Giants feeling at home in Germany as they look to stay perfect in international games

MUNICH, Germany — This was not the situation the Giants expected to be in for their European non-vacation this weekend.

Not the 2-7 record, not the seemingly lame duck quarterback, not the coach and general manager struggling for answers, not the fed-up fan base.

But as Dexter Lawrence said upon the team’s arrival here on Friday, there is no point in not embracing this experience and the chance it represents.

“You don’t get opportunities and moments like this back with the same people,” Lawrence said, “so you have to appreciate it.”

The Giants have been all business during their relatively short visit — in on Friday morning, out on Sunday night — but there was no reason not to think they might benefit from a change in scenery far from MetLife Stadium, where they are 0-5.

It has been tough. How does the team’s best player deal with the circumstances?

“Being optimistic,” Lawrence said. “There’s nothing against going on a streak and winning the rest of your games and going to the playoffs.”

That likely is not in the cards. But again, it did not sound as fanciful when he said it an ocean away as if he had done so in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It fit the vibe in the city, where thousands of Giants fans have arrived to make the best of a bad situation in a world capital of beer.

It was almost easy to forget for a moment that the Giants and Panthers both are 2-7 entering their game on Sunday at Allianz Arena, the second regular-season NFL game in Munich and the Giants’ first in Germany.

On Thursday night, Giants fans packed one of the most famous pubs in the world, Hofbrauhaus, where they heard from several Giants alumni.

One of them was Markus Kuhn, a former Giants defensive tackle who in 2014 became the first German to score an NFL touchdown — on a fumble return — and this season has been working for the team on German outreach.

“Unbelievable,” Kuhn said, first singing in German and then shouting to be heard above the crowd.

Carl Banks, Ottis Anderson, Shaun O’Hara and Victor Cruz were there, too.

“It’s been nothing but love and nothing but positive vibes here in Germany,” Cruz said. “I’m excited, man. The Germany love has been real.”

The Giants were granted marketing rights to Germany this year as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program. The Panthers also are on the Germany list.

Both teams have designated bars in the center of Munich for their fans to take over, the Giants’ being Hofbrauhaus.

That is the point of these international games. This will be the 55th overall and the fourth for the Giants, who are 3-0 in them.

The business of the NFL is business, and the league wants to grow beyond the bounds of North America the way European soccer has in the United States.

The point was driven home by the site of the Giants’ practice on Friday — the main training facility of the German soccer powerhouse Bayern Munich.

Americans are more familiar with European clubs such as Bayern Munich than they ever have been before. The NFL wants the same from Germans when it comes to the Giants. But this is a process, and Sunday’s game is part of it.

The players seemed to embrace it.

“I’m surprised I’m this far from home,” rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers said. “But I’m glad that I got the opportunity to play in another country, especially to play the sport that I love and do it across the seas.”

When a reporter quizzed players on where they would most like to play their next international game, the answers were varied, to say the least.

Nabers said Dubai or Egypt. Lawrence said Barcelona. Daniel Jones said Mexico. Brian Burns said Tokyo.

When a reporter told Nabers there were No. 1 Giants jerseys all over Munich, he said, “That’s cool. I appreciate all the love that they’re showing me. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy that they got the opportunity to wear my jersey.

“I plan on doing some great things on Sunday, and that’s really it.”

The Giants need it. They are favored for the first time since Week 2 of the 2023 season, but all that means is a loss to the hapless Panthers would be devastating.

Carolina is coming off its second victory of the season, 23-22 over the Saints, making these two of the nine teams that are either 2-6 or 2-7 — the most two-win teams at this point of a season since 2006.

Translation: Sunday’s loser will be under strong consideration as the worst team in the NFL.

The Giants are in no position to take anyone lightly, of course.

Lawrence will be going against Panthers center Cade Mays, whom Carolina signed off the Giants’ practice squad last month because of injuries at that position.

When asked about facing an opponent with whom he is familiar — and vice versa — Lawrence was diplomatic.

Sort of.

“I wrote in my notes this week, ‘Respect your opponent and don’t take anything lightly,’ ” he said. “My mindset is the same as every week: Go out there and try to wreck the game as best as I can.”

Lawrence added, “He’s probably talking a lot about me over there, thinking he knows me, but I’ve grown over the weeks.”

Lawrence smiled when he said that.

Coach Brian Daboll said that after experiencing a loud crowd in London two years ago, the Giants practiced with artificial noise and with a silent snap count.

“Not knowing exactly how loud it’s going to be,” he said, “you practice for it being extremely loud so the communication process is up to speed where you need it to be when you’re in this type of environment.”

If Allianz Arena on Sunday sounds anything like Hofbrauhaus did on Thursday, the silent count could come in handy.

But the best noise for the Giants on a day in which they will have a captive, far-from-home, mostly-in-vacation-mode contingent of fans in the building would be to inspire them to do something rarely heard at MetLife this season: cheer.

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.