There is a lot of expectations around the New York Giants as they open their 2021 training camp this week. Co-owner John Mara, who has been more than patient watching his team finish with losing records in seven of the past eight seasons, is optimistic the last wander into the wilderness is over.

Mara is looking forward to camp this year after his team had an active — and hopefully fruitful — offseason.

“I always look forward to it but maybe a little more so this year because of the prospect of having fans in the building again and because I think we greatly improved our team,” Mara told Steve Serby of the New York Post. “There’s always a certain amount of anticipation. I would say this year, I’m looking forward to it even more than I usually do.”

Why Mara feels that way is evident. A 15-33 record under general manager Dave Gettleman should have sent him into a firing frenzy but instead, he showed restraint and decided to give the current course one more year. It may have just paid off.

“I feel like we’ve got the right pieces in place, I feel like we’ve improved the team through free agency and the draft,” he said. “I’m very confident that we have the right coach in place, so I think we’re ready to start making a move, but until we start winning games, words are meaningless.”

That coach is Joe Judge, the former Bill Belichick confidant who went 6-10 last year but had the team on a competitive trajectory. The Giants missed out on the division title by a single game last season and hopefully will get there this year. Mara says there is no postseason mandate from him, however.

“I don’t think it does you any good to do that. I don’t think I need to say anything or do anything to motivate our coaches or our players any more than they already are. I think, when you issue mandates like that, they tend to backfire,” he said.

True, but Mara also made it clear that he expects this team to compete for a playoff spot again this year.

“I mean be a playoff team. Be a playoff team and start to contend for championships,” Mara said of his expectations. “Again, I don’t think we’re a finished product just yet, but I think we have enough pieces in place to certainly be a factor this season.”

So do many fans and pundits. The Giants should be a factor this season barring anything unforeseen. It’s been a long time coming.