The New York Giants’ dismal 2023 season got worse with Sunday’s 49-17 thrashing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.

The Giants are 2-8 and riding out the string with an undrafted rookie quarterback. Who lines up under center in 2024 is an increasingly hot topic as New York is tied for the second-fewest wins in the NFL, and the Giants have the highest percentage chance of winding up with the No. 1 pick in the draft, according to ESPN analytics.

Meanwhile, this season has continued to devolve, from quarterback Daniel Jones suffering a season-ending injury, to safety Xavier McKinney questioning the team’s leadership, to the previously solid defense getting torched for 640 total yards at Dallas.

“We should make no excuses about where we’re at,” coach Brian Daboll said Monday. “I own it. I own it. So, I’ve got to do a better job all the way around and that’s what we are going to work towards.”

What the Giants are capable of working towards is up for debate.

A Week 11 game at Washington is followed by a home game against New England. Following their bye week, the Giants play host to Green Bay before traveling to New Orleans. Those four teams have a combined 14-25 record, which on paper would present opportunities to show improvement.

However, with Jones and backup Tyrod Taylor injured, Daboll’s current options at quarterback are Tommy DeVito and recently signed journeyman Matt Barkley.

As the losses have continued to mount — and get uglier by the week — Daboll has come under increased scrutiny despite leading the Giants to the playoffs last year in his first season as a head coach.

“Look, I believe in our process, I believe in what we do. Certainly we have to do it better and that’s what we’re all trying to do,” said Daboll, the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year.

“You make no excuses about it. We are at where we are at and that’s where we’re meant to be right now, relative to what we’ve done. So, you don’t feel sorry for yourself, you go about it with the right mindset and your head down. You work as hard as you can work, you prepare as hard you can prepare. You teach, you work, you practice, you do the necessary things you need to do to give yourself a chance and you move on to the next week.

“So, you are real about where you are at, this is where we are at, but we control our actions, our attitudes, our emotions, our approach. That’s what we can focus on.”

–Field Level Media

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll didn’t mince words after reviewing the film of his team’s 40-0 loss at home to division-rival Dallas on Sunday night.

“It was a collective effort,” Daboll said on Monday, following an admittedly restless night of sleep.

“There were a few things you can build on but when you get beat like the way we got beat, no excuses. I’d say there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of corrections that need to be made and that’s what we’ll do today.”

After a promising opening drive stalled in the red zone following a penalty and a fumble that the Giants recovered, the Cowboys blocked a field-goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown.

It was suddenly 6-0, and the avalanche had begun.

By the end of the night, Dallas had outgained New York 265-171 and produced three turnovers and seven sacks to the Giants’ none in either department.

“After a game like last night, every area we’ve got to draw our attention to,” Daboll said. “You take it for what it’s worth. It was a poor performance. You learn from the things that you can learn from and then you really got to get focused on the next week.”

Week 2 provides what on paper looks like a very winnable game at Arizona. That kicks off a three-week stretch against NFC West foes that includes a trip to San Francisco before returning home to play Seattle in Week 4.

The Giants won’t play another divisional opponent until hosting Washington in Week 7.

But first comes dissecting the causes behind Sunday night’s meltdown, which were many. After a Week 1 win last year, Daboll made some significant changes to the depth chart. Daboll wouldn’t commit to any specific changes, but said the staff will continue to review the Dallas film with a critical eye.

“When you walk out after a game like that, there is a lot of emotion. You put everything you got into it, and we didn’t perform well and that starts with me,” Daboll said. “There is a self-reflection and then you watch the tape, you go through whether it’s decisions, whether it’s plays, whether it’s techniques and then you move on to the next week.

“These guys are human and there is an element of emotion to it, and you know we didn’t perform well. So, you own it … tell them the things that you need to fix. It starts with you and then you move on.

“You can’t let it linger too long. … It won’t be a fun tape to watch, it wasn’t with the coaches, it’s not with the players, but you know that’s what happened. So, you can’t run from it, you can’t hide from it, you own it, and then you move on.”

–Field Level Media