The Giants didn’t get the win they wanted against the Washington Commanders, but they also didn’t take the loss that would have stung a lot worse. The game ended in a tie, and in the moment that’s hardly ideal. Still, when the rest of the NFC East results settled in, New York walked away with something more important: the top spot in the division.
That’s a notable place to be, especially for a team that finished last in the NFC East a season ago. According to ESPN’s Monday look at Week 5, the Giants are still No. 1 in the division, and they’ve done it by hanging around, responding late, and refusing to let games slip away.
For New York, ESPN wrote, “After finishing their past two games with game-sealing interceptions in the final minute, the Giants rallied from down 14 points early in the fourth quarter to send it to overtime.”
It’s a sharp turnaround from last year’s struggles. ESPN added, “It's the opposite of last season, when the Giants blew five double-digit leads. Now, New York has a 1.5-game lead atop the NFC East.”
The bigger question now is how long they can keep this going. The Giants are doing it without franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart, which makes the run even more interesting.
They also traded for J.J. McCarthy, giving the roster another option, and Jameis Winston has not been a liability while filling in for Dart.
That leaves head coach John Harbaugh in a position worth watching, with the Giants sitting at the top of the division while McCarthy is on the bench.
In Other News...
John Harbaugh Already Has The Giants Looking Smarter Than Expected
Through the first five weeks of the 2026 season, the Giants have managed to stay afloat in a way few outsiders probably expected after a busy offseason and a new voice on the sideline. John Harbaughs arrival brought an obvious emphasis on structure and adaptability, and it has shown up in the way New York has handled early adversity while still keeping itself in the thick of the NFC race.
The roster-building choices around Harbaugh have already started to look sharper than they did in the spring, especially with the way the offense has been reworked around new pieces. Losing key players to season-ending injuries would normally push a team into survival mode, but the Giants have remained competitive and steady enough to make their early results look less like a fluke and more like the product of a plan that is finally taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Are Surviving Brian Burns Absence One Risky Way
With Brian Burns sidelined and other key defensive injuries piling up, the Giants have leaned into a far more aggressive plan under coordinator Dennard Wilson. New York has dialed up pressure at a much higher rate, and the early results have at least kept the defense afloat, with seven sacks over the past two games and a 1-0-1 record to show for it.
The tradeoff has been obvious, though: the pass rush has come alive, but the run defense has been vulnerable. The Giants have still surrendered a heavy amount of rushing production, and the cost of sending extra bodies at the quarterback leaves them exposed when opponents can stay on schedule on the ground. It has been enough to survive so far, but not enough to make the whole operation feel settled. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Have A Center Problem Their Former Top Pick Still Can't Fix
The Giants are still sorting through the same troublesome spot in the middle of their offensive line, and the latest turn keeps John Michael Schmitz on the sideline for now. Bryan Hudson is set to get the start at center in the upcoming game, a move tied to his recent play and one the coaching staff is treating as a week-to-week decision rather than a long-term verdict.
John Harbaugh made clear the shuffle is not meant to close the door on Schmitz, who remains in the teams plans even while he works from the backup role. For a unit that has been searching for steadier play up front, the center job is still unsettled, and the Giants are leaving themselves room to keep adjusting if the next look does not bring the answer they want. [Read more 🡒]