli Man-
ningwas the quarterback. OdellBeckham
Jr. caughta pair of touchdownpass es. Eli
Applewas a rookie.Wentz was a rookie.
DougPedersonwas a rookie head coach.
None of it matters.
Eagles22, Giants 21 on Oct.22 does not
matter.
Just these three hours on Sunday matter.
The staggering Mike McCarthy Cow-
bo ys ar e 2- 7 and are demoralized with-
ou t Dak Pr escott.Th e 2-6 WFT benched
Dwayne Haskins, lostKyle Allen and
turnto Smith, their profile incourag e
personified.Th e Eaglesge t ba ck running
back MilesSanders on Sunday and would
appear right now to be theteam to beat.
“It’ s up for grabs,” GiantscenterNick
Gates said. “Anybody can have it.”
The footballgods who have been so cru-
el to the Giants sinc e 2017 have mercifully
decreed that everything is still in frontof
them.
Everything else is behind them.
It is past timefor the Giantsto beat the
Eagles.The eight straight lossesto them
do not matter.
Do you want a season,New York Giants?
Then eight is enough.
[email protected]SteSteveSerbSerby
Win over Eagles would put
Giants back in East race
Darius
Slayton