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Giants Avoid the Cellar in MMQB's NFL Power Rankings

The Giants didn't finish 32nd in the weekly power ranking poll. But they're obviously not too far off.

Patricia Traina

Giants Avoid the Cellar in MMQB's NFL Power Rankings
Giants Avoid the Cellar in MMQB's NFL Power Rankings /
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After the 40-0 beating the New York Giants took Sunday night at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, one might have expected they’d be at the bottom of the weekly MMQB power polls.

They came close. The Giants open at No. 27 on the weekly poll, with SI’s Conor Orr opining that after the Giants overachieved in 2022 with their 9-7-1 playoff-bound record, they were destined to come crashing back down to earth.

Orr, in his poll write-up, went on to mention how the Giants caught some breaks last year early in the season and had a much softer schedule than they have this year, adding,

Their playoff win was against the Vikings (who were not good enough to beat the Buccaneers in their season opener Sunday). All of this is a long way of saying we need to be gentle on the Giants. Last year, they were bad enough to earn themselves a new GM and head coach. Good for them for making the process look like it was moving along faster in ’22. But this roster still needs time to grow.

Orr is correct in saying the roster still needs time to grow—after all, the starters barely played any preseason game snaps, which one might second guess considering all the new pieces that were added in the off-season.

This was acknowledged by both general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, who, toward the end of training camp, were repeatedly asked what they had learned about this team. Like last year, their response was that it would be about three to four weeks before they’d know for sure.

The schedule argument? Look, every team changes each year, some more than others. Teams that were powerhouses the year prior can sometimes fall off, just as teams that stumbled the year prior can suddenly turn into powerhouses. The schedule is what it is, which is why you show up every Sunday to play the game.

All that said, no, the Giants didn’t look good against the Cowboys—there’s no sugarcoating that. But if you’re looking for a bright spot (and you put stock in power rankings), the Giants will visit the Arizona Cardinals this weekend, who finished 32nd in the MMQB NFL power ranking poll.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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