For a month and a half, the Giants’ grip on the NFC East came with an asterisk. They were winning, sure, but the question hanging over everything was simple: could they really keep this up without Jaxson Dart?
That question looks a lot less important now. J.J.
McCarthy’s first start gave New York exactly what it had been missing - a passing game with life in it. The offense has more punch, more confidence, and more room to breathe, even if it’s still not a finished product.
In a division this shaky, that might be all the Giants need.
McCarthy wasted little time making his presence felt against an elite Houston Texans defense. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards and wasn’t shy about testing the field vertically, connecting on seven of 12 throws that traveled more than 10 yards. Compared to the stop-start chaos New York lived with under Jameis Winston, this was clean football with real upside.
The Giants still need the run game to hold up its end, especially after what it showed late in the Week 7 win. If that part of the offense keeps delivering, Matt Nagy’s unit has a chance to finish in the top third of the league. That kind of production might be enough to hang onto the division.
And that’s the other piece of this: the NFC East isn’t exactly forcing New York to race. The Commanders got a little relief coming out of their bye, but they also seem close to a midseason head coach firing. With Terry McLaurin injured, Washington no longer has a true WR1, and Jayden Daniels may not have enough help to drag them back to the playoffs.
Dallas and Philadelphia haven’t exactly seized the moment, either. The Cowboys’ defense has been one of the league’s worst, while the Eagles’ offense has fallen apart since losing Jalen Hurts for the season. Neither team did much to change the conversation in their Monday Night Football matchup.
After the Cowboys’ win over the Eagles, the Giants sit a game and a half ahead of Dallas. That’s not a massive cushion, but in a division like this, it might be plenty.
The Giants don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be better than the rest of the NFC East - and right now, that’s looking more than possible.
In Other News...
Kyle Van Noy Is Making This A Tough Vikings Decision
Kyle Van Noy has turned a short-term Vikings signing into one of the more interesting roster conversations of the season. Brought in on a one-year deal, the veteran has given Minnesota useful snaps as both a pass rusher and run defender, and his strong play has shown up in the grading as well, with Pro Football Focus giving him high marks for what he has brought to the defense.
Even in a limited role, he has made his presence felt enough to complicate the team's plans for 2027. At about 32 percent of the defensive snaps, Van Noy has done enough to make a case that he should not be treated like a stopgap, and Minnesota now has a decision to make about whether it wants that kind of production around beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Undefeated Start Is Hiding A Bigger Offensive Concern
Minnesotas unbeaten start has been built more on the parts of the roster that travel well in January than on any sense that the offense is fully in rhythm. The special teams and defense have carried plenty of the load, and Harrison Smiths 40th career interception was another reminder of how much veteran playmaking still matters to this group. With a tough stretch ahead, the Vikings can enjoy being the NFLs last unbeaten team, but the margin for error looks thinner than the record suggests.
The concern is that the offense still has not matched the standard the rest of the team has set, and the scrutiny is beginning to settle on Kevin OConnells handling of that side of the ball as well as some recent roster decisions. Blake Cashman has been a bright spot in the middle, while Will Fries has yet to settle in after joining the team, leaving Minnesota with a little too much imbalance for a club trying to keep winning at a high level. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Taylor Just Showed The Vikings What They're Missing
The Vikings spent plenty of the afternoon seeing just how disruptive Jonathan Taylor can be when an offense is built around a true workhorse runner. Taylor was a steady problem for Minnesota, helping Indianapolis stay on schedule and convert third downs in a game that exposed a defense that had usually been better in those situations.
For Minnesota, the reminder is obvious: a back like Taylor changes the feel of a game and gives an offense a different kind of edge. It is easy to see why his fit would be appealing here, even if the reality around any pursuit is more complicated, with no indication the Colts are eager to move him. [Read more 🡒]