For the first time since 2015, the New York Giants are the undisputed NFC East leaders. With the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys in the same division and a messy start to the year, how did they end up 3-1?
Just as we’ve seen with teams like the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers, coaching matters. Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, and Kyle Shanahan are prime examples of how to make the most of a growing or struggling roster.
The Giants hired former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in the offseason. He immediately enforced tougher practices and an “earn your spot” mentality. On top of the culture shift, he brought in special teams players Dominic Zvada (kicker) and Jordan Stout (punter).
Over the past decade, the Giants’ failures have come within close margins. Whether it’s a subpar kicker or lackadaisical coaching, close losses have defined Big Blue.
In New York’s three wins, the margin for error has been razor thin. Time of possession won the battle with the Cowboys, and closing games on defense defeated the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals. Bending, but not breaking, has been this team’s M.O. That’s largely thanks to Harbaugh’s coaching.
Arvell Reese: game wrecker. The Giants’ 2026 fifth-overall draft pick has quickly become one of their greatest weapons. Through four games, he’s recorded one interception, four passes defensed, 34 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, and a league-leading 27 solo tackles.
In New York’s Week 4 win over the Cardinals, Reese recorded nine solo tackles, one TFL, and his lone interception. He has yet to miss a tackle, and his 4.46-second 40-yard dash speed shows on the field.
The story of Abdul Carter has been a strange one. The 2025 third-overall pick started his rookie year off in disappointing fashion. He recorded 3.5 sacks in the final five games, and the pre-draft excitement was back.
In 2026, Carter has recorded one sack, nine total tackles, one TFL, and five QB hits. While those aren’t overly impressive, his impact is felt. In Week 4, he recorded a team-leading nine pressures, eight of which came in under 2.5 seconds.
Carter recorded 14 pass-rush wins in Week 4’s victory, the most of any defensive player in 2026. He hasn’t stacked up sacks, but pressure causes QBs to make mistakes. Just ask Jacoby Brissett about his three interceptions on Sunday.
After a thrilling Week 1 win over the Cowboys, the excitement in New York was at a fever pitch. Starting QB Jaxson Dart went down with a knee injury in a Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and the season seemed dead.
Things only got worse in Week 3 when star edge rusher Brian Burns tore his ACL. That initial excitement faded when both he and Dart were announced to be out for the season. With Jameis Winston under center and the defense’s number one player on the shelf, 2026 felt like another lost season.
Week 4 proved that no matter who is missing from the lineup, the Giants won’t quit on the season.
Fourth-year cornerback Deonte Banks has struggled in his career, logging only two interceptions, both in his rookie season. After two long seasons without a takeaway, he was the hero of Week 4. He logged the game-sealing, 98-yard pick-six as time expired.
Banks, Reese, and Carter showed against the Cardinals that losing your QB1 doesn’t mean losing the season. Defensive adjustments and playmakers can lift an inconsistent offense.
Following Dart’s injury and Winston’s struggles in his place, the Giants made a head-scratching decision. They traded a 2027 fifth-round pick for 2024 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy.
After being selected by the Minnesota Vikings, McCarthy missed his entire rookie year due to a torn meniscus. He started 10 games in 2025, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He only finished eight of those 10 games after injuries cut the other two short.
To say McCarthy is underdeveloped is an understatement. A former National Champion and a top 10 draft pick with less than a full season of NFL experience leaves plenty to be mined. Is he a threat to Winston’s job, though?
McCarthy is still learning the ins and outs of Matt Nagy’s offensive scheme and won’t be thrust into the fire. In three games, Winston has thrown for 479 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Despite less-than-stellar play, he’s 2-1 in those appearances.
If the Giants continue to win with Winston under center, there’ll be no reason to make a change. With every passing week, though, McCarthy will become more familiar with the system. If the starter finds himself in deep water as soon as Week 5, his backup could see the field in Week 6.
The big question following the Giants’ division lead is whether or not it can be sustained. They’ll face off with the 1-3 Washington Commanders on Sunday, who are hopeful for QB Jayden Daniels to return.
After a meeting with Washington, the Giants will face the 1-3 New Orleans Saints, followed by the currently 0-4 Houston Texans. Even if they fall to one of those teams, two more wins ahead of the bye week would be beneficial. They’d enter the break with a 5-2 record before a Week 9 meeting with the Eagles.
The Giants’ schedule gets increasingly harder after the bye week. They’ll face the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks between Weeks 11 and 14. Winning now lessens the blow if they go on a disappointing run later.
It’s become a common occurrence that New York’s season is over before Halloween. At 3-1 in the middle of a favorable stretch, momentum could be on the team’s side ahead of the gauntlet it’ll face later in the year.
It’s easy to write off the 2026 Giants as a fluke after four weeks. With Winston under center and dangerously close wins over subpar opponents, the success doesn’t seem sustainable.
It would’ve also been easy to write the Giants off after Week 2. This is a team with a “never say die” attitude, and that may be enough to carry the season.
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