Just because the New York Giants are off this weekend doesn’t mean you should spend your Sunday afternoon elsewhere. You can hold off on laundry or cleaning out the pantry for a few more days; we promise.
The Giants (4-2-1) are the only NFC East team with a Week 8 bye, which could work in their favor. Dallas (3-4) hosts the inconsistent Cardinals (2-5) on Sunday afternoon, and the Commanders (1-4-1) and Eagles (2-5) meet Sunday night in a pivotal divisional matchup. The loser of the latter game can effectively kiss their playoff hopes goodbye, especially with how competitive the NFC North is right now.
Sunday’s action could go plenty of ways, but here’s what we feel would be the perfect outcome for Giants fans.
What do the New York Giants need to go their way during their Week 8 bye?
Dallas Cowboys: Loss to Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
This is the obvious desired result, but the Giants can’t afford to lose the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Cowboys. Good thing for that Week 1 upset victory, right? Then again, the Giants arguably have another advantage because of their Week 5 tie with the Commanders; that doesn’t drop their winning percentage the way an outright loss would.
Forget the whole “any given Sunday” cliché, because the Cowboys being 7-point favorites is meaningless. We’ve watched plenty of Dallas letdowns over the years, whether it’s against mediocre teams in the regular season or playoff choke jobs at AT&T Stadium.
Do the kids say the “vibes are immaculate” anymore? Because if so, that’ll be the mood among Giants fans if Arizona pulls off the stunning road win.
Washington Commanders: Win over Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Eagles fans are running out of reasons to be optimistic, and not solely because of the Jalen Hurts injury saga. Philadelphia has dropped four consecutive intra-conference games, and its record vs. NFC opponents is among the tiebreakers that could determine an eventual playoff spot.
We don’t see either team as viable postseason contenders, especially not given their quarterback issues; Eagles interim starter Tanner McKee is unproven, and Jayden Daniels is a walking injury risk. The question becomes if — or when — either team will start selling ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, though we’re also unsure who would realistically be available.
Social media is already floating Saquon Barkley as a potential trade option, and we’re sure he’ll be linked to the Giants soon enough.
In an ideal world, the Giants will wake up next Monday morning with the NFC East standings looking like this:
Team | Record |
|---|---|
New York Giants | 4-2-1 |
Dallas Cowboys | 3-5 |
Washington Commanders | 2-4-1 |
Philadelphia Eagles | 2-5 |
Remember: The Giants return from their bye with two NFC East games in less than a week; they play at the Eagles on Nov. 8 before hosting the Commanders on “Thursday Night Football” four days later.
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