On Sunday, the New York Giants will visit the Philadelphia Eagles to end their regular season.
In the grand scheme of things, Week 18 won't matter. Playoff hopes evaporated months ago. The season has long been defined as a failure. There's a chance the most pressing offseason decisions have already been made.
Much of that consternation revolves around head coach Brian Daboll. Once a star-bound play caller who brought the Giants to the playoffs, the last two seasons have forced New York to reckon with the possibility of another coach developing the rookie quarterback Daboll never got to.
It's not fair, necessarily right, but it's the reality of losing games in the NFL and looking like the league's worst team in the process.
That makes Week 18 one last audition for Daboll and a potential farewell. Daboll spoke on Friday about how his team is approaching the season's final game.
"No, we put everything we got into it," Daboll said. "That's what we'll do this week. We'll do everything we can do to play and coach as well as we can."
While Daboll steps closer to his pink slip, fans are rooting for the Giants to lose. With the No. 1 pick out of their hands and now hanging in the balance of Week 18's proceedings, a loss would likely benefit the long-term fate of the franchise.
However, Daboll is coaching to win, his players will follow suit, and they won't be ending any (healthy) seasons early.
New York will be without center John Michael Schmitz, right tackle Evan Neal, and linebacker Micah McFadden. Everybody else has been given the green light, even as Philadelphia rests its starters for the playoffs.
Daboll was frank about how he's approaching what could be his final game as head coach.
"Just focus on the things you can control," Daboll said. "Focus on coming out here and ending up the week on a good note and getting ready to play a game against Philly."
The Giants have a laundry list of issues to address this offseason. General manager Joe Schoen could be fired, or he could make Daboll the scapegoat. A new quarterback is a must, and so will be building his supporting cast.
But no piece of that environment is more important than the coach calling plays and mentoring the young passer. Daboll, as a quarterback guru, deserves a chance to coach without the shackles of a doomed Daniel Jones. The Giants might not give it to him.
There will be time to reflect, discuss, reevaluate, and pivot after the season. Daboll has had three years to make his case to New York. All he can do now is do his best to deliver one final win in Week 18.
"Right now, we're just getting ready here to go play the Eagles. There will be time for that."
