Giants with a slight bump up after a tie against the Commanders
The New York Giants walked away with a tie against the Washington Commanders in a divisional showdown. It kept the Giants in sixth place in the NFC playoffs picture as New York set their sights on the Philadelphia Eagles with the chance to make a statement in a now tight race for the postseason.
This week, we have aggregated nine power rankings across the Internet.
NFL.com (14)
The Giants had multiple chances to close out the Commanders on Sunday but had to settle for a tie after Graham Gano’s 58-yard field goal attempt fell well short of the uprights on the final play of overtime. Had New York’s defense made a final stand at the end of regulation, we’d be talking about the Giants rediscovering the spirit and resolve that defined the early portion of their season. Instead, this remains a team that, while still in playoff position, has just one win (against the lowly Texans) in the past six weeks. It doesn’t get any easier this week against the Eagles before a rematch with the Commanders in their building. Big Blue is about to reach a fork in the road of its season.
USA Today (14)
They’ve been surprisingly competitive in a stacked NFC East … even if it feels like they’re definitely no better than a one-and-done playoff outfit.
Sporting News (10)
The Giants played a weird game of attrition against the Commanders, and they were fit to be tied with cautious offense and limited play-calling in relation to their weapons around Daniel Jones with the defense struggling. It wasn’t the worst idea to preserve playoff position ahead of a Week 15 rematch.
ESPN (14)
We’re No. 1 in… fumble recoveries.
Ok, so the Giants are actually tied for first in this category with the Cowboys, each with 11 fumble recoveries. But, man, it was tough to find something the Giants were the best at. Not surprisingly, eight of the 11 fumble recoveries have come in their seven wins. A ninth came in their tie to Washington. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and safety Dane Belton are tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries apiece. — Jordan Raanan
The Athletic (14)
Make the playoffs: 41.3 percent
Win the Super Bowl: 1.6 percent
Keep tying. Not trying, tying. A 7-4-6 record would almost definitely get Brian Daboll into the playoffs, which is good news since he seems to enjoy playing for the tie. The Giants neglected to go for a fourth-and-3 from the Commanders’ 45-yard line with 1:42 left in overtime, opting to punt instead.
“We had the two timeouts. (If) we go for it, miss it, there was a short field,”Daboll explained after the game. “They go and get a win against a division team. So, that’s what we decided to do.”
Hindsight, like the game itself, is 20-20.
Up next: vs. Philadelphia, Sunday 1 p.m. ET
CBS Sports (12)
They tied Washington, and now face a monster division game with the Eagles. The playoffs are still very much a strong possibility.
YAHOO! Sports (14)
With 1:42 left in overtime, the Giants had fourth-and-3 at the Washington 45. Instead of going for it and maximizing their chances for a win, they took a delay of game and punted. They did get the ball back and had a shot at a game-winning field goal, but that fell short. But Brian Daboll punted there presumably knowing the tie wasn’t a bad outcome for the Giants. Nobody wants to hear that, but a half-win gets the Giants closer to the playoffs. It was fine.
NBC Sports Chicago (17)
The Giants and Commanders came into Sunday’s game with similar records and similar team profiles. It’s no surprise they left the Meadowlands with a tie.
Pro Football Talk (11)
The slow fade continues. There’s a great opportunity to change that when the Eagles come to town this weekend. Or to see it get worse.