John Harbaugh is making fourth-quarter execution a priority for the New York Giants during training camp, addressing a critical weakness that plagued the team last season. The Giants lost five fourth-quarter leads in the previous season and had a 1-7 record in games decided by one score.
Harbaugh stated that situational periods are "always" a point of emphasis for his teams. "We're focusing on the things that we think we really need to get good at for this team," Harbaugh said. "We throw everything at them right away on every situation we can think of. So, by the time we’re through the first 10 days, we’ll have hit pretty much all those situations."
He added that exposing players to these scenarios early is crucial for developing game-winning capabilities. "Those are game-winning play opportunities usually. So, we want to be as good as we can be at that stuff."
The 2025 NFL season saw a record-tying 73 regular-season games decided by three points or fewer, and ranked second all-time with 61 games featuring a winning score in the final two minutes or overtime. "It usually comes down to that," Harbaugh commented. "That’s pretty much every team’s story."
With the start of full-contact practice, known as when "real football starts," Harbaugh expects a change in tempo. He noted that without pads, certain aspects of play, like tackling, are modified. Live tackling will be limited, particularly for younger players, before the first preseason game, to mitigate injury risks.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers has participated in individual drills in three of the first four training camp days and is working towards a return. "We’re definitely pushing the envelope on it," Harbaugh said of Nabers' recovery. "I would say he’s generally on schedule."