NFL power rankings, Week 6: The Giants’ slide continues

At least the New York Giants are consistent. Since their Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Giants have fallen even lower in our aggregate power rankings every single week.

Now, some outlets have the Giants as the second-worst team in the NFL, ahead of only the Carolina Panthers. With injuries piling up and star players underperforming, most writers aren’t seeing anything to be too optimistic about.

The Panthers will probably (?) be stuck at the bottom until they can pick up a win. Still, it won’t be shocking if the Giants fall even further this week with a tough matchup against the Buffalo Bills coming up.

Aggregate ranking: 29

Last week: 27

NFL.com (31)

I feel badly for Joshua Ezeudu, who was apologizing for allowing a pummeling of his quarterback (again) on Sunday. There’s no way it’s on one guy, especially not a 2022 third-round pick playing out of position at left tackle. But that’s the state of the Giants’ offensive line now, with the entire group having been spun through the blender with injuries and ineffectiveness. And the sack Ezeudu surrendered — one of seven allowed by New York on Sunday, after it gave up 11 in Week 4 — did force Daniel Jones out with a neck injury. Injuries have ravaged the Giants’ offense, and we’re only in Week 6. Quick, someone put Darren Waller in a bubble. This is awful.

ESPN (28)

Fantasy football surprise: Nobody

Really, you just don’t want to play anybody on the Giants for fantasy right now. This is a group that is averaging 12.4 points per game and can’t run consistent offense because of their offensive line. It has rendered basically all their weapons useless. Tight end Darren Waller has been the only player who has even been (somewhat) productive with 23 receptions for 239 yards, yet fantasy football players have likely been disappointed if he’s on their roster.

Pro Football Talk (29)

It’s almost as if 2022 never happened.

Sports Illustrated (26)

There isn’t much to say at this point about the Giants other than we’re teetering on lost season territory. I would say this: If they cannot come out of the year building Kayvon Thibodeaux into an elite, every-down threat, and if they cannot come out of the year with Evan Neal feeling confident enough to anchor one side of the line consistently, then it’s going to be all the more difficult for the Giants to compete in 2024. I think they’re up to the task, but this slump has been concerning. I did see some solid moments from Neal, and some notable aggression on some run blocking downs. I do think he’s become “that guy” and is getting crushed for most offensive line mistakes.

Sportsnaut (29)

On the one hand, injuries have been brutal for this New York Giants offense. However, it’s evident general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were extremely overconfident in this team’s success last season and that hubris led to poor decisions in the offseason. How the Giants are performing right now is a byproduct of decision-makers who thought they could run it back with a team that was quite lucky in 2022. Now, Schoen and Daboll have to learn from their mistakes.

CBS Sports (30)

It gets worse by the week. The offense is bad and the defense has issues. Aside from that, things are good as they head to Buffalo to play the Bills.

FOX Sports (31)

The Giants are optimistic Daniel Jones’ neck injury isn’t a major problem. That’s good news for Jones, but also scary — because it means Jones might have to play more snaps behind this woeful offensive line. Jones has been bad, but his protection is giving him almost no chance.

Bleacher Report (31)

The New York Giants are cooked. Toast. Finished.

Sporting News (28)

The offensive line has broken down with injuries. Saquon Barkley remains on the shelf with a bad ankle. Now Daniel Jones has a neck injury and Wan’Dale Robinson suffered a concussion in Miami. The defense also stinks. And the Bills are next.