The Giants are walking into Sunday’s matchup with something plenty of teams chase and few actually keep: belief. At 3-1-1, John Harbaugh’s group is right at the edge of a month without a loss, and the tone around the team reflects it.
They are not acting like a club waiting to be told it belongs. They already think it does.
That matters against a Saints team arriving at MetLife Stadium in rough shape. New Orleans is 1-4, on a three-game skid, and suddenly dealing with public warning shots from owner Gayle Benson after she blasted the state of the organization Tuesday night at the New Orleans Quarterback Club. Benson put head coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis directly in the frame, making it clear she wants results now.
“Our fans invest their time, money and hearts in the Saints,” Benson said. “They are right to expect more than we have delivered.
As an owner, the responsibility does fall on me. I will not make excuses, and I will not accept this level of performance as our standard.”
She doubled down on the accountability message, adding: “Everyone in this organization understands the urgency,” she said. “We must prepare them, execute consistently and correct the mistakes that are costing us the games.
Words will not restore our fans’ confidence. Our performance must do that.”
Benson also named names.
“Kellen Moore and his coaches are responsible for preparing our players to perform,” Benson said. “Mickey Loomis and our football staff are responsible for building a roster capable of sustained success.
Our players are responsible for their preparation and execution. I am responsible for holding this organization accountable.”
That kind of pressure can make a team dangerous, and Harbaugh knows it. He called New Orleans “a very hungry team, a very talented team and a very well coached team.” The Saints still have enough talent to make Sunday uncomfortable, and desperation has a way of sharpening things.
The Giants, though, have been disciplined enough not to ignore what this moment looks like from their side. Left guard Jon Runyan Jr. said the record feels better than the margin for error really is.
“We’re sitting at 3-1-1 right now,” Runyan said. “A couple plays here and there, I feel like we could also be 1-4. I still feel like we have a long way to go on this team.”
Harbaugh’s biggest edge has been keeping the team from drifting. That part is easier when your locker room understands how thin the line is between looking strong and looking broken. It also helps that the Giants are settling in more with veteran Jameis Winston at quarterback.
Winston’s second-half play against Washington last Sunday was the difference between a loss and a tie, and Harbaugh said the offense is still adjusting after plans around Jaxson Dart were scrapped in favor of a system better suited to Winston.
“It’s tough to just kind of jump in there when the offense is built probably for a different quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “I think he did a really good job, but it was really tough. It was awkward, and he fought through it, and he kept his confidence.
“He kept his poise, and he found a way to win football games,” Harbaugh asid. “Now we’re starting to get adapted, I think, a little bit to the game plan and what we’re doing and getting reps on the things that are more Jameis type things.
So I think we’re going to keep getting better. That’s the plan, and he’s doing a great job.”
Winston’s connection to this game runs deeper than football. He spent four seasons with the Saints from 2020-23, and he made it clear he still feels that bond. At the same time, he’s fully leaned into his current role.
“Love that organization,” Winston said. “Man, my heart and soul is with ‘Who Dat.’
But I’m grateful to be a New York Football Giant. And the New York Football Giants have given me a privilege to be their starting quarterback.
And I’m going to honor that and do my very best at that.”
There’s another layer here too: the Saints’ defense has some talent, but it also carries the baggage of a humiliating 45-24 home loss to the Falcons on the 20th anniversary of the Superdome’s reopening after Hurricane Katrina. Benson was furious about the way her defense looked in that game, especially after players were seen jogging and lollygagging during the blowout.
That gives the Giants a blueprint if they want to put this away early. Martindale said the key is simple: hit New Orleans hard from the start and don’t let it settle in.
“If they come out and punch the Saints in the mouth right away and say, ‘This is how it’s gonna be,’ they’ll spit the bit just like they did against Atlanta,” Martindale said. “Leopards don’t change their spots. It should be a game that the [Giants] win.”
And that’s the bigger picture for Harbaugh’s team. This isn’t just about taking care of a struggling opponent. It’s about being the team that isn’t dealing with owner-driven chaos, the team that isn’t wondering whether the floor is about to fall out from under it, the team that has started to separate itself from that kind of mess.
The Giants have earned a chance to keep building on that identity. Sunday gives them one more shot to make it look real.
Carter sits out
Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter (calf), left tackle Andrew Thomas (groin), right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (calf), safety Tyler Nubin (neck) and rookie corner Colton Hood (concussion) did not participate in practice. Tight end Theo Johnson (neck), wide receiver Darnell Mooney (neck), corner Greg Newsome II (groin) and safety Jason Pinnock (concussion) were limited.
Tight end Isaiah Likely (foot), safety Elijah Campbell (thumb) and running back Najee Harris (ribs) were full …. Shough, the Saints’ quarterback, was a full participant with a left hand injury.
Top receiver Chris Olave missed practice due to an illness.
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