The NFC East might be a gauntlet in theory, but the New York Giants’ best path to the playoffs in 2025 is a fever dream of dysfunction that would send every other fanbase into meltdown mode. Sign us up.
In an article by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, he listed what it would take for each team to make the playoffs. His one-sentence playoff scenario for the G-Men reads less like analysis and more like a screenplay from your buddy who just moved out to LA to "make it big." And yet, there’s a version of this that doesn’t feel entirely out of reach.
The 3-14 team that holds the NFL’s toughest strength of schedule probably shouldn’t be thinking postseason — but if things go sideways for literally everyone else in the NFC East, maybe that’s exactly when to start sipping the Kool-Aid.
Only total NFC East dysfunction can save the Giants
Gagnon’s scenario is chaotic: Prescott fails to return to form, Jayden Daniels endures a sophomore slump, the Eagles nosedive right into a Super Bowl hangover, and in some way, somehow Russell Wilson turns back the clock.
If you’re looking for something grounded in numbers and logic, this isn’t for you. But if you’re a Giants fan living on hopes and whims, this kind of mayhem is exactly the kind of scenario you hope for.
The Eagles are still terrifying on paper, but losing veteran anchors on defense and putting a ton of pressure on new faces across the secondary and pass rush rotation could come back to bite them. Their schedule is also quietly brutal — with no consecutive home games and a long post-bye stretch that looks really unfun. They’ll still win games, but simply expecting them to pick up where they left off is ill-advised.
Washington is everyone’s offseason darling, but that also means the expectations are starting to outweigh the resume. Jayden Daniels was electric in 2024, and his supporting cast only got better, but development isn’t always linear — especially for young quarterbacks now carrying the burden of leading a playoff team. If Daniels stumbles even slightly, and the retooled defense doesn’t hold up, there’s a clear path to regression.
And then there’s Dallas, where nothing is ever simple. The coaching change, injury concerns, offensive line shuffle, Jerry Jones, and the weekly drama that follows Dak Prescott like a documentary crew... it’s all still there. If the Cowboys start slow or falter at all, there's a good chance they miss the playoffs again.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the Giants becoming great overnight — it’s about surviving long enough to be the last one standing when the rest of the division inevitably steps on a rake. If that’s the path, it’s not pretty. But it’s not impossible either. If this is the "only" way they'll make the playoffs in 2025, then consider us chaos' biggest fans.