Tom Coughlin made sure to mention in another losing Giants locker room that this is not the first time they have been 0-2. Justin Tuck voiced the same thing. Yup, we all know the history, but what we don’t know is this:
“I certainly hope we have the same fight that team had because that was a great team,’’ guard Chris Snee said. “That was a different team, we’ll have to see what kind of team we have, what kind of fight we have.’’
It is now part of Giants lore that the 2007 team lost its first two games and then turned things around and eventually won the Super Bowl. You can look it up. How that translates to the mess these Giants are in will be played out in the coming weeks and months.
For now, Sunday’s 41-23 loss to the impressive Broncos spoiled the home-opener at MetLife Stadium, spoiled the so-called Manning Bowl III with a decisive decision for Peyton over younger brother Eli and spoiled any lingering hopes these Giants would get off to a fast start.
“We’re disappointed, frustrated. … The whole point is we have to hang in there,’’ Coughlin said. “We have 14 games to go, we’ve been 0-2 before. We’ve dug ourselves into a hole before and been able to fight our way out of it.’’
The Giants now have to beat the odds stacked heavily against them. Since 1990, only 12 percent of the teams that started 0-2 made it into the playoffs. It is never too early for a cold slap of reality, and the urgency kicks in this weekend when the Giants face the also-winless Panthers.
“A lot of great things can happen if we approach it the right way, and a lot of bad things can happen if we don’t,’’ Tuck said. “But this team is a better team than 0-2.’’
At the moment 0-2 is what the Giants are and they earned their way there. They should have had a lead on the Broncos at halftime but instead trailed 10-9. The second half was abysmal, as Peyton began firing away, and Eli, with no running game at all to lean on, tossed three of his four interceptions as the Broncos surged to a 38-16 lead.
Eli is 0-3 against Peyton, but he’s much more concerned with the imbalance of his offense. David Wilson didn’t fumble, but he gained only 17 yards. Brandon Jacobs returned and scored a touchdown, but he averaged 0.6 yards per carry. The Giants rushed for a ridiculously low 23 yards, forcing Eli to take to the air, with very mixed results. He said he came into the season with a goal of single-digit interceptions. Well, he’s got seven, the most he’s ever thrown in a two-game span.
“I kind of have to start over here,’’ Eli said. “Honestly, I’m not trying to throw interceptions, but obviously I’m just worried about getting back to playing well offensively and eliminating some of these turnovers.’’
The Giants were in field-goal range in the closing minute of the first half but Eli, trying to throw the ball away, was picked off by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Early in the third quarter, Peyton hit Wes Welker on a 2-yard touchdown and the Broncos led 17-9. Helped by four Denver penalties, the Giants pulled within 17-16, but that’s when the music stopped.
Knowshon Moreno for the second time scooted around the right side for a touchdown, this time for a 25-yarder to make it 24-16. Eli’s pass intended for Rueben Randle on the first play of the fourth quarter was broken up by cornerback Tony Carter, who inadvertently kicked it up into the air, allowing teammate Chris Harris to intercept it on the Giants 36-yard line. Peyton smelled blood and got it, hitting tight end Julius Thomas on an 11-yard scoring pass to put the Giants in a 31-16 hole. An 81-yard punt return for a touchdown by speedy Trindon Holliday only added to the misery.
Peyton, who wasn’t sacked, was probably being kind to his brother’s team when he said of the Giants, “I think they’ll be fine. They always play their best when everybody’s stacked against them.’’
Coughlin said the 0-2 start has created, “a little bit of a hole in my stomach’’ and safety Antrel Rolle promised, “We’re definitely not going to fall apart.’’
It got late early this season.
“Every game from here on out,’’ Mathias Kiwanuka said, “is critical.’’