Notebook: Giants remain focused on next game

For most of these young players, football has given them great fulfillment for most of their lives. Some still search for it, even in these trying circumstances.

“At this point, I just play,” wide receiver Darius Slayton said. “I can’t really control what happens with (the future), so I just go out here and play to my best and try my best and galvanize and lead my teammates to play their best and hardest as well. I think (it’s) just cherishing every opportunity you have. Football one day will come to an end.

“So, regardless of your predicament, we have two more opportunities to go out here and play the game we love, so you gotta take advantage of them.”

Like many of his teammates, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson played for winning teams in high school (Sera, Calif.) and college (USC). He has also reached the playoffs four times with the Tennessee Titans and the Giants.

For Jackson, losing is a mostly new and completely unpleasant circumstance.

“Very disappointing,” he said. “Obviously, a lot of people in here probably don’t come from losing organizations or losing ball; (they’ve) always been winners. It’s just a different take, a different feeling. When you’re in a situation like this, the best thing you can do is just play for your brothers, but you gotta play for your wives and play for yourself in the sense to keep yourself going.

“Because you can’t control – it’s not like high school or in some sense college, where I played both sides of the ball where you actually take control over a game and make plays. You just got be able to do you but in the sense you just gotta be able to do your one-eleven (one of 11 players on the field), do your job. And just keep going, keep going and bringing those along with you and keep encouraging. I think that’s what you have to do being a vet playing in a season like this. Try to remind those guys what winning football is like, what it can be, and just keep going.”

And that’s what the Giants will do for two more weeks.

*Daboll said Lock would undergo an MRI today on his throwing shoulder. Because of the uncertainty, Daboll did not directly answer when asked if he has decided who will play quarterback against Indianapolis.

“(We are) waiting on where that’s at,” Daboll said. “I’ll have more information relative to what that’s about and if it’s anything or if it’s not anything. Usually, guys are sore the next day. So, we’ll see where he’s at after today.”

*Linebacker Micah McFadden is being examined for a burner. Running back Tyrone Tracy and center John Michael Schmitz both aggravated ankle injuries.

The Giants will practice tomorrow and take Christmas Day off.