The Giants fell to the Carolina Panthers—who won consecutive games for the first time this season—20-17 in Sunday's kickoff game. New York bested Carolina in first downs (by nine), yards (by 38), and won time of possession 34:29 to 27:38. But all that matters is the scoreline, and the Panthers won it on a field goal in overtime.

If this game was viewed in a vacuum as a standalone one-off, you might say, “Hey, these Giants are a scrappy team that endured some bad luck. They fought their way back into it, and the ball didn't bounce their way this time.

The Giants aren't guaranteed to fire Brian Daboll, but if they do, Bill Belichick will be among the most interesting names to watch for their opening.