Giants icon Tiki Barber warns Week 3 is a 'must-win' game for New York's season
Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber sent a clear message to the team ahead of the Cleveland Browns game this Sunday. Barber, who became a star in the 2000s, didn't think the loss to the Washington Commanders was a direct result of the unsolvable issues but stated that they needed to get a victory as soon as possible.
“I think the challenge for the Giants, there's a lot of a new pieces here,” Barber said, via Forbes. “They have a new offensive line, with Jermaine Eluemunor and Jon Runyan coming over. They're very young in the secondary, they're going to get beat, they're going to give up big plays. It's a matter of everyone getting on the same page with all the new pieces.
"I trust the coaching staff. Maybe it's because I'm biased, but this game against the Cleveland Browns is a must-win. They can't go 0-3 and then based on a short week with the Dallas Cowboys coming into town on Thursday Night Football. It's a big weekend for Giants fans.”
The bright side for the Giants is that they are still one game away from the No. 1 spot in the NFC East division. They showed a much better face against the Commanders in Week 2 following a humbling 28-6 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in the season opener.
While they weren't expected to be a Super Bowl contender, their start has surprised several people and another loss this Sunday could mean the beginning of the end for them.
With the addition of Malik Nabers, they hope Daniel Jones can get better, but last season's struggles haven't stopped.
Tiki Barber names key factor for Giants' loss to Commanders
The Giants lost their Week 2 matchup against the Commanders, 21-18, which Tiki Barber believes was due to Graham Gano's injury and not a more concerning issue.
Barber said that after losing Gano in the game's first play, they were forced to go for two points whenever they scored. With no extra points converted, they didn't have more remedy than to see this victory slip away, but they could've gotten the exact three points from Gano.
The Giants will visit the Browns to try to get the first win of the season, but the job won't be easy. Then again, Tiki Barber says they must get it done.