The Giants had nothing to do with that game, nothing.

Not because of the loss to the Cowboys a week ago. Not when they had to fly across the country to Seattle. Not without their best attacking player Malik Nabersor second best at Devin Singletair.

The Seahawks should have blown out the Giants had the buses to the Seattle-Tacoma airport warmed up at halftime. That’s what the conventional wisdom told you.

Instead, the Giants defeated the Seahawks 29-20. They were the more physical team. The more ready team. The better coached team.

Want a sign that this team is heading in the right direction? This is it.

The Giants are far from a Super Bowl contender. It’s unlikely they’ll make any kind of realistic playoff push. They’re probably the fourth-best team in their division unless the Eagles continue to implode in a way that makes their roster talent irrelevant.

Victories, the rest of the way, may be hard to come by. They are still rebuilding. You look for signals from teams in the Giants’ position that they are progressing, improving and not stagnating in their development. That’s from the staff that recruits players and builds the squad, to the coaches who develop those guys.

Sunday was everything you hoped to see: tangible proof that what they’re doing works.

The Giants’ offensive line has long been this team’s biggest weakness. GM Joe Schoen to leave Saquon Barkley This happened largely because it gave him the financial flexibility to supply the front with talent.

The thinking: The offense would lose a playmaker like Barkley, but the improved front five would lead to more production from Barkley’s replacement and quarterback Daniel Jones.

The Seahawks had three sacks, but one came when Jones was tackled at the line of scrimmage. Tyrone Tracya rookie drafted in the fifth round, ran for 129 yards on 18 carries (7.2 per). Jones completed 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also ran for 38 yards. Wan’Dale Robinson caught another six passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Darius Slayton had eight for 122 and a score.

Schoen invested draft picks and cash into the defensive line to make it one of the fiercest in the NFL. Dexter Laurens had three pockets, Brian Brands had one in fourth place, and Kayvon Thibodeaux was credited with half a bag.

The Giants dominated in yards (420 to 333) and time of possession (37:22 to 22:38). They sealed the game with a blocked field goal (Isaiah Simmons) they returned for a touchdown (Bryce Ford Wheaton) with less than a minute to play as the Seahawks tried to tie the game.

The Giants are building their culture as much as they are building their roster. Teams that are directionless and directionless will lose this game. They show up, get blown out, collect their checks and go home.

You read stories about ex-Giants receiver Golden Tate having his golf clubs in his locker is what happens when players quit. That behavior becomes the standard.

The Giants stood behind their two best offensive players (Nabers, Singletary) and it didn’t matter, they asserted their will against Seattle.

There will be times this season where the Giants simply have a talent deficit and lose because of it, but in times like these you have to be optimistic that the talent will catch up.

The Giants should not have won this game.

The fact that they did that? It means everything.