Does loss to the Detroit Lions prove Giants are overachievers?
The New York Giants have been one of the league's biggest surprises so far in 2022. That meant their 7-2 record entering Sunday's game made the team clear favorites over the Detroit Lions.
Instead, Dan Campbell's bunch flipped the script in a dominant 31-18 win to improve the Lions to 4-6 on the season. As for the Giants, a 7-3 record is still fantastic. Yet, major concerns are beginning to creep in given the opponents and the nature of the loss.
The Giants may not be as good as the record shows
While the Lions are surging at the moment, they are not playoff contenders in the NFC. At least not right now. To that point, the Giants have five of their seven wins against teams under the .500 mark.
Jamaal Williams literally can't stop scoring. His 4th TD in 4 weeks (10th overall in 2022) has the Lions leading the Giants, 17-6 at halftime.
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There is no way for a team to defend a relatively weak schedule. All they can do is beat the 'bad' teams, building up wins to serve as a buffer in case they struggle against more talented teams.
That is why a double-digit loss to the Lions is so troublesome. If they can't beat Detroit at home, can they beat the Dallas Cowboys on the road next week on Thanksgiving?
The details from this latest loss are why fans should be concerned. Daniel Jones finished 27/44 for 341 yards, which is a nice stat. However, he had one touchdown compared to two interceptions. But the real issue lies in the fact that Jones was also the team's leading rusher with 50 yards.
Brian Daboll did give Saquon Barkley 15 carries, but the Lions held him to 22 yards. So if teams limit Barkley, the Giants may be doomed without better quarterback play.
New York plays in arguably the toughest division in football and have five NFC East matchups remaining on the schedule this season.This stretch is where fans will learn just how good the team actually is.
Going 0-5 or 1-4 will prove they were pretenders all along. However, even notching two or three wins shows they are a legitimate contender in the division, and in the NFC as a whole.
There’s a lot to like about this Lions team when healthy. And, maybe the Giants are regressing naturally a little bit? https://t.co/aIX4l4nJiz
The defense will have to step up as well, meaning the focus is not just on Jones and the offense. 31 points to the Lions is a shocking total, especially when considering Jared Goff did not even throw for a score.