There is no one definition for what “sense of urgency” means to a particular team, but for the Giants — the 0-2 Giants — it’s a term and a feeling that had taken up residence in their locker room.
“I think in this situation, you got to have a sense of urgency, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Eli Manning said Monday, sounding an alarm the day after a 41-23 loss to the Broncos, six days before the Giants look for their first win of the 2013 season in Charlotte, N.C.
“If you make it a must-win, sometimes you need to be put in those situations. It is a big game. We’re 0-2 right now. We’re looking for our first win.”
The search is ongoing after a season-opening road loss to the Cowboys, followed by a second-half swoon against Peyton Manning and the Broncos, a half that included three of Eli’s four interceptions. This put the Giants in the same predicament they were in back in 2007, when an 0-2 start was followed by a six-game winning streak and finally a Super Bowl title.
“I’m tired of that phrase: ‘We’ve been here before,’ ” Justin Tuck said. “So what? If you hear me use that phrase again, you have my permission to punch me in the stomach.”
There were no flying fists in the Giants locker room but there was an unquestioned feeling this ship has to get righted — now.
“This is one time we have a fire lit under us,’’ linebacker Mark Herzlich said. “There is a sense of urgency, and one of the big things in football is you never want to lose two games in a row. That’s something that’s obviously happened to us, and we want to get into the winning habit. Winning’s like anything else: Once you do it a couple of times, you start to learn what it takes. Each team gains that sort of sense, and this is a new team. Our 2013 team, we haven’t had that yet, that’s what we’re working for this week.”
Safety Antrel Rolle says, “I’m not discouraged at all about this team’’ but he admitted the Giants only have “a little bit of time” to turn their season around. The winless Panthers are up next.
“These teams are not going to wait for us to get our act together and get better,” Rolle said. “Teams are only getting better, even the teams people might look at on our schedule and say, ‘OK, this is a definite win, this is a win.’ Those teams are even getting better. Just look around the league. We’re behind the ball a little bit. We have to pick it up.”
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Coach Tom Coughlin was at the team facility in the morning for his usual film breakdown and meetings with the coaching staff and players but left early to attend to a family emergency, missing his usual Monday press conference. … The snap distribution at running back against the Broncos: David Wilson 24 plays, Brandon Jacobs 14, Da’Rel Scott 39. … WR Rueben Randle was targeted nine times but came away with only three catches. … According to Pro Football Focus, Peyton Manning threw at CB Terrell Thomas 13 times and completed seven passes for 52 yards and one TD.
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TE Brandon Myers was banged up in the game and had his midsection wrapped on Monday, but said he is just sore.