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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. –** Antrel Rolle is a 10-year veteran and a team captain, but even he isn't certain what the Giants will deliver from one week to the next.
"There's times where I've felt like we can play as good as any team in this league," Rolle said. "And there's times where I think we can play as bad as any team in this league."
The Giants covered that spectrum in the first half of the season. They lost their first two games, won their next three and have now dropped three in a row, the most recent a 40-24 decision Monday night to the Indianapolis Colts, a game in which they trailed by 30 points early in the fourth quarter.
After the game, Rolle was asked if he is worried about the team and where it's headed.
"We're 3-5," Rolle said. "There's a lot to be worried about. We're not winning the games. When we're out there on the field as players … not to disrespect any team, not to take any credit away from any team, because the teams that win deserve to win. That's how the game unfolds. I feel like we could do so much different. This game is about attitude. It's 2014. You have to have a lot of passion about this game and you have to want it. No team is gonna give you anything in this league and right now we're not taking it. We're not taking it. We're not capitalizing on opportunities. We have to fight harder. We have to get dirty. We have to get nasty sometimes in this game."
It gets no easier for the Giants, who this week will travel to Seattle to face the defending Super Bowl Seahawks.
The Giants are without their best wide receiver (Victor Cruz, out for the season after surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon), best running back (Rashad Jennings has missed the last three games with a knee injury), plus three players who are arguably the finest the team has at their position groups: linebacker Jon Beason (toe, out for the season), guard Geoff Schwartz (toe, has not played this season) and now cornerback Prince Amukamara, who suffered a season-ending torn biceps injury vs. the Colts.
"We obviously have Seattle staring us right in the face and a very short week to get ready," said coach Tom Coughlin. "We have got to get going."
The Giants have a half a season to play and are resolute in their belief that they will become factors in the NFC playoff race, despite the injuries. Coughlin has grown weary of the weekly question about whether the Giants have enough talent to compete against a team like the Colts, which has the league's top-ranked offense.
"I responded the way I'm going to respond and am always going to respond: We have enough talent," he said. "We do have to play at the top of our game."
They have not in their last three outings. Last night the offense had trouble running the ball and the receivers dropped four or five passes. Eli Manning did not throw an interception for the fourth consecutive game, a career-high, but lost a fumble that Indianapolis turned into a touchdown.
The defensive players also had trouble holding onto the ball as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Amukamara and Rolle all dropped potential interceptions, and the Giants recovered none of the Colts' three fumbles.
24 photos that tell the story of Monday nights's loss to the Colts
DE Jason Pierre-Paul stretches before the Giants' prime-time matchup with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football. VIEW PREGAME PHOTOS
The defensive line huddles during pregame warmups at MetLife Stadium. VIEW PREGAME PHOTOS
The New York Giants take the field in front of their home crowd for the first time since Week 5. VIEW GAMEDAY PHOTOS
Adam Vinatieri puts the Colts on the board first with a 48-yard field goal with 7:07 remaining in the first quarter. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
The Colts force rookie running back Andre Williams to fumble, but offensive tackle Justin Pugh is there to recover it and prevent the turnover.
Andrew Luck hits tight end Coby Fleener for a 32-yard touchdown and a 10-0 Indianapolis lead. WATCH HIGHLIGHT
Looking to respond, Eli Manning drives the Giants into Indianapolis territory, beginning with a 26-yard catch-and-run by running back Peyton Hillis. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Rookie wide receiver begins his 156-yard day with a 19-yard catch over the middle from Manning. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
In his first attempt since Week 5, Josh Brown puts the Giants on the board with a 38-yard field goal. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Luck and the Colts respond with their own scoring drive, propelled by a 27-yard gain from wide receiver T.Y. Hilton into Giants territory. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Vinatieri makes his second of four field goals on the night with a 31-yarder to push the Colts' lead back to 10 points with 3:32 to play in the first half. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
After the Colts tacked on another field goal and got the ball back before the break, defensive end Robert Ayers strip-sacks Luck but the quarterback is able to recover. Indianapolis heads into halftime with a 16-3 lead. WATCH ROBERT AYERS HIGHLIGHTS
During a special halftime ceremony, Michael Strahan receives his Class of 2014 Pro Football hall of Fame ring, making his way through a tunnel of former Giants legends and Hall of Famers gathered on the field at MetLife Stadium. WATCH HALFTIME CEREMONY
On the first drive of the second half, Luck finds Hilton for a 31-yard score. WATCH HIGHLIGHT
Manning and Beckham hook up for a 59-yard catch-and-run for the Giants' longest play of the night. WATCH HIGHLIGHT
After Williams takes a short pass 24 yards deep into Colts territory, he finishes off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. WATCH HIGHLIGHT
The Colts respond with a 40-yard touchdown by wide receiver Reggie Wayne. WATCH HIGHLIGHT
The Giants are unable to keep pace as Manning gets sacked and fumbles the ball, which the Colts recover. WATCH HIGHLIGHT
Two plays later, Luck hits tight end Dwayne Allen for a two-yard touchdown and a 27-point Colts lead. WATCH HIGHLIGHT
Vinatieri tacks on his fourth and final field goal from 43 yards. WATCH GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Manning is sacked and fumbles again, but this time the Giants are able to recover and maintain possession. WATCH GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Manning hits Larry Donnell for a five-yard touchdown, the tight end's fifth score of the season. WATCH LARRY DONNELL TD
Manning throws his second of two touchdowns to wide receiver Corey Washington from one yard out. WATCH COREY WASHINGTON'S FIRST TD
The New York Giants drop to 3-5 on the season with a 40-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
If the Giants are going to halt their slide and re-enter the NFC race, they must believe they can play better than they have – and then go out and do it.
"We've got to keep fighting," Manning said. "We've got to find a way to be better offensively, to find a rhythm. We're just not helping ourselves. We're making it tough on ourselves. We've got to find a way to move the ball more efficiently as an offense. I've got to play better, I've got to hit my targets and have a great control of the offense with protections and getting into better plays and doing some things. All around, we've got some moving parts and some different guys playing, it's my job to play better and to raise my level of play and raise their level of play."
"Whatever the reason is, we're not winning games," Rolle said. "That's the only thing that matters. Whether it's fight or not enough fight. Whether it's lack of execution. Whatever it may be, we have to figure it out. We have to get it right, otherwise we'll just keep digging ourselves a hole. Like I said, this is a game where the strongest team will survive. The team that fights for 60 minutes strong, no matter how the game is going, is gonna be the team to win the game. We've got to do a much better job out there."
