The New York Giants are 4-1. Let’s repeat that: The New York Giants are 4-1.
Very few people outside the Giants organization thought this would be possible because the last 10 years have been incredibly frustrating. But here we are, and the NFC East looks like the NFL’s strongest division, something else no one predicted.
There are several reasons for the Giants’ success, but running back Saquon Barkley attributes it to Brian Daboll and the other new faces within the organization.
“(Daboll) made a big difference. Not just only Dabs — everyone. All the guys that came in — all the coaches, all the staff and the guys who were here prior and who are here now,” Barkley told reporters on Sunday. “You know, they are doing a great job. We have unbelievable coaches and the big thing; we got players that trust in our coaches and trust in the system. We know that, hey, this is the NFL, they are going to make plays. At the end of the day if we just keep believing it, keep trusting the process, we can get the job done.”
That belief is instilled by the coaches and front office staff. The standard they set, the culture they create is what makes or breaks a team. But that’s not all that has changed, according to Barkley.
“Obviously just a standard, the culture, the coaches (have changed). But to be completely honest, what I believe has changed is we are finding ways to win games. There’s been a lot of times throughout my career that we’ve been in a situation in the past in the first couple of games and we always end up on the wrong side of it and we are finding a way to end up on the right side of it,” Barkley said.
“That’s just all because of the process. All because of the way that we come to work. All because of the way that we have got guys that love to be coached the way our coaches coach. Everybody from all the way up to the top of the building to training staff to being in lunchroom, equipment guys, everybody. We got a really good thing going in the facility and we’ve just got to keep building on it.”
When the new coaching and front office staff came to New York, the league and those who follow it automatically assumed this would be a rebuilding year for the Giants. Seems like their rebuild happened over the summer and they are fully settled in with the new faces.
The adjustment period was short and sweet, a likely indicator that the players were ready for this change and have fully embraced what Daboll and Joe Schoen bring to the table.
