NFL power rankings: Where do the Giants stand in the NFC East this preseason?
In 2024, the NY Giants would like to return to the forefront of the NFC East, but they have a mountain to climb if they’re to do so. Going into Week 1 last season against the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants believed they were ready to take the leap towards becoming a major contender in the NFC.
To do so, the franchise needed to start defeating their most hated rivals, the aforementioned Cowboys, plus the Philadelphia Eagles. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The Giants were shell shocked by an absolute domination in all facets of the game from Dallas, not just in Week 1, but when the two teams met later in the season inside AT&T Stadium as well.
On the other hand, It wasn’t all bad against Philadelphia, though, as the Giants played the Eagles tough on Christmas Day, and capped 2023 off victorious, defeating Jalen Hurts and Co. at MetLife Stadium. While the playoffs didn’t go as planned for Philadelphia and Dallas, the Giants, and the Washington Commanders for that matter, look much different already after a busy offseason.
The future is murky for each of the four teams in the NFC East, even with training camp and the preseason in full swing. Ahead of a new campaign, it’s time to rank where each NFC East squad currently stands:
4. Washington Commanders
Admittedly, the Commanders could rise up these rankings relatively quickly, but they’re still bringing up the caboose in the NFC East at the moment. Last season, Sam Howell entered the season as the leader of the Commanders, and some inside and outside of Washington believed he could be their quarterback of the future. Well, that notion was dispelled over the course of the season, as Washington faltered throughout the year after starting off 2-0.
Howell flashed at times, but an immense amount of turnovers, coupled with a putrid defense, led to a cleaning of house for the Commanders. Ron Rivera was let go, and Washington is moving in a different direction with former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn leading the charge.
Additionally, the Commanders selected reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels out of LSU with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If you caught Hard Knocks earlier this summer, you would’ve seen Brian Daboll wax poetic about the former Tigers quarterback. Regardless, there are a ton of unknowns, and a major rebuild on their hands in Washington, so we can’t rank Washington above fourth in good faith. However, if Daniels’ play looks like it did during his preseason debut in 2024 and beyond, their future is brighter than it’s been in a long, long time.