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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is trying to pull his Giants team out of another potential downward spiral. Peter Casey-Imagn Images

NY Giants Trying to Calm Rising Panic Meter After 0-2 Start

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Alex House | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 5:14 PM ET

After an impressive preseason showing, the New York Giants further stoked the level of optimism felt by the fan base, who hoped that the team’s disappointing ways in past years were finally over.

That, unfortunately, has not been the case, not after a 0-2 start in which many of the same problems that dragged the Giants down in the past resurfaced in their first two regular-season games.

As a result, the panic meter among the fan base has quickly risen as the Giants enter an even more challenging stretch in their 2025 campaign, starting with a Sunday Night home contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are also 0-2.

The Giants fan base has already begun scouring mock drafts for the best available offensive lineman in the 2026 class after Big Blue’s latest gut-wrenching loss in overtime to the Dallas Cowboys.

SI.com's Conor Orr, in his analysis focusing on the panic meter for each winless team as of the close of Week 2, placed the Giants at an 8.5 panic score, which was tied with the Tennessee Titans and was only above the Miami Dolphins (9.5).

Despite the Giants’ offense scoring a whopping 37 points and quarterback Russell Wilson rediscovering his mojo in AT&T Stadium, the lauded defense underwhelmed, and the team failed to close the game.

Whether it is a blowout or a 40-37 overtime defeat, the same problems continue to plague New York. Penalties, wasted opportunities, and failure to stop the run combine to form an extremely bitter Big Blue cocktail that is poured down fans' throats week after week.

An offensive explosion is not enough to cure their nausea. The Giants have reached the point where true progress can only be obtained by moving up in the standings. Besides, it is not as if they fell short versus a certified juggernaut.

The Cowboys come with plenty of questions themselves, and they recently traded their most talented player.

Orr acknowledged that there are positives to take away from the Giants’ latest loss, but he also knows that this does not boil down to just one matchup. When adjusting the panic meter, it is important to consider context and everything the fans have suffered through.

Can the NY Giants calm things down?

"I thought Sunday's game against the Cowboys was an obvious example of Brian Daboll’s offensive acumen, though some head-scratching defensive plays down the stretch point to the lack of something," Orr said.

"Certainly talent beyond the front four, but also that ravenous, tank-on-empty tenacity that can close the door on a Cowboys offense and reward a historical performance from the other side of the ball."

Although Daboll's creativity is limited behind an unpredictable offensive line, which Orr acknowledges, it is hard to make excuses when that has been an obstacle for the last decade. Eventually, the Giants need to either find a solution or rise above the adversity and get a W.

Is that a simplistic view of the situation? Maybe so, but there is little place for nuance under these current set of circumstances. The organization has lost that luxury after two straight listless seasons, which followed a stretch of eight losing campaigns in 10 years.

Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

If the Giants cannot prevail when their 36-year-old quarterback throws for 450 yards and three touchdowns, it is hard to envision them getting the job done against a battle-tested group like the Kansas City Chiefs.

The appeal of Russell Wilson is that he is supposed to increase the team's chances of victory. He played brilliantly for four quarters, and New York still endured heartbreak. The panic meter is deservedly high.

Short-term expectations may lower when Jaxson Dart assumes the starting role, but even then, there will still be a sense of uneasiness filling fans' stomachs. The culture has not been fixed yet, and until that happens, any amount of hope will just end up being the false kind.

The Giants will try to earn some trust back when they in their home opener on Sunday Night Football.

This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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