There's a new word gaining steam in the Giants' vocabulary after Sunday's 40-16 win over the Redskins:
Playoffs.
They're not saying it a lot, and it does take some prodding, but with three games remaining on their schedule, the Giants still have a chance to make the postseason as a wild card in the NFC. It'll take a lot of luck _ along with three more wins, because one loss or tie along the way eliminates them completely _ but the mathematical possibility exists.
"Yeah, we still have a chance," wide receiver Sterling Shepard said, repeating it as if to convince not only the world but himself. "We do have a chance. Guys are still fighting and we're going to continue that."
The Giants (5-8) need a lot of help. They have been eliminated from contention for the NFC East title, which leaves them eyeing the two wild card possibilities. They are currently sixth on the standby list. That's a lot of teams to leapfrog, especially with head-to-head losses against three of them and none of them (assuming the Cowboys win the division) as upcoming opponents. But if the Seahawks beat the Vikings on Monday night, they will be a game and a half out of the final playoff spot with three games left to play.
"A lot of people forgot about us," linebacker Alec Ogletree said. "We just kept working and we are learning to win."
Coming back from the bye with a 1-7 record, Odell Beckham Jr. declared his aim of finishing 9-7 and making the postseason. Now there is a mathematical chance that 8-8 will be good enough.
None of it will matter, though, without three more victories.
"We can't worry about the playoffs," Ogletree said. "I've been in a situation where it comes down to the last few games of the season and if you don't win out you don't give yourself a shot. In order for us to have a shot we have to win out, so our focus is going to be on Tennessee this week."
