It’s Time To Pay Attention To the New York Giants

The franchise’s last postseason win was Super Bowl XLVI in 2011. The team’s last playoff appearance was in 2016. Prior to this season, the combined win-loss record for the club was a dismal 22-59. Over that stretch, the franchise lost 10 or more games in each of those campaigns.

But these days, the New York Giants are sitting in the second place in the NFC East with a 5-1 record. This after the team finished 4-13 a year ago. There’s a new head coach in Brian Daboll and new general manager in Joe Schoen. There’s also a new mindset as Big Blue looks like an improved team in the trenches. That’s been one of the franchise’s major issues in recent seasons.

Of course, having a healthy Saquon Barkley in the backfield helps a ton. The fifth-year pro leads the NFL in rushing attempts (119) and only Cleveland’s Nick Chubb (649) has run for more yards than the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (616) – who has reached the end zone four times. Barkley also leads the club with 21 receptions and has an NFL-best 771 total yards from scrimmage. In 2021, the former Penn State star played in 13 contests and ran for just 593 yards on only 162 attempts.

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Quarterback Daniel Jones has had his good and bad moments. But he’s run for 236 yards and two scores and his hitting on 67.3 percent of his passes. But the Giants have given up the football just six times in as many outings. That’s notable because a year ago, the Giants led the NFL with 30 turnovers.

The comeback win over Baltimore in Week 6 included the team’s first interception of the season. All told, the Giants have eight takeaways – including a league-best seven opponent fumble recoveries. And while Don Martindale’s defensive unit has been gashed on the ground too often, Daboll’s club has given up just nine offensive touchdowns in six contests.

Along with the 24-20 win over the Ravens, the Giants came back to beat both the Titans and Packers on the road  – the latter in London. The team’s lone setback came on a Monday night at home against the Cowboys. And speaking of their NFC East rivals, New York has five divisional games the final seven weeks of the season. We won’t know if this club is indeed playoff-worthy and on course for its first divisional title since 2011. But it’s been a fascinating start to the season for Big Blue.