Giants president John Mara talks state of team at ‘The Duke’ premiere

Mara spoke publicly for the first time this season three days after a 28-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, a game in which former Giants running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 176 yards and one touchdown and the Giants dropped to 0-4 in MetLife Stadium. They have scored just one touchdown in those four games.

“He knows how I feel about him,” said Mara, who is a staunch admirer of Barkley. “I can’t say that I was surprised by the game that he had. We greeted each other before the game. He’s a great player. Not only was he a great player for us, but the way he represented us off the field, that is something that I always appreciate him for. He knows that.”

Mara has never demanded prior to a season that the Giants win a certain number of games or earn a playoff berth. But he consistently says he wants to see progress. In his previous meeting with reporters, on Aug. 1, he said, “I expect us to take a big step forward.”

He offered no dissent when a reporter said, “I guess this team has a long way to go before you can make those claims.”

“Absolutely,” Mara said. “We’re 2-5.”

The movie shows his father beaming as he accepts the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowls XXI and XXV. John Mara, who was handed the trophy when the Giants won Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, wants nothing more than to do it again.

“More than you could ever know,” he said. “Believe me, this has been difficult for me and for my family and particularly for our fans. And that’s something that affects me the most.”

Wellington Mara was an integral part of many Giants seasons good and great, and many that were unequivocally bad. John Mara learned from his father how to react to seasons that ended with a championship and those that guaranteed a top five draft choice.

What did he absorb above all else?

“I think to try to be more patient than maybe I’ve been in recent years,” Mara said. “He preached that all the time. I’ve probably been guilty of not being patient enough in recent years. That’s one of the reasons I’m committed to Joe and Brian Daboll and giving them a chance to turn this thing around.”

Patience, however, does not come easily to Mara.

“It’s very difficult because the last 10 or 12 years have not been very good for our fans. It makes it particularly difficult. But you’ve got to do the right thing. And we are committed to doing that, committed to seeing this process through.”

Why does he believe Schoen and Daboll are the right men for their jobs?

“The process that they have, being in the meetings with them, talking about where they see us going forward, talking about their evaluation of our personnel,” Mara said. “I still have confidence in both of them.”