If there's any NFL head coach who's used to being counted out and using that to heighten expectations and make the playoffs, it's John Harbaugh. In fact, his consistent track record of taking the Baltimore Ravens to the playoffs is why it was a no-brainer for the New York Giants to hire him.
Harbaugh's been a head coach in this league for the better part of the last two decades, so he's been around the block. And part of being a coach is dealing with the expectations the media sets for your franchise, and for better or for worse, Harbs has the Giants ready to prove people wrong in 2026.
The Super Bowl-winning head coach has already turned around Big Blue's culture and has given fans far more to be excited about than Brian Daboll ever did. In 18 seasons as a head coach, he led a team to less than eight wins just once: and that came when the Ravens were decimated by injury in 2015.
If they can stay healthy, the Giants have a chance to become the NFL's underdog story
In a pre-training camp power rankings from Bleacher Report, the Giants' placement was not pretty. They came in at 27th in the NFL, all because of the many concerns they've had on the injury front. It's not a talent or a coaching issue, because this is the best spot that New York has been in in years.
"A healthy Giants team finishes the upcoming season with a winning record and a shot at a playoff berth," Bleacher Report's Moe Moton wrote. "If Big Blue's core three offensive players miss extended time, this club's roster depth will be under a microscope. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy would need to get creative with his play-calling."
Instead of taking Moton's comments as disrespectful, this is a unique opportunity to not pad the victim complex growing in the Big Apple. Harbaugh took the Ravens to the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons, and those are numbers that the Giants would certainly take with a young, improving roster.
Unfortunately, better coaching isn't the only variable Big Blue needs to alter to become a playoff fixture. They're dealing with injury woes--and training camp hasn't started yet. Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo, and Darius Slayton are all recovering from injury, and they're banking on Jaxson Dart staying healthy too.
If the G-Men can stay healthy, Moton admitted he thinks they'll compete for a playoff spot. Their defense is mu h better, and the new staff will turn back the clock with this RB tandem and a better offensive line. And Dart will have better pass-catchers to throw to if Nabers isn't back for Week 1.
As long as the Giants are healthy, this season should be a success for one reason and one reason only: John Harbaugh doesn't lose all that often.
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