NFL power rankings, Week 9: New low for New York

The New York Giants have somehow managed to reach a new low in this week’s national power rankings.

Since we began tracking our aggregate power rankings in Week 1, the Giants had never been ranked lower than No. 29 overall. Following their hard-to-watch loss to the New York Jets, they’ve finally claimed spot No. 30.

It’s not just that the Giants are being ranked low; it’s how unanimous writers are in their opinion. Even in their worst weeks, at least one or two analysts would always rank the Giants in the No. 25-26 range. This week, the highest ranking from our usual outlets is a No. 28 from Sportsnaut.

The Giants’ upcoming opponent, the Las Vegas Raiders, are a bit of a mess as well. They just fell to 3-5 and fired their head coach and general manager. Whichever team loses this Sunday will have a lot of questions to answer in the following week.

Aggregate ranking: 30

Last week: 27

NFL.com (30)

The Giants can hang their hats on a defense that has been vastly improved over the past three games, led Sunday by Kayvon Thibodeaux in a massive performance. He’s helped energize the pass rush, but that’s a group whose effectiveness will suddenly be questioned in light of the Leonard Williams trade. It’s not shocking the Giants have become sellers, but that’s a tough loss for a defense that was showing it could keep the team in games.

ESPN (29)

Team QBR: 36.9 (27th)

Daniel Jones was just cleared to return after missing three games because of a neck injury. Tyrod Taylor was hospitalized Sunday because of a rib cage injury. The Giants’ quarterbacks are getting beaten and battered, and the results haven’t been positive. New York is last in the NFL at 11.2 points per game, while Taylor and Jones have been sacked 38 times in eight games. It’s Jones, who signed a new contract this offseason, that the Giants need to get back on track. He has two touchdown passes and six interceptions in five starts this season. — Jordan Raanan

CBS Sports (30)

They had no business losing to the Jets, even with a third-team quarterback who didn’t even try to pass. That late-game situational football was a disaster.

Pro Football Talk (29)

Not many teams can win with QB3.

Bleacher Report (29)

“The Giants can forget about a return to the postseason and start their preparation for the future,” Moton wrote. “According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Daniel Jones is ‘in line’ to return from a neck injury in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he’s thrown for just two touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

Yahoo Sports (30)

When you lose, everything is under scrutiny. Head coach Brian Daboll’s explanation for trying a field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter made sense. He didn’t think his defense would allow the Jets to score a touchdown in the final 25 seconds and he was probably right. But the kick missed, the Jets somehow got in field-goal position, hit that kick to tie it and then won in overtime. When your season is going bad, that kind of loss doesn’t get easily forgotten.

Sportsnaut (28)

It’s difficult to win an NFL game with your backup quarterback. If you’re forced to turn to your third-string option, that’s a wrap. Yet, the New York Giants nearly came away with a victory in Week 8. Although, we tend to believe that’s an indictment on both of the teams at MetLife Stadium. One thing seems fairly certain, Daniel Jones’ future in New York past the 2024 season feels far more iffy than it did entering Week 1.

Pro Football Network (31)

The Giants and Jets game was one of the worst offensive contests in recent memory. At one point, the teams had no third-down conversions and had punted a combined 15 times. In over four quarters of play in a modern NFL game, the Giants’ passing attack managed negative net yards for the game. Including sacks, the Giants passed for -9 yards. The fact that they were in this game at all is evidence of how atrocious this game was in general.

FOX Sports (30)

This season couldn’t have played out in Brian Daboll’s worst nightmares. Throwing for negative seven yards in a game, still somehow having it won inside the final minute — and then inexplicably blowing it? As if we didn’t know this season was a lost cause, the Giants have already begun the process of getting what they can out of it by trading Leonard Williams.