Somehow, someway, the New York Giants are 3-1 to start 2026. They've weathered an early injury storm that hit like a hurricane, albeit by the skin of their teeth.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh undoubtedly deserves a ton of credit. He's instantly overcome adversity in his first campaign, which speaks to the internal buy-in. However, whether the success after starting quarterback Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee surgery is sustainable remains to be seen, considering they've barely outscored their opponents so far.
A winning record doesn't always tell the whole story; some underachieve while others punch above their weight. Point differential paints a clearer picture of a team's overall performance. And judging by where New York sits in the NFC standings by this measure, they're playing with fire.
NFC standings by point different through Week 4
Team | Record | Point Differential |
|---|---|---|
1. San Francisco 49ers | 4-0 | +58 |
2. Chicago Bears | 3-1 | +47 |
3. Minnesota Vikings | 4-0 | +35 |
4. Seattle Seahawks | 3-1 | +32 |
5. Carolina Panthers | 2-2 | +12 |
6. Dallas Cowboys | 2-2 | +10 |
7. Atlanta Falcons | 2-2 | +4 |
8. New York Giants | 3-1 | +3 |
9. Los Angeles Rams | 2-2 | +2 |
10. Detroit Lions | 2-2 | -8 |
11. Philadelphia Eagles | 2-2 | -18 |
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-4 | -20 |
13. New Orleans Saints | 1-3 | -23 |
14. Arizona Cardinals | 1-3 | -30 |
15. Green Bay Packers | 2-2 | -32 |
16. Washington Commanders | 1-3 | -34 |
As shown, in this scenario, the G-Men would find themselves on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. They're sandwiched between six 2-2 squads, and you are the company you keep. That includes their division rival Dallas Cowboys, who are two spots ahead of them.
Softer matchups against the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals have certainly helped mask Dart's absence. But New York needing back-to-back last-second goal-line stands just to beat cellar dwellers is hardly inspiring. Meanwhile, legitimate contenders like the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks have made overcoming the loss of their franchise QB look easy.
Even the junior varsity NFC South has flashed more dominance. The Atlanta Falcons have multiple three-touchdown victories. Heck, the Carolina Panthers suffered an embarrassing 59-37 Week 1 defeat to the Bears and rank higher than the Giants.
Nevertheless, if there's any silver lining, this isn't the first time New York has been in the "pretender" category. Big Blue Nation can find solace in the fact that the club has been in a similar situation and prevailed
This isn't the Giants' first point differential rodeo
Not long ago, the Giants were in a similar boat, winning six of seven contests to open 2022 — all by one score. They managed to sneak into the playoffs despite predictably regressing, though no one took them seriously because of their negative point differential (minus six)
Frankly, the pessimism surrounding New York back then was warranted, at least to some extent. The jury was (and is) still out on how good a signal-caller Daniel Jones was, and the defense was far from a strength. Yet, they pulled off an exciting Wild Card road upset over the Minnesota Vikings while many were pumping the brakes on the hype train.
History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes, as the saying goes. The Giants have found ways to make noise against all odds and are now under better leadership. While Dart's injury (and star pass rusher Brian Burns' torn right ACL and lateral meniscus) remains an obstacle, the proof of concept is encouraging.
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