Giants players clap back at doubters amid preseason predictions

The New York Giants are coming off a 6-11 2023 season and could be roughly six months away from team co-owner John Mara hitting a figurative reset button.

Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton knows what many are saying about the club during the early days of training camp.

"I don’t think people’s expectations are very high outside of this building," Slayton acknowledged during a recent chat with Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. "Because of what our record was last year, people probably aren’t expecting it to be much different this year. But I don’t really put too much stock in what people expect from us. Whether people are saying we’re the best team in the NFL or the worst team, you have to overcome that. Either way, you have to stay level-headed and have your own expectations inside the building and try to live up to those."

The 2022 Giants surprised many by finishing the regular season with a 9-7-1 record before they earned a 31-24 playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Of course, much has changed since New York players celebrated that postseason win.  

Star running back Saquon Barkley left the Giants via free agency and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this past March. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones has reportedly struggled throughout training camp as he continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in November of last year.

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Giants at +115 betting odds to win over 6.5 games this coming season.

"Of course, there’s outside noise online and on social media," Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger told Cannizzaro. "We see it. We’re aware of it. But for me and for us, it’s being able to block all that out and focusing on what we can control inside. As a team collectively, if we don’t reach our highest goals, we’ve got to do something about it."

Through at least the remainder of the summer, the Giants likely will continue to be linked with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Belichick earned his first two of eight career Super Bowl rings serving as an assistant and defensive coordinator with the Giants from 1979 through the 1990 season, and he reportedly "intends to coach in 2025."

New York wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson seemingly ignores such rumors and focuses on the task at hand.

"We just expect to win," Robinson told Cannizzaro. "About as simple as that."