Winning leads to an attempt at continuity, the good feelings generating a groundswell to keep the nucleus of a successful team together.

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Losing often prompts a move toward breaking things down, offering few definitive reasons to retain players joined in failure.

These are the push-pull decisions the Giants will have to make when this sad excuse for a season comes to an end, a conclusion that cannot arrive soon enough. They have a fairly significant list of impending free agents, including five players who are full-time starters and others who are part-time starters or have been elevated into first-team roles because of injuries higher up on the depth chart.

The three players who figure to spark the greatest debates and command the most money on the open market are wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott.