The New York Giants appear to be on the upswing; there's no denying that. Their impressive 28-20 season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys has understandably turned many into believers, but maybe we should settle down just a bit.
It's easy to get lost in the immaculate vibes, so living in the moment is more than fair. The Giants defeated a longtime NFC East rival that had their number for the past decade-plus (and historically) in convincing fashion. They've quickly bought into what new head coach John Harbaugh is selling, and evidently, so have the public and the analytics.
However, it's also important to see the other side of the coin. While nobody likes a Debbie Downer, someone has to keep it real. Lest we forget, New York is tied with their hometown rival Jets for the fewest wins from 2017 through 2025 — by a good margin.
Regardless of the stigma attached to the franchise, the 2026 G-Men still have unanswered questions that could derail the hype train. Despite what some data points suggest, Harbaugh and Co. didn't fix all their problems overnight, even if they're taking meaningful steps in the right direction.
Let's pump the brakes on excitement surrounding John Harbaugh's Giants
Harbaugh was already the preseason favorite for 2026 Coach of the Year honors, and his odds got shorter after beating Dallas. New York's playoff chances improved dramatically, according to Austin Mock of The Athletic's NFL Projection Model ($), rising from 14 percent to 33 percent. Is it fair to ask if one contest should tip the scales so heavily, especially game one of 17?
Meanwhile, a weak Giants secondary is suddenly ailing and undermanned. Their revamped, uber-talented front seven recorded no sacks against Dallas despite generating pressure throughout the night. They must figure these things out to truly assert themselves as a legitimate threat in the division, let alone the NFC.
A dominant offensive line imposed its will and picked up the slack on the other side of the ball for a unit that has warts. New York sat on the rock and quite literally ran out the clock on the Cowboys. Big Blue posted the fourth-highest time of possession of Week 1 (36 minutes and 46 seconds), limiting both teams to just seven drives. For context, 23 squads logged at least 10 offensive drives, and the league average was 12.
There's also a glaring lack of depth at wide receiver behind star Malik Nabers, who's barely a year removed from suffering a torn ACL and meniscus. His encouraging return to the field teased a potentially dangerous attack, yet it also highlighted how thin the Giants are behind him. Only two other wideouts, rookie Malachi Fields and Darnell Mooney, caught two passes, and neither reached 30 yards (this excludes tight end Isaiah Likely).
Yes, New York being 2-0 after matchups with the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams sounds more realistic than it did as recently as early September. If the campaign's first slate of action is any indication, though, the defense remains a work in progress. The same can be true for talented young quarterback Jaxson Dart's supporting cast.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
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