Giants staring down must-not-lose game against brutal Panthers

MUNICH — There are always different and unexpected questions when an NFL team arrives in a foreign country to play a game far, far away from home. There were members of the media from all over Europe this past Friday, all with different accents, interests, agendas and levels of expertise on pass rushes and crossing routes.

The Giants were still a bit bleary-eyed as they touched down in the Bavarian capital, and after a shake-it-off practice on a chilly late afternoon, several players were hit with a variety of questions coming from this angle and that angle. One query was fascinating for its simplicity and innocence: For international fans who do not have loyalty to any NFL team, why should they choose to give their allegiance to the New York Giants?

Daniel Jones leaned into the history of the franchise.

“I think there’s great tradition, there’s great history in this organization,” Jones said. “The Giants have been around for a 100 years and had a lot of success throughout their history. Done things the right way. The Mara and Tisch families are known for doing things the right way and how they operate. I think it’s a cool tradition to be a part of.”

Malik Nabers, a rookie at the midpoint of his first season, tried to anticipate giving those fence-sitting fans something special to see.

“I would say, ‘Get on board,’ we’ll try to light it up this Sunday,’’ Nabers said.

There was a false start when a slightly nervous media member said “Jets’’ when he meant to say “Giants’’ in asking Dexter Lawrence to be a salesman for his team. Lawrence grimaced then feigned dismay before the questioner quickly corrected himself.

“I accept your apology,’’ Lawrence said, smiling. “I mean, the tradition is wild here. We celebrate 100 years this year, and it’s blue collar, hard-working guys. Watch our play, we play hard, we play physical, and that’s a team you want to cheer for.’’

Brian Burns, nine games into a Giants career that has not gone as expected for him, made no sales pitch.

“Maybe after they see us play we can convince them through our play, rather than what I can tell them,’’ he said.

There it is. There is nothing, really, the Giants can do to save what has been a truly pathetic season as they take a 2-7 record into Sunday’s international game with the Panthers at Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern Munich. Thus far, the only convincing the Giants have done through their play serves as an indictment of their talent, roster construction and coaching, a testament to their inability to dig down and find a way to win.

As bad as it has been, we ain’t seen nothing yet if the Giants find a way to go from low to lower to lowest with a loss this weekend. These teams have the same record but they are not the same.

The Giants have lost games by point margins of 22, 3, 5, 10, 25, 8 and 5. The Panthers have lost games by point margins of 37, 23, 10, 26, 18, 33 and 14. The Giants’ point differential of minus-63 is tied for the sixth-worst in the NFL. The Panthers, by comparison, are subterranean, with a point differential of minus-146, by far the worst in the league.

Losing to this particular team is cause for more than alarm. It is cause for action. The Saints last week were beaten by the Panthers, 23-22, and promptly fired head coach Dennis Allen.

This must not be the end result of the fourth-ever regular-season European trip for the Giants. They are 3-0 in their previous international games, having won in London in 2007, 2016 and 2022. In each of those seasons, they made the playoffs.

The first regular season game for the Giants on German soil — they won a preseason game in Berlin in 1994 — is not about starting a playoff run. They are too far-gone for that. It is about restoring some pride and avoiding abject embarrassment. John Mara a few weeks ago declared there will be no change with head coach Brian Daboll or general manager Joe Schoen during the season, and, “I don’t anticipate making any changes in the offseason either.’’

He said that when the Giants were 2-5. It will have to test his patience, as far as what awaits the franchise, if the Giants fall to 2-8 with a loss on a global stage to the most feeble team in the league.

There really are no “must-win’’ games around the league until playoff elimination is pending. There are “must-not-lose” games, though, and one of them is upon us for the Giants.