The New York Post e-Edition

Only way to fix poor standing in standings: win games

Paul.schwartz@nypost.com

You ask the question, listen to the answer then make a determination. Is this response genuine, or not?

The question: When the Giants, as they so often do, have such a bad record so early in a season, do you tend to not look at the NFL standings, or is it important to know exactly where the team sits every week? The player: Sterling Shepard. The answer: “No, I don’t pay attention to it. We’ve got to focus on the game that’s coming up that week and whatever we have to do to get prepared for that. You start looking at the record and stuff like that, none of that matters. It’s about what we do on Sunday, so we need to pay attention to that’’

The verdict: Shepard, five games into another dreary season, is trying to get through the day as best and as upbeat as he can. Glancing at the NFL standings does not help with any of this.

For the Giants, unfortunately, Shepard’s contention that “none of that matters,’’ sadly, is inching toward reality for a franchise that is making a routine of becoming playoff afterthoughts before the trick-or-treaters take to the streets. The Giants, once again, did not come close to staying relevant until Halloween, still two weeks away.

As soon as the 2021 schedule was released, the Week 6 game — Rams at Giants — looked like a difficult assignment. There are always teams in the NFL that fail to live up to lofty expectations and teams that rise above anticipated failure. This game, Sunday at MetLife Stadium, checks all the predicted boxes. The Rams, with new QB Matthew Stafford, are 4-1 and a bona fide NFC power.

The Giants, with their familiar issues, are 1-4, double-digit underdogs. The paying customers wearing blue who choose to attend will be left to hope for at least a competitive afternoon of football and that their cheers will be interspersed throughout the game and not merely relegated to the halftime ceremony commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the Super Bowl XLVI title team.

We have already come to the portion of the season at which opponents are asked about the danger or temptation inherent in looking past the Giants.

“You can’t go in there saying, ‘We got a better record,’ or this and that … that’s how you tend not to play good games and end up losing,’’ star Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald said.

“Even though the records are what they are, there’s a reason why every single week there are those one or two results that make you say, ‘I cannot believe that happened,’ ’’ Rams coach Sean McVay said. “It’s why people lose a lot of money betting on NFL games week in and week out.’’

The Giants sometimes pull a surprise. It happens, but with alarmingly infrequent regularity. This is why it is best that the Giants refrain from perusing the NFL standings. Nothing good to see there.

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2021-10-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://nypost.pressreader.com/article/283016877898233

New York Post