It really is as simple as this:

Are the Giants what they think they are or what most everyone else thinks they are not?

For all the talk about better vibes and renewed vigor, the Giants delve into the 2025 season as the same old, same old in the eyes of the vast majority of NFL observers and insiders. They are the reigning last-place team in the NFC East, and a strong case can be made that they still are. Their schedule is ranked as the most difficult in the league, and when assessing their opponents, week after week, there are entire months where it feels improbable that the Giants in any game will come out on top.

Now then, the image the Giants see in the mirror is far more pleasing. They believe their quarterback situation is now stable, for the present with Russell Wilson and for the future with Jaxson Dart. They believe they added a difference-making defender in the 2025 draft in Abdul Carter. They believe they fortified their secondary with two important free agent signings. They believe in their offensive line way, way more confidently than anyone outside their building.