NFL Power Rankings, Week 15: Giants drop to No. 20 after loss to Cardinals

After a big upset over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, the New York Giants lost to Arizona Cardinals, 26-7, Sunday afternoon, snapping a four-game winning streak.

Aggregating seven rankings from around the Internet, the Giants come out to an average ranking of No. 20 in the 32-team NFL entering Week 15. New York slipped two spots from its season-high ranking of No. 18 last week.

With a loss to the Cardinals, the Giants dropped to 5-6 overall and are ranked second in the NFC East behind the Washington Football Team. They will have another tough test this upcoming week against the 9-4 Cleveland Browns.

Let’s check out what outlets around the league are saying about the Giants heading into Week 15 of the season:

CBS Sports (Prisco): No. 23

The return of Daniel Jones from injury didn’t quite work out. The offensive line didn’t help him much, but he has to be better.

NFL.com: No. 19

Daniel Jones played hurt on Sunday, and it looked like it. The Giants quarterback threw for just 127 yards and didn’t have a single rushing attempt in a 26-7 loss to the Cardinals that dropped New York out of first place in the NFC East. An ailing Jones limped to the sideline at the end of the game, and it’s fair to wonder if a compromised version of the second-year quarterback will be Joe Judge’s best option on Sunday night against the Browns. Whoever is playing quarterback for Big Blue, the offensive line needs to be far better than it was against Arizona. Jones and Colt McCoy were sacked eight times in the loss, five of them coming on a career day from Haason Reddick. If the Giants don’t find a way to take a step forward on offense, their season has already peaked.

New York Post: No. 20

Daniel Jones looked immobile and indecisive throughout Sunday’s step-back loss to Arizona with his balky hamstring, but the offensive line and special teams also came up small in the Giants’ biggest game of the last few years. Next: Sunday night vs. Cleveland

ESPN: No. 20

The Giants’ worst unit is their offense? Wasn’t that supposed to be their best unit? For a variety of reasons (beginning with the Saquon Barkley injury), it’s not, and it’s at the top of the list of reasons they have a losing record. Daniel Jones hasn’t made the leap as expected in Year 2, and the Giants are struggling to score points. Thankfully, the defense has kept them in and won them some games. It has probably been even better than FPI ranks it.

Sporting News: No. 21

What was that? The Giants paid the price for rushing back a hamstrung Daniel Jones against the Cardinals. In the end, their lack of reliable, mistake-free offense may cost them the NFC East title in Joe Judge’s rookie season.

Bleacher Report: No. 18

The New York Giants rode into Week 14 on a wave of positive momentum. Last week’s stunning upset of the Seahawks in Seattle was their fourth consecutive win. The first-place Giants were going to get quarterback Daniel Jones back for Sunday’s matchup with the reeling Arizona Cardinals. That wave crashed to the ground at MetLife Stadium, burying the Giants in the process. Big Blue’s defense was leaky. The offense was atrocious. The Giants turned the ball over three times and allowed eight sacks. Jones was particularly putrid in his first game back from a hamstring injury. He completed only 11 of his 21 attempts for 127 yards and lost a fumble before the Giants pulled him late in favor of Colt McCoy.

Sports Illustrated: No. 22

Joe Judge drew scrutiny for his decision to play Daniel Jones despite the fact that the QB’s mobility was still impaired two weeks after straining his hamstring. After four straight wins, this loss dropped the Giants behind Washington in the NFC East standings with a tough final stretch that includes games against Cleveland and Baltimore.