The New York Giants can claim sole possession of the NFC East just four games into head coach John Harbaugh's tenure. It might not sound like much — until you realize how long it's been since the club accomplished the feat.
It's been almost six years since the Giants held an undisputed lead in the division. Is that crazy or what? Seriously, think about how wild that sounds.
So much has changed, yet New York being at eye level with or looking down on its rivals has remained constant. Harbaugh was hired to snap droughts like this and has wasted no time giving the franchise a true chance to set a new standard. With the Arizona Cardinals on tap, could he take the first real step toward a culture shift?
Between a softer matchup with Arizona and the Philadelphia Eagles' upcoming showdown with the Los Angeles Rams, the stars are aligning for Harbaugh and Co.
When is the last time the Giants took sole possession of the NFC East?
On November 29, 2020, the G-Men improved to 4-7 with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals and briefly sat alone atop the standings on a technicality. New York was on at 1 p.m. ET, but the Washington Commanders played in the afternoon window. So, for a few hours, Big Blue pulled ahead of the pack despite being well below .500.
Wayne Gallman led the Giants' rushing attack with 94 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries as they escaped with a 19-17 road victory in Cincinnati. Stud safety Xavier McKinney, now with the Green Bay Packers, was a rookie. That should properly contextualize how far back we're talking.
Even when New York was sitting at 7-2 during a surprisingly impressive 2022 campaign, they trailed the 8-1 Eagles. Heck, the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders weren't far behind at 6-3 and 5-5, respectively. The Giants haven't had their own moment in the sun in quite a while, though the Cardinals are beatable and Philadelphia's a home underdog.
Shaky Eagles could give way to John Harbaugh's Giants
Considering the Giants had ascending young quarterback Jaxson Dart for less than five quarters, it's pretty remarkable they're 2-1. Nevertheless, the Eagles have their fair share of problems with the Rams coming to town, including star wide receiver DeVonta Smith's health (or lack thereof).
Smith missed Philly's first two Week 4 practices due to a nagging hamstring injury. For what it's worth, his reps were managed before their Monday Night Football loss to the Chicago Bears. It's also a quicker turnaround, but "the expectation is he won't be able to go," per ESPN's Tim McManus.
Assuming Smith sits out or isn't at 100 percent, the Eagles are in trouble. They haven't been able to run the ball as effectively as we're accustomed to seeing in recent seasons and are having secondary issues on defense. A high-powered Rams squad eager to bounce back from an ugly primetime meltdown may only exacerbate any shortcomings.
There's a long way to go, but New York's on the right track. Let's see if Harbaugh can guide them to their first NFC East title since 2011, when they won Super Bowl XLVI.
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