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Giants in position for No. 1 pick, but . . .

Giants in position for No. 1 pick, but . . .

Adoree’ Jackson was honest after the Giants’ loss to the Falcons last week. The last two games are as much about next season as they are about a strong result.

“You can’t go back to the past. You can’t really look too far into the future. “You just have to be in the present,” Jackson said. “Obviously it’s about next season, but you’re trying to prepare coming into this offseason, right?”

Jackson was referring to being an upcoming free agent. But it applies to the Giants, who hold the No. 1 overall pick next year and have a chance to solve their quarterback problems by signing either Shedeur Sanders from Colorado or Cam Ward from Miami.

Fans may cheer for victories, but accept defeats for the greater good. If the Giants (2-13) lose to the Colts and Eagles, they will secure the top pick.

However, there are scenarios in which a Giants win makes things more difficult, especially at a high strength (.551), according to NFL.com.

“I would say we’re completely focused on what we need to do to get ready for this week’s game,” coach Brian Daboll said of not keeping an eye on other teams.

Sunday could be the Giants’ best chance to win. They face a Colts team that ranks 29th in total defense. Quarterback Anthony Richardson did not practice on Thursday, which raised some doubts about his availability on Sunday.

The season finale in Philadelphia is interesting because the Eagles may also rest starters even if Saquon Barkley (1,838 rushing yards) is close to Eric Dickerson’s season record of 2,105. Playing against second division players is definitely an advantage for the Giants.

Separating their two games hurts their chances of getting the No. 1 pick but perhaps not signing a quarterback. Even if they fall to No. 2 or 3, they could fall behind a team that already has a quarterback in play.

Let’s take a look at the three-win teams behind them:

Patriots 3-12 (vs. Chargers, v. Bills)

After hosting Los Angeles on Saturday, they host Buffalo in the season finale, a team they just suffered a 24-21 loss to last week. With a lower fielding strength (.431) than the Giants (.542), the Patriots maintain the tiebreaker advantage.

The good news is that the Patriots don’t need a quarterback after signing Drake Maye last year. So the Giants can still get their dream quarterback at No. 2 even if the Patriots move up to No. 1.

Jaguars 3-12 (vs. Titans, at Colts)

Due to the lower strength of the schedule (.502), the Jaguars also have a tiebreaker lead over the Giants. Keep an eye on Sunday’s Titans-Jaguars matchup as the winner is out of the running for first place in the standings.

The Jaguars also don’t need a quarterback after signing Trevor Lawrence to an extension last summer. So expect them to steal a quarterback if they miss the Giants.

Browns 3-12 (vs. Dolphins, at Ravens)

Another team with better schedule strength (.524) that doesn’t need a quarterback. The Browns, starting third man Dorian Thomas-Robinson, face two teams trying to improve their playoff chances so they are underdogs.

Since the Browns still owe Deshaun Watson a ton of guaranteed money, they can’t cut him. This means they will likely secure another position with their first pick, which is good for the Giants.

Titans 3-12 (at Jaguars, vs. Texans)

Second-year quarterback Will Levis was substituted for Mason Rudolph. If the Titans keep losing, they might try to find a replacement for Levis.

But the Titans, who also have a strong tiebreaker (.529) over the Giants, could win their next two games. The Texans have secured the number 4 seed and could rest the starters in the final.

In short, Giants fans may want to root for Titans victories over the next two weeks.

Raiders 3-12 (at Saints, vs. Chargers)

The Raiders’ win on Sunday moved them down to sixth in the potential draft order due to their high schedule (.551). It also foreshadows the Giants’ fate if they win on Sunday and lose to several three-win teams.

The Raiders may need a quarterback, but fortunately the Giants maintain the lead in the tiebreaker thanks to their strong schedule

In summary, Giants fans have to look forward to a loss, but also for the teams behind them to win. A Giants win certainly hurts their chances of getting the No. 1 pick, but if they’re tied with another team, they could still find a way to get their quarterback.

As Jackson said, most of the Giants’ actions now are about next season. It’s hard, but when the present is bleak, hope for the future is the best motivation.

Notes and quotes: Malik Nabers (toe) said he would make a matchday decision on Sunday after not training on Thursday. He hopes to practice on Friday, but “it all depends on how (my toe) feels.” . . RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), LB Micah McFadden (neck), C John Michael Schmitz (ankle), DT Cory Durden (shoulder) and DBs Raheem Layne (knee) and Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) also did not practice. Schmitz, who started every game, left practice in a walking boot and Daboll said Greg Van Roten took first-team reps at center on Thursday.

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