Giants in a world of hurt after MNF debacle

The New York Giants are supposed to be one of the Super Bowl contenders coming out of the NFC. instead, they look like a last-place team on a. road to oblivion.

New York was trounced 19-3 on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, but it was largely ignored. After all, Dallas had gone 13-3 the year prior and finished the regular season with the conference’s top seed. In addition, All-Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t on the field, still rehabbing from a sprained ankle.

On Monday night, the Giants returned home for their 2017 opener at MetLife Stadium. They entered as favorites over the visiting Detroit Lions, who had dispatched the Arizona Cardinals 35-23 at Ford Field in their opener. Still, with Beckham back, New York was supposed to get on track and make it a four-way tie in the NFC East.

Instead, the Giants were humbled by the Lions, losing 24-10 in a. game that never felt even that close. Eli Manning was hit repeatedly throughout the night, with Ezekiel Ansah leading the way with three sacks. All told, Detroit battered Manning to the tune of five sacks, leading to a fumble and interception. The Lions, now know frothier shutdown secondary, limited the combination of Beckham, Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard to seven catches for 76 yards and zero touchdowns.

With the defeat, New York drops one game back of the Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in the NFC East, sitting at 0-2. The Giants have managed 13 combined points in two games, including a single touchdown. Now, New York has to travel on a short week to take on the Eagles, a team with perhaps the best front seven in the game. Considering the Giants have a left tackle in Ereck Flowers who looks at the ground as he blocks, it could be a long day.

Before New York gets to the bye in Week 8, the schedule is absolutely brutal. It includes contests against the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Eagles, with the latter three on the road. The only game that appears winnable at the moment is a home date with the Los Angeles Chargers.

With the strength of the NFC, the Giants face a crisis point. New York either needs to get off the mat and beat Philadelphia this weekend, or likely look at a very long season with an aging core. The Giants are built to win now with older stars such as Manning and Marshall, but maybe the window has already shut without anybody hearing it slamming into the sill.