The winless New York Giants have a long way to go to salvage their season for a chance to play at home in Super Bowl XLVIII.
"We're all hopeful" that Monday night's game against the Minnesota Vikings will snap the Giants' 0-6 start, team co-owner Jonathan Tisch told CNBC the morning of the game. "The team is very focused. The players are upbeat," added Tisch, who's also co-chairman of Loews.
The Super Bowl will be held outdoors on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., home to the Giants and the New York Jets, who crept up in their conference with a controversial overtime win against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
(Read more: Will Super Bowl XLVIII be known as the 'Storm' Bowl?)
Appearing with Tisch on CNBC's "Squawk Box," former Giants center Shaun O'Hara said it's easy to just blame quarterback Eli Manning, who just happens to be a two-time Super Bowl MVP.
"I look at the defense too, because the Jets have a rookie quarterback," three-time Pro Bowler O'Hara said. Geno Smith is throwing interceptions, but "they are still finding ways to win football games, because their defense is keeping them in the game." He added: "It's a collective effort. It's never all on one guy."
"Tom Coughlin, he's one of the best coaches to have ever coached the game," contended O'Hara, who won Super Bowl XLII with the Giants. "I think tonight they turn the season around, and they get that first 'W' against" the Vikings and their starting quarterback "Josh Freeman, who just came to that team a little over a week ago."