The Giants' win over the Patriots might be a loss for the long run

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- You can’t help but wonder if this won’t be the game the Giants look back on and wonder about what could have been. They scored more points than the Patriots, but to call this a win would be a disservice to actual victories.

The Giants are very bad. The Patriots might be the worst team in the NFL. Final score: New York 10, New England 7. Rookie kicker Chad Ryland missed a 35-yarder to tie it near the end of regulation.

The issue with this game is what it means in the grand scheme of things -- the 4-8 Giants are almost certainly out of contention for the first two picks in the NFL Draft, which means no Caleb Williams (USC) or Drake Maye (UNC).

That makes the turmoil of 2023 for naught.

It’s impossible for an NFL team to tank. There are teams at such a talent disadvantage (due to construction or injuries) that they fail far more than they succeed, but every player who takes the field for a game is playing for their future. They can’t afford to put bad film on display because they won’t be on a roster the ensuing season.

That’s why Saquon Barkley treated every one of his 13 touches (52 yards) on Sunday like his last. Why rookie wideout Jalin Hyatt was so emphatically fired up after each of his five catches for a career-high 109 yards. Why Wink Martindale’s defense flew around the field and attacked the combination of Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones like this game would end with a ring on their finger.

Coach Brian Daboll deserves credit for out-preparing Bill Belichick’s bunch. You just can’t help but get a sinking feeling that this game will be remembered for what it cost the Giants’ future in exchange for fleeting euphoria in the present.

The Giants would select sixth if the NFL Draft were held after Sunday’s 1 p.m. games (or the writing of this column). That selection is somewhat skewed, though, because the Giants haven’t had their bye week yet. They’re just a half game worse than the 4-7 Jets and Titans. The Chargers, who play the Ravens on Sunday night, will likely join that group, too. The Chargers, Jets and Bucs all have worse strength of schedule, which means the Giants are just a half game from dropping all the way back to the No. 9 pick.

This is considered by most talent evaluators to be a rich class. There are plenty of players there outside just Williams and Maye. But if you don’t have anything if you don’t have a quarterback. Just two weeks ago the Giants were the frontrunners for one of those first two selections. It’s hard to foresee any situation where New York gets in front of the Panthers (1-10), whose pick is owned by the Bears, or New England (2-9).

The Giants do still have Daniel Jones. You can’t ignore his 2022 season. The quarterback, in his fourth year, took the Giants into the playoffs and beat the Vikings. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes and threw for 3,205 yards with 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He ran for another 708 yards and seven scores. You also can’t look past what he did after signing that massive $160-million extension.

In six games, before tearing his ACL, Jones threw just two touchdowns and six interceptions. He threw for 909 yards and had a quarterback rating of 70.5 -- lowest of his career.

There was trepidation in paying Jones. His struggles this year seemed to validate that. The struggles to begin the season provided an escape hatch to get his replacement. Jones’ ceiling is that of a player you can win with, but not because of. The Giants were, for a moment this year, staring at acquiring a franchise-altering passer.

That’s now over.

The Giants are not just a quarterback away. That’s become obvious to this point. They still need a legitimate receiver. They could use anywhere from two to three offensive linemen, depending on what the Giants believe Evan Neal, who struggled mightily his first two years, can still become. Defensively they need a corner and safety help if Xavier McKinney walks. They need additional bodies on the defensive line.

A Top 10 (almost a certainty) or five (still possible) selection can go a long way in fixing this roster if used correctly. The Giants could be in play for Ohio State phenom receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. or Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.

Either would help the Giants. Immensely. But you wonder if they’d do to the franchise what Maye or Williams could have.

The Giants beat the Patriots on Sunday.

They might have lost in the process, too.