NFL power rankings 2018, Week 4: Giants move up following first victory

The New York Giants defeated the Houston Texans on Sunday night, 27-22. New York is now 1-2, getting back on track with their first win of the season. With the NFL Power Rankings coming out on various platforms this morning, let’s see where the Giants fall.

We went through seven different site’s power rankings and the Giants came out at No. 25 when you aggregate the various lists. They are as high as No. 21 on NJ.com and as low at No. 29 on USA Today. Here is an aggregation of all of the rankings and the explanations.

SB Nation (No. 27)

Yahoo (No. 24)

Eli Manning went 25-of-29 for 297 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against a good Texans defense. Manning, and the Giants, really needed that.

Bleacher Report (No. 24)

High: 18

Low: 27

Last Week: 24

Week 3 Result: Won at Houston, 27-22

The New York Giants are back, baby!

OK, so “back” may be pushing it. A lot. Even in victory against the Houston Texans, there was cause for concern for Big Blue. New York’s offensive line remains a hot mess, allowing four more sacks—including three by defensive end J.J. Watt.

But the Giants found a way to win. Saquon Barkley was effective running the ball, averaging 4.8 yards a carry. Wide receiver Odell Beckham topped 100 receiving yards for the second time in three weeks. And Eli Manning had by far his best game of the season, missing on just four of 29 pass attempts and posting a passer rating of 132.3.

There’s been precious little to smile about in New York this season, but the Giants finally notched a “W” in Week 3.

Now, all they have to do is play four straight against teams that made the postseason in 2017.

USA Today (No. 29)

Saquon Barkley is on pace to catch 112 balls, which would break Anquan Boldin’s rookie record (set in 2003) by 11 receptions.

NJ.com (No. 21)

There is life! Don’t start printing the playoff tickets yet, but it looks like the Giants have enough and made enough changes to have a season.

Washington Post (No. 22)

Things went pretty much as scripted with the Giants getting into the win column Sunday in Houston. The offensive line gave QB Eli Manning a better chance, and he used WR Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie RB Saquon Barkley to put an end to the early-season offensive struggles.

ESPN (No. 28)

Sacks could be the flaw on both sides of the ball. The Giants rank 27th, allowing a sack on 9.7 percent of their dropbacks. They rank 29th on defense, sacking passers on 3.8 percent of dropbacks. -- Masi