Inside Slant

The Sports Xchange

December 20, 2018 at 1:01 pm.

Shurmur insists all games are meaningful

The New York Giants might be officially eliminated from playoff contention this year, but don’t expect head coach Pat Shurmur to fold up the tent and look to the future.

Well, sort of.

You see, Shurmur is still intent on playing the team’s remaining two games that starts this weekend against the Colts in Indianapolis, as though there was something to play for.

That’s because in his mind there is.

Shurmur revealed his philosophy of not letting up on the gas pedal when he was asked whether the team planned to shut down receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (quad) for these last two games.

The Giants head coach shook his head and suggested that making such a move would contradict the lesson he’s been trying to teach his players every week, regardless of their playoff status.

“That question leads into that these two games aren’t important, and I don’t believe that,” he said. “I think what’s important is that we as a team do everything we can to go out there and play the game and try to win the game.”

Yes, even with nothing to gain in terms of the standings and something to lose in terms of draft position.

“Running parallel with all the thoughts moving forward in the offseason is this team trying to learn how to win again. And again, I’m speaking as the coach, where we’re doing everything in our power to put a plan together to win the game.

“That requires that all the players do everything in their power if they’re injured to make it back for the game, and then if for some reason they can’t, then you do it for the next week. So that’s the philosophy.”

That philosophy also explains why Shurmur has resisted turning to younger players on the roster unless they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are ready to be a part of the solution moving forward.

Shurmur, who several weeks ago explained that the regular season was not a time to audition players for jobs, has stuck with that philosophy, awarding game-day uniforms only to those players who have earned them.

That mentality of continuing to prepare for the games regardless of what’s on the line every week has been well received in the locker room by the players, especially youngsters like Saquon Barkley, who given what he’s accomplished, could easily have slipped into diva mode and demanded his workload be cut back.

“I hope my workload is whatever it is to help the team win. Obviously, I would never want my workload to decrease. I know people probably think that because we’re technically eliminated from the playoffs that, ‘What are we playing for?’, but I don’t see it that way at all,” he said.

“We got two games left in our season that we get two games left for the rest of this year with the guys on your team, with the guys that you worked your tail off with all year to get to this point.

“You got to go out there and continue to fight obviously for yourself and just the competitive nature you have, but your teammates. So I would love my workload to be whatever it can be to help the team win.”

For seasoned veterans like quarterback Eli Manning, playing to win regardless of the won-loss record shouldn’t even be an issue.

“We’re football players and this is what we do,” he said. “We play football, that’s our passion, that’s our job, and we’re going to go out there and do it well and be able to celebrate some wins.”

Manning believes the Giants’ arrow has been trending upward. He said, “We’ve been playing good football and just have to get back to it. Opportunity to go against a good team and to kind of see where we stand. You just want to go out there and play well.”

SERIES HISTORY: 16th regular-season meeting. Colts lead series, 9-6. The Giants are 2-1 on the road against the Colts since their move to Indianapolis, their last victory coming Dec. 22, 2002 in a 44-27 thumping.

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