NFL power rankings, Week 5: Only the Jets separate Giants from the bottom

The New York Giants put up a good fight against the Los Angeles Rams but the strong showing by the defense was not enough to lead the team to its first win of the season as they dropped to 0-4.

Aggregating seven rankings from around the Internet, the Giants come out to an average ranking of No. 31 in the 32-team NFL, right ahead of the New York Jets. The positive is that this marks the first week the Giants haven’t dropped in the rankings, though there is admittedly not much farther to drop.

Let’s check out what outlets around the league are saying about the Giants heading into Week 5 of the season:

USA Today: No. 31

Did you see that play when QB Daniel Jones dropped back to pass against the Rams ... and it appeared none of his receivers ran a route? Said another way, the Giants have three TDs this season ... and Odell Beckham Jr. has four.

CBS Sports (Prisco): No. 31

The defense showed up against the Rams, but they don’t score enough. When does the first victory happen?

ESPN: No. 31

The Giants might be getting — incrementally — better, but they’re still a long way from being able to make the postseason. They still haven’t proved capable of winning a game, and they have to play the remainder of the season without their best player, Saquon Barkley. While the Giants might have enough playmakers to eventually score 20 points in a game (something they haven’t done yet this season), it isn’t going to be enough to produce consistent offense. Without consistent offense, you can’t produce consistent wins and make a run at the postseason.

Sports Illustrated: No. 31

The effort fight is still there, the wins aren’t.

New York Post: No. 31

The Giants have scored the fewest points in the league, but their maligned defensive unit actually had a decent day against Jared Goff and the Rams until Cooper Cupp’s late TD haul. Big Blue did manage 136 rushing yards after totaling just 170 in their first three games. But yes, as a famous coach of theirs once said, “You are what your record says you are.”

The Washington Post: No. 31

The Giants made it interesting Sunday in Los Angeles against the Rams. But it wasn’t good enough — again. And the postgame fight between Golden Tate and the Rams’ Jalen Ramsey brought the wrong kind of attention.

Sporting News: No. 31

The Giants’ defense continues to grind away for Joe Judge and Patrick Graham, but their offensive limitations around Daniel Jones with no Saquon Barkley will keep limiting their winning potential all season.