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After yet another thriller with getting a stop at the 1-yard line to end regulation, The New York Giants have moved to 6-1 on the season. While many doubted the New York Giants in previous rankings, it seems like those days have come to an end. The Giants have a tough test on the road against Geno Smith (yes you read that right) and the Seattle Seahawks, so it’s yet another chance to prove the legitimacy of the Giants and maybe inch them closer to the top three!
This week, we have aggregated nine power rankings across the Internet.
NFL.com (6)
The Giants have a knack for winning close games — a massive attribute in a league where it seems like nearly every team hovers around the same level in terms of talent and potential. Big Blue was in closer mode again on Sunday, getting a stop at the goal line as time expired to outlast the Jaguars. Daniel Jones went over 100 yards on the ground, and Saquon Barkley continued to dominate, putting the Jacksonville defense on skates with 72 of his 110 rushing yards in the final quarter. Weird-stat-in-a-weird-season alert: The Giants are 6-1 despite being the only team in the NFL without a receiver who’s surpassed 200 yards.
USA Today (6)
A little smoke and mirrors? The number of teams that have ever started 6-1 with all their games decided by one score ... well, it’s just this one.
Sporting News (4)
The Giants have gone past the point of skeptics wondering if they are for real. They have had the baseline of Saquon Barkley’s healthy offense, but now Daniel Jones has gone full Danny Dimes with his passing, running and leadership. The defense remains the backbone and the support from the other sides keeps growing.
ESPN (4)
The Giants have four fourth-quarter comebacks this season. And they rallied in the second half of a fifth victory. That means five of New York’s six wins this season have been in come-from-behind fashion. This team is following in the footsteps of new coach Brian Daboll and clearly believes it can make plays late in games. Daniel Jones and several other players have referred to it as their “competitive spirit,” noting a mental toughness with this group that hadn’t been there in previous seasons when they regularly lost these kind of games. — Jordan Raanan
The Athletic (5)
If good coaching is about helping players improve their weaknesses and finding ways to emphasize their strengths, the 2022 version of Daniel Jones is a textbook example. Jones was a turnover machine through his first three seasons in the league. From 2019 to 2021, he had 65 combined fumbles and interceptions, tied for the most in the NFL (with Josh Allen) over that timeframe. His 1.7 turnovers per game trailed only Jameis Winston. Through seven games in 2022, he has just two fumbles and two interceptions. Maybe we’ll see the old Daniel Jones as the season goes on, but for now, Brian Daboll and crew have helped ease some of Jones’ worst habits.
Meanwhile, they’ve also built his rushing ability into the offense. He ran for a career-high 107 yards on 11 carries in Sunday’s 23-17 win over the Jaguars, and he’s averaging a career-high 49 rushing yards per game after averaging 26.3 over his first three seasons. If all of that sounds like New York is sort of trying to hide Jones as a passer, well, maybe that’s good coaching, too.
CBS Sports (5)
At 6-1, they remain the surprise of the NFL. Daniel Jones is a tough quarterback to defend with his legs. Injuries on the offensive line are now a concern.
YAHOO! Sports (5)
Football Outsiders’ playoff odds put the Giants’ chances of making the playoffs at 77.7 percent, which seems a bit low given that they’re 6-1 in a bad NFC. It would take a big collapse for the Giants to miss the postseason, but there’s still work to do.
It’s not always pretty, but Brian Daboll’s Giants just keep winning. The Giants have five second-half comebacks in their six wins. Coaching matters.
Brian Daboll will be smoking a few more victory cigars this year.
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