Make New York Post a Preferred Source John Harbaugh might need to get his T-shirt designer on the phone again.
Maybe the same person who created the “1-0” shirts that were all the rage around the Giants last week can create a red shirt with a “U” across the front and a blue cape in time for all the players to dress up as “Underdog” for Halloween.
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“We’re underdogs every week,” cornerback Greg Newsome II said after Tuesday’s meetings. “That’s enough humbling for us.”
Off to a surprising 3-1 start, the Giants are aware that their back-to-back last-minute wins against the hapless Titans and Cardinals have not changed public skepticism about their legitimacy as a contender. And another win against the Commanders — who are favored by 2.5 points — Sunday might not alter many opinions, either.
The Giants, Browns (at Jets), Raiders (at Patriots) and Lamar Jackson-less Ravens (at Falcons) are the teams with winning records listed as underdogs this week.
The cynics “definitely” have the locker room’s attention, Newsome said.
New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese (52) celebrates with cornerback Greg Newsome II (20) after intercepting the ball during the second quarter of a game against the Arizona Cardinals in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Bill Kostroun for NY Post “You always want something to go into a game and just give you an extra motivating boost,” Newsome said. “We don’t really care what the outside world believes. We know what we have on this team. We know what we’re all about, so at the end of the day, no matter who we play, we just have to play to the best of our ability and try to find a way to go 1-0.”
NFL players are prohibited from wagering on the league. It doesn’t mean they are blind to the point spreads or the score predictions made on pregame shows.
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Running back Cam Skattebo railed against the Giants being installed as home underdogs to the Cardinals, though teams without their franchise quarterback (Jaxson Dart) and Defensive Player of the Year candidate (Brian Burns) tend to be doubted.
“It’s dumb to be underdogs at home,” Skattebo said after a 36-24 victory. “Especially when you are a good football team. When people want to bet against you at your own place and you’ve got a team coming from a six-hour flight on a time change, it’s a pretty difficult feeling as a team when you feel like you are put underneath them. So we came out here and handled business.”
The Giants hold sole possession of first place in the NFC East for the first time since Week 11 of the 2015 season. Their 5-5 record at the time spiraled into a 6-10 finish.
Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) is tackled by New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese (52) during the second quarter of a game, Sunday, October 4, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. Bill Kostroun for NY Post “For sure you can play [as a first-place team] with an underdog mentality,” Newsome said. “[Because] 3-1 can easily turn into 3-14 if you’re not careful enough. If you’re not humble, you will get humbled. So we have to continue to have that mindset that we had in the beginning of the season, and we’re going to carry it the entire way.”
If an “Us against the world” mentality is building, Harbaugh won’t stop it by downplaying the opportunity to continue surprising people in a wide-open division.
“We have a game this week — a very pivotal game, a very big game — in terms of the opportunity that it presents our football team now, where we’re at,” Harbaugh said. “We have an opportunity to make headway on the season.”
