The New York Giants enter their bye week in first place in the NFC East with a 4-2-1 record, following a 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans.
Fullback Patrick Ricard attributes the club’s position to a collective hunger among the players after many years of losing.
“I think there’s so many guys that are hungry to win here,” Ricard told the Daily News. “They just want to win, and they want to prove themselves, and they want to be Pro Bowlers. They want to be All-Pros. They want to be paid. And they want to win. And I feel like Harbaugh challenges everybody here and keeps you accountable so that you are focused and you’re detailed, and you put the team above yourself. And we’re all working together.”
Ricard, who played under John Harbaugh
for years with the Baltimore Ravens, pointed to that accountability as a driving force in the Giants’ first season under the new coach. The emphasis on detail and putting the team first has helped the group navigate a demanding early schedule and remain in contention.
“I feel like you’ve seen that all year: How resilient we’ve been, and just sticking in every game, and just keep believing, and keep trying to win,” he added. “And I feel like we’ve done that.”
Harbaugh has called the games immediately after the bye -- the November 8 road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Thursday Night Football game against the Washington Commanders on November 12 -- the two most important of the season.
Those contests against division rivals will test whether the Giants can build on the energy from the Houston victory and maintain their standing. The win itself reinforced confidence that the team can stay in the race, with Harbaugh noting the thin margin between being over .500 and merely even.
Ricard’s assessment captures the mindset the Giants are carrying into that stretch: A shared focus on proving themselves and working together under a coach who demands accountability.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants' Patrick Ricard: Players 'are hungry to win here'
