The Giants have been one of the more surprising teams in 2026, but the one thing they still can’t seem to solve is Washington.
New York is 5-2 against everyone else, which is a strong place to be. Against the Commanders, though, the Giants are 0-1-1, and that includes a brutal 24-21 Thursday Night Football loss that felt entirely avoidable. Special teams mistakes, shaky late-game play-calling and a costly fumble by Malik Nabers all played a part, and the result leaves New York with plenty to clean up.
That couldn’t come at a worse time. The schedule is about to turn nasty, starting with a 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars team that has been blowing people out. Jacksonville owns the NFL’s best point differential at +108, and the Jaguars are bringing a new-look defense to MetLife Stadium after the trade deadline.
And that’s just the start.
After Jacksonville, the Giants face a road game against the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts, then host the San Francisco 49ers before traveling to play the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. That’s a punishing stretch, and over the next month New York will run into three of the nine current betting favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
That’s why the Washington game mattered so much. The Giants had a chance to widen their cushion in the NFC East entering Week 10, especially with Washington sitting at 2-5-1.
Instead, they let an opportunity slip away, and now the pressure shifts toward finding at least one upset in the coming gauntlet. Dallas is still hanging around too.
The bad news doesn’t stop after Seattle, either. There’s no quick breather waiting on the other side. New York’s next two opponents after that are the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions.
The Browns are 5-4 and no longer look like the easy out they’ve been for much of the past. Their roster has young talent on both sides of the ball, and first-year head coach Todd Monken is getting results.
Then comes Detroit, a team with what might be the league’s most explosive offense and a defense that has tightened up since its Week 6 bye. The Lions haven’t allowed more than 17 points since then, and Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs keep playing like perennial All-Pro candidates.
In Other News...
Giants Kicking Problem May Force A Familiar Name Back Into Play
The Giants kicking situation has gone from promising to precarious in a hurry, with rookie Dominic Zvada following a strong start by missing several field goals in recent games. For a team trying to steady itself, that kind of volatility at one of footballs most unforgiving positions can quickly become a real issue, even if John Harbaugh has continued to voice confidence in Zvadas long-term potential.
Ben Sauls is the familiar name now hovering back around the conversation. The former Giants kicker was waived earlier and remains a free agent, which gives the team a ready-made option if it decides Zvada needs more competition or a short-term push. For now, the question is whether the Giants ride out the rookies rough patch or bring back a leg they already know and see if that changes the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Wont Like What This Commanders Hit Could Lead To
The Giants left Week 10 with another division loss, and one play from the Commanders is likely to linger well beyond the final whistle. Linebacker Frankie Luvu was all over the field in Washingtons win, including a forced fumble, but his helmet-to-helmet hit on Theo Johnson became the kind of moment that can overshadow everything else when the league starts reviewing the tape.
The flag came out on the field before being overturned, but that does not necessarily end the conversation. The NFLs GameDay Accountability Committee can still take a closer look, and Luvus track record for similar hits earlier this season gives the play a little more weight than a routine missed call, which is the part Giants fans probably will not love hearing as they move on from another frustrating afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Nabers Opens Up About A Giants Concern Fans Can Feel
Malik Nabers has been candid about what it takes to come back from a knee injury, and his comments land with extra weight for a Giants team that has spent plenty of time trying to steady itself around young talent and long-term health. He described both the physical grind and the mental strain of the recovery process, and even left room for uncertainty about where things stand as he works his way forward.
For a fan base that has already learned to track every hint of progress, that uncertainty is the part that lingers. The Giants have had reason to feel encouraged by the energy around the organization, from Mike Tomlins praise of the urgency under John Maras leadership to the strong early returns on rookie linebacker Arvell Reese, with evaluations also pointing to Francis Mauigoa as another solid pick. Even as former coach Tom Coughlin settles into retirement and watches his grandchildren play sports, the bigger question for New York remains whether Nabers can get back to feeling like himself. [Read more 🡒]