Derry face a massive test of their mettle against an Armagh side that will "smell blood" going into Sunday, according to three-time former All-Ireland winner Enda McGinley.
Allianz Football League Division 1 champions Derry looked set for a memorable summer after their spring exploits but an Ulster quarter-final defeat to a resurgent Donegal followed by a loss to Galway in Salthill on 18 May in their All-Ireland group opener has sparked doubts about Mickey Harte's team who had appeared to be riding the crest of a wave.
Up next is an Armagh side who have their own question marks but can start building their own momentum should they get the better of Derry in a 4pm throw-in at Celtic Park on Sunday (live on RTÉ2, RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio 1).
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, former Tyrone All-Star McGinley said the gauntlet has now been thrown down to Derry to find a second wind quickly.
"Rewind the clock to the end of the league final and what odds would you have got that Derry in their next two games would lose by six and five points respectively. You would have never thought that that was coming down the track and yet that's exactly what has hit them and they are camp reeling," he said.
"Obviously the injury crisis that they've been hit at the wrong time of the year is a major thing, (Gareth) McKinless' sending off and just that general sense of a team fraying at the edges and having pushed themselves so hard, are they able to re-circle the wagons and relaunch this thing whenever that huge wave of momentum and that wave of belief that was created - and you could sense that off them - has crashed.
"Can they get that up and running again? So it's a massive, massive challenge for Derry and Armagh will smell blood."
McGinley added that the fact that Armagh took Derry the distance in last year's Ulster final before succumbing to defeat in a penalty shootout will give Kieran McGeeney's side the belief they can push their opponents all the way in what is expected to be a real arm-wrestle.
"Armagh should have confidence but again that confidence is going to be a wee bit thin, so it will be like two fighters trying to almost out-bluff each other and try to re-establish that bit of momentum," said the RTÉ GAA analyst.
"But for whoever doesn't get momentum out of this at the weekend, you would really think their season isn't going to end well."
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Radio Player, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Watch The Saturday Game this weekend from 10.55pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Watch an All-Ireland SFC double-header, Meath v Kerry (2pm) and Derry v Armagh (4pm), on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Sunday Sport with RTÉ Radio 1
