The Giants are heading into their matchup with the last-place Eagles with a very different feel around the building, and a lot of that starts with John Harbaugh. The new coach is making accountability a daily standard, and that has become one of the clearest markers of how this team is being run now.
Veteran offensive lineman Aaron Stinnie said the approach has landed well inside the locker room. “I would say some of [my coaches] have handled it like Harbaugh, some of them haven’t.
It really just depends on your coaching style and how you want to handle it,” Stinnie said. “But I think guys are taking really good to it and like it.
I think it helps. It helps keep everyone accountable and stay on the same page.
There’s definitely a way to do it and he does a good job of having it in a constructive manner. Just being upfront and honest.
Everything is transparency.”
That same new mindset is showing up in the way the Giants are being discussed around the league. With Harbaugh now the face of the franchise and the final word on football decisions, the team is being viewed as one that won’t pass up a real chance to improve. That’s why a possible Jonathan Taylor trade has been floated as the kind of move the Giants could pursue if the opportunity is there.
At the same time, the trade deadline chatter has turned toward who might be available if New York decides to make a move. The Giants are in first place, which means they are not expected to sell. But there are a few players who have slipped enough that they could become part of a deal.
Center John Michael Schmitz lost his starting job to Bryan Hudson in Week 4. He still offers depth at a key spot, but a team in need of a center could be willing to part with a Day 3 pick for the 2023 second-rounder, who is in the final year of his contract.
Safety Tyler Nubin is in a similar spot. He has not lived up to expectations in New York and appears close to losing his starting role. Even so, a team that liked him in the 2024 draft could see him as a buy-low target.
Defensive tackle Darius Alexander is another recent Day 2 pick whose role has shrunk. The 2025 third-round pick has become essentially unplayable against the run, and he could be even more expendable if the Giants add another defensive tackle.
Sunday also brings a different kind of test. The Eagles have been a problem for the Giants and their fans for more than a decade, and the trip to Philadelphia carries plenty of emotional baggage. Guard Jon Runyan Jr. said the atmosphere there is familiar, but the recent results have tilted heavily in the Eagles’ favor.
“Philly is a very raucous atmosphere to play in, the fans are super similar to our fans up here,“ said guard Jon Runyan Jr. “The only difference is they’ve had something to cheer about the last couple of years recently.
I’m hoping the tables turn a little bit. I feel like they have.
It’s up to us to go down there and take care of business. I think we have what we need.
We split with them last year so I think we’re building in the right direction.”
Harbaugh, though, brushed aside the idea that this Giants team is carrying the burden of the 13-game road losing streak in Philadelphia dating to 2013. When asked about inheriting that history, he made it clear he wasn’t interested in treating it like a hand-me-down.
“I’m trying to think of the analogy because inherit is an interesting word,” Harbaugh said. “You’re sitting there, you’re sitting at one of those, I’ve only seen them on movies where they all go into the lawyer’s office and they read the will, right?
What would that be akin to, a 13-game losing streak that you inherit? Yeah, you can say like, no thanks, that’s what I would probably say is like.
I’d say like, I’m not up for that, so I’m going to say no thanks to that. Yeah, I didn’t know that, and I probably didn’t need to know that.
Yeah, we don’t care, we don’t care about that.”
There’s also some individual recognition filtering in from around the league. In CBSSports.com’s 2026 midseason rookie grades, linebacker Arvell Reese earned an A+.
The evaluation pointed to the concerns that followed his pro day workout, then praised how quickly he has settled in seven months later. The report said he has been doing exactly what made him such an exciting prospect at Ohio State, with instincts, range, and insane athleticism helping him become an immediate difference-maker.
Giants coaches have also praised how quickly he has adjusted.
Offensive guard Francis Mauigoa also made the list, earning a C+. The report noted that the transition from college tackle to NFL guard has not been seamless, but that he has improved steadily. His athleticism and movement in the run game stood out at Miami, and while balance and hand placement have remained issues, his pass protection has gotten better, especially against Houston in Week 7.
In Other News...
Giants Trade Deadline Push Just Got A Lot More Complicated
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For a team that could still use a boost before Nov. 10, the challenge is not just finding the right player. It is finding a trade partner willing to work within the Giants' limited resources, and that has made the search more complicated than it looked a few weeks ago. The front office has acknowledged the constraints, and now the question is how creative it can get without overpaying for a move that has to make sense well beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
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J.J. McCarthy has already helped change the tone around the position, and his five starts have given the Giants reason to believe they may have found something real at quarterback. Still, this trip comes with the usual questions that follow a young passer into a tough building, and with the division race tightening, how McCarthy handles the moment will matter almost as much as the result itself. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Face A Deadline Decision That Could Shape The NFC East
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One of the more intriguing possibilities is whether New York will look to add help before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, with running back Jonathan Taylor among the names tied to the conversation. The appeal is obvious for a team trying to stay ahead in a tight race, but the price tag could be just as important as the fit, and the Giants have already seen how difficult it can be to land premium talent when the asking price gets steep. [Read more 🡒]