The New York Giants made the kind of opening statement that can shake up a whole set of power rankings. After Sunday night’s 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys, they vaulted from No. 23 to No. 16 in the aggregated Week 2 rankings, landing right at the league’s midpoint after one loud performance.
A lot of the buzz centered on the offense, and for good reason. Jaxson Dart looked comfortable from the jump, and tight end Isaiah Likely was the connector on a night when the Giants kept finding answers.
Likely caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns, then added two third-down grabs on the game-ending drive. He was Dart’s go-to target all night, and the pair’s training camp chemistry showed up when it mattered most.
John Harbaugh wasn’t surprised. “I mean, we paid him a lot,” Harbaugh said with a laugh.
“That’s what we paid him for, and he did it.”
The Giants’ offense drew praise across the board for how cleanly it functioned. Yahoo Sports noted that no team had a better offensive EPA per play through Sunday’s Week 1 games than New York, even ahead of the Bears after their 59-point outburst.
Bleacher Report called the attack “ruthlessly efficient,” while also pointing to Dart’s poise, Cam Skattebo’s hard-earned yards and Likely’s breakout debut. New York also converted 9 of 11 third downs, a number that stood out enough to get its own blunt assessment: “That’s nuts.”
Dart’s stat line backed up the eye test. He threw for 230 yards and three passing touchdowns while also rushing for 57 yards.
The Giants didn’t need flashy volume from Skattebo, but they did need the tough stuff, and he supplied it. Likely, meanwhile, was the kind of first-game addition that can change how an offense feels from week to week.
The defense did its part too. Pro Football Network said the Giants’ run defense held Dallas to 3.8 yards per carry, and Bleacher Report said the unit made enough plays against one of the NFL’s best offenses a year ago to help decide the game.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to back up the offense and deliver a divisional win on a night that also included a pregame ceremony honoring those affected by Sept. 11.
Across the rankings, the reaction was strong. ESPN placed the Giants at No.
18, FOX Sports at No. 17, Pro Football Network at No.
23, USA Today at No. 14, Yahoo Sports at No.
14, The Athletic at No. 18 and Bleacher Report at No. 21.
The theme was consistent: this was a legitimate step forward, not just an early-season blip.
USA Today said the victory was no fluke and called it “efficient, smashmouth, Harbaugh football,” adding that the rest of the NFC East is officially on notice. The Athletic went a step further with its “What we learned” takeaway: “They might be for real.” And if the Giants can keep Malik Nabers moving beyond his pitch count, FOX Sports suggested this offense could become a real problem for everyone.
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