Giants Confidence Not Waning Despite Tough Loss

The Giants have been up and down this season, but no one is giving up the ship.

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants guard Jermaine Eluemunor (72) in action during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Following the New York Giants' recent home 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor still believes in the team and the scheme they have planned for the remainder of the season.

The Giants desperately needed a win against a struggling Bengals squad, so leaving empty-handed was different from their desired outcome. After landing a big win in Settle the previous week, everyone expected better execution against the Bengals.

One thing Eluemunor has learned during his eight seasons in the NFL is that players must be ready when the game does not go in their favor. With much experience on other teams, Eluemunor is familiar with bouncing back after a tough loss.

“It sucks,” Eluemunor said. “You have to come in the next day and watch the tape of a game you feel you should have won, but you didn't execute enough to win that game. The NFL moves on, and if you let it, it could eat you up, so you have to watch the tape and learn how to execute better and then move on to the next game. 

“We have another opportunity to add to the win column for our next matchup," he continued. 

"It sucks losing that way. Our guys are beat up, hurt, injured, but you just have to suck it up. Put some dirt on it and just keep going.”

The Giants showed great trust in their offensive line against the Bengals. They converted on five out of 15 third downs and three out of five fourth downs. While other coaches may be cautious about going for it on fourth down, the Giants' coaching staff fully believes that their line can get the job done.

Eluemunor likes to go for it on fourth down. He said executing it requires a lot of confidence from the coaches and players. 

“We have a lot of confidence in our offensive line,” Eluemunor said. “The five guys out there, I trust every single one. I feel like we're one of those lines that are ‘like that’ in the NFL. It also just puts a lot of confidence in the offense knowing that our coach trusts us enough to go out there to get the down.”

While the defense has found its stride lately, the offense lacks consistency. Quarterback Daniel Jones’ numbers have been solid in the past games, but it’s been a struggle getting in a flow when missing key offensive weapons with Malik Nabers and Devin Singletary.

Regardless of the recent offensive setbacks, Eluemunor believes the Giants are close to having a breakout game.

"Every week is different, and I know we’re one step away from finding our groove,” he said. “It's the little things that we must execute better, whether it's picking up an extra block or me trying to do a little bit more on a certain block. I’m just trying to do a bit more to make sure Daniel feels at ease in the pocket or just opening up a certain lane to give (Tyrone) Tracy an extra hole to run through.

“I'm still confident, and that's one thing that you're never gonna see me lose is my confidence in this team.”

The Giants will look to capture their first division win against a long-time rival on Sunday when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium.

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