New York Giants: What If They Go 0-2 Against the Rams on Monday Night?

The New York Giants have a very big game on Monday night against the St. Louis Rams.

It's their home opener against their former Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo.

The Giants got beat the previous week against the Washington Redskins in a game everyone thought the Giants would win.

On Monday night, it's a game the Giants simply can not afford to lose.

No way, no how.

I hate to say it, but, Monday night basically becomes an early season-saver for the Giants.

Now, I know. In 2007, the Giants started out 0-2 and finished 10-6 and won Super Bowl XLII. I remember it very well.

The only problem is, the 2011 Giants are nowhere on or near the level the 2007 Giants were, considering how many injuries this team has suffered over the last month.

Now, it looks like they may get Justin Tuck back on defense and Hakeem Nicks should be good to go on offense.

That's more good signs for the Giants.

Also, Rams star running back Steven Jackson has been ruled out with an injury, another good sign for the Giants.

But, there have been a lot of people out there picking the Rams to go into MetLife Stadium and upset the Giants in their own stadium on national television on Monday night.

Hey, I can see it happen. I've seen crazier things happen in the NFL.

So, what happened if the Giants do lose to the Rams and go 0-2?

Is the season over? Technically, no. But it might as well be.

Because if they go 0-2, next week, the travel to play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, a team they are 0-6 against since November of 2008, and most likely will lose that game, which would drop them to 0-3.

That doesn't sound too promising.

After Philadelphia, they then get to travel out west and play the Arizona Cardinals at home, a game that isn't a given for the Giants now that Kevin Kolb is the new starting quarterback for Arizona.

So, lets say the drop that one too. Now the Giants are 0-4.

They travel home to play the Seahawks and Bills in back to back weeks, chances are they could win those games, which would put them at 2-4 before the bye week.

After the bye week, they have the Dolphins at home, which is no cake walk considering Chad Henne put 400 yards up on the Patriots defense.

Then they play the Patriots and 49ers on the road, which could both end up being losses on the road before the play the Eagles again at home in Week 11.

Sounds like a disaster brewing.

Sounds like a season lost.

And it sounds like how the final year of Tom Coughlin's era with the Giants would end, too. He's only signed for one more year so he's not the lame duck coach, but don't let that one year extension fool you. If the Giants miss the playoffs, he's likely done in New York.

But, now if they do beat the Rams and go into Philadelphia 1-1 and not 0-2, it gives them a little hope.

I still don't expect them to beat the Eagles, so if they do head into Arizona 1-2 instead of 0-3, it gives the Giants a little more confidence and hope in that game. It would also put a lot more pressure on the Giants going into Arizona 0-3 than at 1-2.

Remember, the University of Phoenix Stadium is the same exact building where the Giants won Super Bowl XLII back in February of 2008 and they also beat the Cardinals in that building during the 2008 season in a high-scoring game.

And lets say then they knock off the Cardinals, then do beat the Seahawks and Bills. Now they Giants are 4-2 instead of being 2-4 going into the bye week.

Things just changed around drastically for the Giants.

If the Giants had beaten the Redskins last week, we would all be singing a different tune for the Giants right now. But they didn't win, so this is the hand the Giants are dealt with now.

They head in 0-1 and can't afford to go 0-2 before an early important game with the Eagles.

Because right now, the Eagles are better than the Giants. It sickens me to say it, but unfortunately, it's true right now. And I don't expect the Giants to march into Lincoln Financial Field next Sunday and try to end a six-game losing streak with a team that is short-handed.

So beating the Rams becomes the focus. Getting that first win of 2011 becomes extremely important.

In my picks for Week 2, I said the Giants would knock off the Rams 27-17 in a close one.

But what if, and it's a big what if, the Giants do lose to St. Louis on Monday and go 0-2?

In all likelihood, it's the beginning of what could already be a disaster season for the Giants.

Most Giants fans hope it doesn't get to that point in Week 2.

But, starting out 0-2 would signal a lot of bad things for the Giants in 2011.