National Football League

Surprising Giants have playoffs in their sight coming off bye week

Updated Nov. 9, 2022 5:29 p.m. ET

This whole season has been a tightrope act for the New York Giants, teetering on the edge of games that keep coming down to the very end of the wire. And general manager Joe Schoen didn't do anything to help them at the trading deadline — seemingly a sign that he's not all-in on this season.

That's probably the right call. His rebuilding project is still in the early stages. And he knows better than anyone just how limited this team really is.

But the Giants are still 6-2. They are likely headed to the playoffs. And as everyone in their franchise knows, those opportunities don't come around every year.

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Nick believes the records coming out of the NFC East are very impressive. Nick explains there is no shot for the Cowboys or Giants to take first place from the Eagles because they have the easiest schedule going forward with more than half their games against teams under .500.

So the question, then, is this: Can this Giants team that has been in every game, that has become expert at wearing opponents down and winning in the fourth quarter, somehow keep this miracle run going in the second half?

"Recipe or not, it's working," said Schoen during his bye week press conference last week. "There's nine games left. There's things we know we can improve on. You can't coach effort. You can't coach toughness, and our guys have been tough. They've been competitive. They've been resilient. They're playing their butts off. And we've been able not to beat ourselves.

"Whether it's sustainable or not, I think we've got some good players here. I'm looking forward to the final nine games."

So is everyone in and around the Giants, in large part because this season has been so unexpected. When Schoen and coach Brian Daboll took over a franchise that had five straight years of double-digit losses and just one playoff berth in the last decade, they didn't exactly fight against the wave of low expectations. They were clear that fixing the mess they inherited would take time.

Yet here they are, tied for second in the suddenly powerful NFC East and looking at back-to-back home games against the 1-6-1 Houston Texans and the 2-6 Detroit Lions. They have a 2.5-game cushion in their race for their first playoff berth since 2016. They couldn't have dreamed a better start for this new era if they tried.

"I think everybody would agree that there's still some meat on the bone and areas where we can improve," Schoen said. "We've got nine games to go, and it's a long way to go. But I'm pleased with where we are right now."

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There is a lot to like about this Giants team. For one thing, they are enjoying the resurrection of Saquon Barkley, who is finally fully healthy and currently third in the NFL with 779 rushing yards. The 1-2 punch of Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones (363 rushing yards) have made them the fifth-ranked rushing team in the NFL.

They also have a bend-but-don't-break defense that's giving up less than 20 points per game. And they have proven to be a tremendously well-coached team that is particularly good in the fourth quarter, where they have outscored opponents 61-36 this season. They've even come from behind to win in the fourth quarter four times.

But their flaws are obvious and huge. They can't protect their quarterback — Jones is on pace to be sacked 53 times this season. And their passing game is weak (159.1 yards per game, third-worst in the league) thanks in large part to one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL. That's why it was a bit surprising when Schoen didn't add a receiver at the trading deadline. In fact, he traded one — troublesome but talented receiver Kadarius Toney — to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Those weren't the actions — or inactions — of a GM who thinks his team can really make a run at a championship. It sure seemed like more of a message that Schoen thought the Giants' 6-2 start was an unsustainable mirage. He did make some calls about receivers, but he wasn't willing to give up the draft picks the Denver Broncos wanted for Jerry Jeudy, while the Houston Texans weren't willing to eat some of the $18 million guaranteed to receiver Brandin Cooks next year.

Both those players could've helped the Giants' passing game problems. But Schoen saw it more of an acknowledgment that his job is still to build this franchise up in the long term, not just for this year.

"You just can't be reckless with those draft picks and the future capital, where we are as we build this thing," he said. "Just being smart."

Besides, Schoen insisted, he likes his team. He particularly likes the contributions they've gotten from surprising places, like cornerbacks Nick McCloud and Fabian Moreau, linebacker Jaylon Smith, and receiver Darius Slayton who once looked like he might not make it out of training camp.

But as injuries hit to players like rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger, right tackle Evan Neal, guard Ben Bredeson, linebacker Azeez Ojulari and most recently safety Xavier McKinney, who broke his hand in an ATV accident while on vacation last week, the question is still the same for the Giants: Can their good times last? Are they really good enough to continue living life on the edge, and hope they're tough enough to keep pulling games out in the end, especially now that they know help is likely not on the way?

"The margin for error is tight, for sure," said Giants safety Julian Love. "But I always go back to what Wink [Martindale, the Giants defensive coordinator] told us right before the season started: In moments, like sudden change moments [where] a turnover happens and normally guys are like, ‘Oh, man, we've got to go back on the field.' He said ‘You should be excited to go back on the field to showcase who you are.'"

"I think this team has owned that, too, so that's why you see us making these big plays in key situations."

"They don't give up," Schoen added. "You guys have seen the games. We get into the fourth quarter, and we've been able to come out with some wins. I think the way they've jelled, it was a little bit of an unknown leaving training camp. You just didn't know how they were going to react in the heat of battle.

"I think they've done a good job. They're fun to watch, and they compete for 60 minutes. I'm really proud of the guys."

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.