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The New York Giants Are In Second Place in the NFC East; Focus Now On Wild Card?

By Christopher Schwarz

Oct 16, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA;New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) celebrates a game winning touchdown pass to New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) in the 4th quarter against the Ravens at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA;New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) celebrates a game winning touchdown pass to New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) in the 4th quarter against the Ravens at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Giants moved into second place in the NFC East during their bye week. The Dallas Cowboys may run away with the division, but a playoff berth is attainable if the Giants can win at home.

The New York Giants had a very productive weekend just sitting at home watching football like the rest of us. As the Giants go to practice today, a “heavy handed” one according to head coach Ben McAdoo, they are in second place in the NFC East.

With the Dallas Cowboys’ overtime win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football, they extend their win streak to six games and take a two-game lead in the division. The Cowboys currently hold the best record in the NFC and could finish the season with a losing record and still have 10 wins.

The Giants and the Eagles are both at 4-3, but Eli Manning and co. have a better division record, so they hold the tiebreaker. Philadelphia has yet to win a division game and rookie quarterback Carson Wentz is starting to show he doesn’t like to move the ball deep down the field. These two teams face off on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The Washington Redskins (4-3-1) tied the Cincinnati Bengals in London after kicker Dustin Hopkins missed what would have been a game-winning field goal. The Redskins are on their bye in Week 9, so either the Giants or the Eagles can get some separation with a win.

Going For The Wild Card?

The Giants still have a path to the NFC East title, but it’s a narrow one. The Cowboys face the Cleveland Browns this week which is, to say the least, a winnable game. In all likelihood, the Giants would need to have a 12-win season to overtake the Cowboys and win the division. Again, that’s certainly possible. There are no games on the schedule that seem out of reach. Away against the Steelers should be tough, plus the Giants close the season out on the road against the Eagles and Redskins.

With nine weeks left in the season, there are nine teams with either three or four wins in the NFC. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan sums up what the Giants need to do in the home stretch:

"“Sunday will be the start of an important three-game home stretch for the Giants against the Eagles, Bengals and Bears. Winning two out of three is mandatory. Good teams take care of business at home…The Cowboys and Eagles are the only teams currently with winning records that the Giants will face at home. The wild card is in sight. Now they must go grab it.”"

For a team that hasn’t made the postseason in the last four years, a playoff berth should be the goal for the Giants. For now. Giants fans know what can happen to a Wild Card team that gets hot at the right moment. If the offense starts clicking and that $200 million defense gets the sacks that Jerry Reese paid for, who knows what the future holds for the Giants.

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