John Harbaugh’s first season with the Giants has the club in a spot it can’t afford to waste. At 4-2-1, New York is sitting on top of the NFC East, but the next five days after Sunday’s game could say a lot more about whether that lead holds up.
The schedule turns fast. The Giants go to Philadelphia on November 8, then come home to face Washington four days later. That kind of stretch can build a cushion or burn one away in a hurry, especially in a division where the Eagles are 2-6 and Washington is 2-4-1.
Sunday’s trip is the first big hurdle, and it is not a soft landing. Philadelphia has dropped six straight and will be without injured quarterback Jalen Hurts, but the Eagles are still the team that just beat Washington 27-10 after scoring 27 unanswered points. Saquon Barkley was limited to 30 rushing yards in that game, which is another reminder that division games do not hand out easy answers just because the record says otherwise.
There’s also the matter of history around Harbaugh’s teams. Darryl Slater reported that Harbaugh is 15-3 coming out of a bye, while the same report noted the Giants have lost 13 straight in Philadelphia. Neither streak decides Sunday, but both underline why this week matters so much.
The smartest approach may be to start building for Washington now without losing sight of Philadelphia. Working the Washington install during the bye-week return would help soften the turn from one opponent to the next, while still keeping the main focus on the Eagles. It’s a way to protect the week without splitting the team’s attention right down the middle.
The other option is to pour everything into Philadelphia and deal with Thursday after the game. That gives Sunday’s opponent the full spotlight, but it also leaves less room to clean up mistakes before another division matchup arrives almost immediately.
Of course, health and workload could shape the plan, and neither team’s final availability is settled. Still, the Giants have a chance to make early November count. What happens next depends on how they handle these two games.
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Isaiah Likely Has A Big Eagles Opportunity While Giants Weigh A Change
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Giants Could Still Add The One Upgrade This 6-2 Start Demands
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One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Jonathan Taylor, a reminder that the Giants are not just protecting a good record but trying to see how far it can carry them. They have already checked on other targets and come away empty in some cases, which suggests the search is real, even if the exact move is still unclear. [Read more 🡒]
Theo Johnson Has A Giants Problem He Cant Ignore
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Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports recently pointed to LSU tight end Trey'Dez Green as a possible future answer if Johnson does not take a clear step forward. Green brings the kind of size, speed and contested-catch ability that can make a passing game more dangerous, though he would still need to sharpen his run-blocking to fit what the Giants want from the position. [Read more 🡒]