The New York Giants are in the midst of their longest winter, and as if their 3-14 season wasn’t bad enough, the NFC Championship game is an all-NFC East affair.
While the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders are preparing for football’s biggest stage, Giants fans are left wondering how it all went so wrong—and why their team played such a pivotal role in helping their rivals get here.
It’s not just that the Giants struggled; it’s how their dysfunction directly contributed to the rise of their division foes. Letting a franchise cornerstone walk out the door, missing on key front-office decisions, and failing to develop a clear vision for the future—these moves haven’t just hurt the Giants; they’ve actively fueled the success of the teams they compete with twice a year.
Now, as the Eagles and Commanders prepare to square off with Super Bowl hopes on the line, it’s impossible for Giants fans not to feel like they’ve been complicit in their rivals’ ascension. This isn’t just a bad look—it’s a masterclass in how not to run a franchise.
Take a look at the Eagles. Saquon Barkley, once the face of the Giants' franchise and their one consistent offensive weapon, is now tearing it up in Philly. Letting him walk in free agency was bad enough, but general manager Joe Schoen's decision to let Barkley join the Eagles—a hated division rival—was incomprehensible.
Barkley didn't just thrive in Philadelphia; he's been a game-changing force. He became only the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with 2,005 yards.
His 205-yard, two-touchdown masterpiece against the Los Angeles Rams all but sealed the Eagles' trip to the NFC Championship.
And then there's the Commanders. This one is a bit more of a slow burn, but Giants fans have to wonder, "What if?" Back in 2022, Giants owner John Mara had a chance to hire Adam Peters—yes, the same Adam Peters who is now the mastermind behind Washington's meteoric rise. Instead, the Giants opted for Joe Schoen, who dazzled with a promising Year 1 before leading the franchise straight into the gutter.
Peters stayed with the San Francisco 49ers until Washington scooped him up last offseason. In just one year, Peters built a team that won 12 games, hired Dan Quinn, and found a franchise QB in Jayden Daniels. Commanders fans are celebrating a season for the ages, while Giants fans are stuck wondering why Mara didn't see in Peters what Washington clearly did.
An NFC East disaster for the Giants
So here we are: the Eagles and Commanders squaring off for a trip to the Super Bowl, both with rosters bolstered by moves that can be directly tied to the Giants' front-office chaos.
Schoen's decision to let Barkley leave—and not even try to fight for Saquon or match Philly's modest offer—gave the Eagles the offensive firepower to dominate. Meanwhile, Mara's decision to pick Schoen over Peters gifted Washington a capable GM who immediately turned the team into a contender.
For Giants fans, it's not just the 3-14 record that stings—it's watching your rivals thrive with pieces you could've kept or had.
Instead of Saquon sprinting through the snow in a blue jersey or Peters architecting a turnaround in New York, these assets are boosting the competition while the Giants flounder.
It's hard enough watching one NFC East team make it this far, but two? That's a special kind of misery. This is the kind of debacle that keeps fans, and likely John Mara himself, tossing and turning at night. The worst part? Mara and Joe Schoen have no one to blame but themselves. The irony is Mara’s patience with Schoen is already wearing thin, but all of this could have been avoided if he’d made the right decision three years ago. Now, fans are running out of patience too, and seeing two divisional foes in the NFC Championship, both boosted by moves tied directly to the Giants’ failures, is nothing short of humiliating.
They gifted Philly the star player they needed for a Super Bowl push and stood by as Washington secured their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. How generous of Big Blue.
*Plays "What can I say except you're welcome," from Moana*
As the Eagles and Commanders battle it out for NFC supremacy, both franchises should send a thank-you card to the Giants for their generosity. The Giants, meanwhile, are left to stew in dysfunction, holding onto the hope that this offseason will finally deliver some semblance of a plan. But based on the last three years, don't hold your breath.