A Giants Fan's Perspective: Who Knew Losing Could Feel This Good?

A slightly misleading title, perhaps. It's *probably* a good idea for me to clarify that nothing about the first six weeks of the Giants felt 'good' - from the missed opportunities of week one in Dallas to the landslide defeat at home against Denver in week two, the lifeless performance of week three in Carolina and the second-half meltdown at Arrowhead Stadium in week four. The Giants showed some signs of life against Philadelphia and Chicago - a testament to the mental fortitude they've maintained under Coach Coughlin - and bagged consecutive wins against Minnesota and Philadelphia in weeks seven and eight.

As might be expected, there are some positives heading into the second half of the season. The Giants defense appears revitalised with Jon Beason steering the ship and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell simplifying the playbook, and the offense has followed suit: for two weeks, Eli Manning has not been playing 'flashy' football, but he has been playing 'smart' football. No complaints here. Similarly, the run game has been resurrected behind Peyton Hillis and John Conner and has brought some much-needed balance to the offense.
There's also reason for optimism when looking at the records of the Giants' NFC East inmates - the Cowboys, Redskins, and Eagles have all been struggling mightily so far.

But is optimism really a good thing during this, hopefully, unique season?

Giants fans are well-versed in late-season pushes, overcoming the odds and "getting hot at the right time", but they can in 2013.

There are some more-than-tough games on the horizon - two top 10 defences in Seattle and Green Bay, and a plethora of very good quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, and Robert Griffin III.
With an 0-6 start and a fiendish second-half schedule, I am left contemplating the idea that a losing season might just be the best possible outcome this year.

The beauty of the NFL comes from the parity between its teams. A season after they finished 2-14, you only need to look at the 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs to see this system at its finest. The Giants have had some forgettable seasons recently, but since 2007 they have been picking in the winning end of the first round and GM Jerry Reese's policy of taking 'the best player available' has arguably led to a roster that is arguably mediocre throughout. Reese won't trade up the draft board, but the Giants need to be picking at the right end more than they need to be one-and-done in the playoffs.

In Hakeem Nicks and Eli Manning the Giants have some great players who have underwhelmed, but it is clear that there are far too many positions on both sides of the ball that have been neglected and are subsequently filed with ageing veterans on expensive contracts.

In the offseason, the Giants will have a chance to draft a number of prospects who can fill positions of need and make an immediate impact in 2014, such as South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, UCLA's Anthony Barr and Texas A&M's Jake Matthews.
Jerry Reese will also have considerable cap room to play with, meaning that - as painful as it might seem - this offseason is a golden opportunity to build another championship squad, and losing now is the fastest way to win later.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments section or on Twitter: @TomMacFootball