The Good Ship Daboll sailed straight and true all summer, with nary a ripple in the calm seas, and no unexpected choppiness to knock anything or anyone off course.
No hard knocks and no “Hard Knocks’’ for the Giants.
Not a decibel of Super Bowl chatter and no comparisons to the 1985 Bears on defense.
Daniel Jones got up on stage and sang at a Zach Bryan concert in Queens, but the Giants’ quarterback is strictly second-fiddle in a metropolis that now has Aaron Rodgers stomping around, with Godzilla-like impact, for the Jets, and by extension causing reverberations throughout the entire NFL.
The Giants will open their season Sunday night against the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, a national showcase for two longtime NFC East rivals.
The next night, though, the Jets will get the solo exposure of “Monday Night Football’’ against the Bills in the building they share with their older and historically more successful stadium business partner.
If Under the Radar were a condition, the Giants would be diagnosed with having a strong dose of it.
“Honestly, I think that’s the way we like it over here,’’ veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams told The Post. “I don’t think people on this team are expecting us to be in the spotlight all the time. We like to be considered underdogs and prove people wrong. I think that makes all the guys and the team play with a chip on their shoulder. I think that’s the way we like it.’’
Giants cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and defensive end Leonard Williams during practice on Friday. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostNow hold on there. Did everyone forget the Giants, in Brian Daboll’s first season as head coach, defied all expectations to finish 9-7-1 and win a playoff game for the first time since the 2011 season?
Based on a player-by-player roster rundown, there is evidence aplenty that the 2023 Giants are more talented, certainly faster and more sound than the 2022 edition.
Why such second-class status in their own environs?
“If you’re comparing it to the Jets, they just got Aaron Rodgers, who has been one of the best quarterbacks in this league for a long time,’’ Williams said. “Then they also have ‘Hard Knocks’ going on over there, so they’re on TV and in the spotlight. I feel it’s easy for them to be talked about vs. us.
“I don’t think anyone here cares about that type of stuff or talks about it, really. We’re just focused on winning, and I think that’s going to take care of itself.’’
Winning takes care of everything.
The Giants and Jets get to duke it out during Week 8 in late October, and by then we all should have a strong handle on what each team is about.
Of far more immediate concern is righting what has been wrong for so long.
This will be the 12th time the Giants and Cowboys will open a season squaring off, and it has been a brutal opening-day assignment for the Giants.
They are 1-10 all-time in season openers against the Cowboys and 1-11 in their past 12 games in this ridiculously one-sided series.
“I understand that we weren’t able to beat Dallas and Philly last year, but that was last year,’’ Saquon Barkley said. “It’s a whole new year. We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us, and we’ve got to take advantage of it.’’
The Giants, despite their surprising run last year, are second-class compared to the Jets and have taken on an under-the-radar vibe. Corey Sipkin for the NY POSTIf the Giants snap this nasty trend, they will be on the receiving end of more attention than they need or want.
“I think we’re in a good spot. I think we improved a lot throughout camp and made a lot of progress to get to this point and I think we’re ready to go,’’ Jones said.
“I mean, I’m 0-2 [against the Cowboys],’’ second-year outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux said. “I’m definitely 0-2, and I definitely don’t like losing, so this is gonna be a time to wipe that slate clean.’’
