Well, the John Harbaugh era is off to a solid start for the New York Giants, with only a couple of hiccups through the first four weeks.
Despite losing Jaxson Dart and Brian Burns for the rest of the season, Big Blue is 3-1 with wins over the Cowboys, Titans, and most recently the Cardinals, and is currently alone atop the NFC East for the first time since November 2015.
While things are the best they’ve been for the G-Men in a long time, the team can still play better, which Coach Harbaugh hinted at after the Giants' last win, as they try to hold their place at the top of the division.
The first place Giants can get even better if they start limiting turnovers
Through four games, the Giants have excelled at forcing turnovers. Big Blue has forced eight turnovers: six interceptions and two fumbles, including back-to-back game-winning interceptions by Jevon Holland against the Titans and a pick-six by Deonte Banks against the Cardinals.
While forcing turnovers hasn’t been the issue for the Giants defense, Big Blue's offense needs to limit turnovers. They’ve committed five in four games, including three in the last game, when Jameis Winston threw two interceptions and Najee Harris fumbled against the Cardinals.
The Giants have fumbled seven times this year, recovering five and losing two. They’ve fumbled at least once in every game, including four times in Week 1 against the Cowboys, and that can’t happen.
Cam Skattebo had three of those seven fumbles; the Giants recovered all three. Still, being responsible for one fumble in each of New York’s first three games is not a good look. He has to do a better job of holding onto the ball and can’t keep getting away with this.
The fumbles are bad; there’s no sugarcoating it, but the interceptions aren't much better. Jameis Winston threw all three of the Giants' interceptions, including one against the Rams and two against the Cardinals, despite throwing three touchdowns in that game. Those mistakes can erase good offensive work in an instant.
The Giants sit 12th in the NFL in committed turnovers, tied with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, and Seattle Seahawks, which may not seem that bad, as they are toward the middle of the pack. Still, these costly turnovers have made it harder for the team to pull off back-to-back victories over the last two weeks.
If the Giants’ offense stops turning the ball over as often, they'll play even better and hold a more comfortable lead atop the NFC East. We won’t have to hold our breath at the end of every game for a clutch defensive stop, and they won’t keep putting opposing offenses in a position to score late in close games.
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