Giants’ Logan Ryan optimistic despite ‘horrible’ 0-2 start
New York Giants defensive back Logan Ryan, signed before the season to a one-year, $7.5 million free agent deal, is not used to losing. As a third-round pick of the New England Patriots out of Rutgers in 2013, Ryan was spoiled with winning seasons and two Super Bowl rings in four season there.
In 2017, Ryan moved on to Tennessee as a free agent and the Titans rattled off three consecutive 9-7 seasons and a trip to the AFC Championship Game last year. He’s not used to losing. At all.
The Giants have opened the season 0-2, but they are a competitive 0-2. So far that is. Ryan was asked on Wednesday how it felt to be in unchartered waters here with the Giants, a team that has won just 12 of their last 50 games that is facing a tough schedule the next few weeks.
“I don’t even know the schedule coming up, honestly,” said Ryan. “I know we have the 49ers and they’re a tough team. It’s a work ethic. It’s the practices. It’s how hard this team works, it’s how close we are. But we need to finish. We need to start better. It’s putting four quarters together. This team is working hard. They’re not outworking us, I promise you that. It’s just executing better in the game.
“I don’t know if I’ve been 0-2 before, but I was 2-4 last year and was in the AFC Championship. So, I do know something. If you have a strong locker room, if you have strong leaders, if you have guys that love to play ball and love to practice hard, you can dig yourself out of some holes here. 0-2 is horrible, but I think we’re a game out of the division here. It’s not like our division is world beaters at the moment.
“We’re a game out from being a division leader. It’s football. You have to keep playing the games. You have to get over the tough losses. The beautiful thing about Tuesday and Wednesday in football is you turn your page to the next week. We’re focused on the 49ers, who are coming off of some bad news on their side of things. They’re coming through some adversity as well. I’m excited to go out there and get a win. Period. This game is one that I want to win really bad, and I’m doing everything in my power to lead the team in that way.”
Ryan has played well for the Giants thus far, formerly ingrained into the new Giants’ secondary and tied for second on the team in tackles with 11. More importantly, Ryan knows what a championship defense is supposed to look like. He was asked how close the Giants’ defense is to getting over the “hump.”
“I don’t know what the hump is collectively. We had two turnovers in the second half and we didn’t let up a point. We want to play like that this game. The last two quarters, I want to continue to play like that. I want to continue to punch the ball out. I want (James) Bradberry to continue to pick it off. I want to find ways to get sacks and find ways to play better on third down and in the red area like we did in the second half. The great Dick LeBeau once told me, ‘we didn’t lose the game, we ran out of time.’ Last game, we ran out of time. It’s a loss, but hopefully, with four quarters of football, we can play like we did and we can win this game,” Ryan said.
