Final regular-season NFL power rankings: New York Giants finish No. 8

Heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the New York Giants have little time to ponder NFL power rankings. We can, though, and in our final aggregated rankings for the 2016-17 NFL season the Giants come in at No. 8.

Here is how each of the eight outlets we used in our final rankings placed the Giants.

SB Nation (No. 7) | LW: 7

Bleacher Report/Simms (No. 7)

It wasn't pretty this season in New York.

In fact, it was downright ugly at times.

But Big Blue is playoff-bound for the first time since 2011. And if we know anything from that run and the one that preceded it, it's that this team can catch fire and play with the best of 'em.

Especially when its defense is built like this. General manager Jerry Reese caught a ton of flak in the five boroughs for writing big offseason checks—$62.5 million for Janoris Jenkins, $85 million for Olivier Vernon and $46.25 million for Damon Harrison. It was money well-spent; those three joined Landon Collins and Jason Pierre-Paul to key a defensive turnaround the likes of which I've never seen. Big Blue jumped from dead last in total defense in 2015 to 10th in 2016.

With a group like that, who needs offense? Eli Manning might be on the downswing, but he was still able to get the ball in Odell Beckham Jr.'s hands enough (1,367 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns) to make a difference. He'll need to get hot for this team to stick around in the hunt for 51.

Looking forward: Two questions hold the key to Big Blue's postseason fate. First off, can Rashad Jennings/Paul Perkins run the football? And can Ereck Flowers keep his pass-protecting slip-ups to a minimum?

Yahoo! Sports (No. 8) | LW: 8

That was an impressive win at Washington, considering the Giants could have packed it in with a playoff game on deck this week. Their defense against Green Bay’s offense is a nice wild-card weekend matchup.

ESPN (No. 8) | LW: 9

The Giants spent big on defense in the offseason, and the result was a defense that allowed 17.8 points per game, second fewest in the NFL. The offense wasn't as solid, scoring 19.4 points per game, but the Giants finished 11-5 and are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

CBS Sports (No. 8) | LW: 9

With a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Eli Manning and a top defense, they could make a real push for the Lombardi Trophy again.

FOX Sports (No. 8) | LW: 9

The Giants are going into the playoffs on a hot streak, which is always a positive for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. They’re probably one of the quietest 11-5 teams ever, seeing as they don’t get much attention due to their unexciting offense. However, the defense is among the best in football. It’s good enough to carry the Giants to the Super Bowl.

Pro Football Focus (No. 8)

USA Today (No. 8) | LW: 8

Their 2007 and 2011 clubs parlayed playoff wins at Lambeau Field into Super Bowl glory. It feels like this edition capable of similar heroics.