John Harbaugh’s first season with the Giants has already been tested in a way few coaches want to face this early: less than two games into the year, second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending knee injury on New York’s first series of the night in its Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
That kind of blow can send a season sideways in a hurry. Instead, Harbaugh has kept the Giants from falling apart.
New York has already moved through two starting quarterbacks and is now turning to newcomer J.J. McCarthy as its third option under center. Even with that chaos, the Giants are still sitting in first place in the NFC East at 3-2-1, though the division is described as a horrible one.
That’s why Harbaugh is starting to look like a real Coach of the Year candidate. The Giants haven’t had their original plan for a while now, but they’ve remained competitive almost every week. Under Harbaugh, they’ve stayed in games that could have easily gotten away from them.
The last two weeks have been prime examples. Against the Washington Commanders, the Giants nearly erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit in a game they probably should have won if Cam Skattebo didn’t fumble. Then, just this past week, McCarthy nearly pulled off an impossible comeback after New York was down 34-10 in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints.
Even in the games the Giants did win, there’s a pattern here. They opened the season by beating the Dallas Cowboys, then followed that with a defensive stand against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3 and another defensive stand the next week against the Arizona Cardinals. Some players even admitted they would not have won those games in 2025, considering how many fourth-quarter leads they gave away a season ago.
Harbaugh’s track record helps explain why this has not spun out of control. In 18 seasons as the Baltimore Ravens head coach, he had only three losing seasons, including two 8-9 finishes. Along the way, he dealt with quarterback issues and injuries and had to lean on players like Ryan Mallett, Matt Schaub and Tyler Huntley to keep Baltimore’s playoff hopes alive.
That kind of stability is showing up again. It doesn’t seem to matter who is taking the snaps or what the situation looks like in the fourth quarter - Harbaugh has this team locked in and playing with the same 1-0 mentality every week.
If the Giants reach the postseason without Dart, the Coach of the Year conversation should be simple. Harbaugh will have earned it.
In Other News...
Giants Face A Defining Roster Decision As QB Change Begins
With J.J. McCarthy set to make his first start of the week against the Texans, the Giants are entering a stretch where every roster decision feels a little louder than usual. The quarterback switch gives the team a fresh look heading into Week 7, but it also keeps the focus on a group still trying to sort out its depth and identity after moving on from running back Najee Harris.
Paulson Adebos return from injured reserve adds another layer to that picture, especially with the cornerback practicing in a limited capacity after a knee injury. Even as the Giants work through the immediate demands of the new quarterback setup, there is still plenty of attention on how the roster may evolve around him, with the front office facing questions about whether more changes could be coming. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Trade Deadline Picture Suddenly Includes One Surprising Name
The Giants head into the trade deadline in a strange spot, sitting atop the division while still dealing with the kind of injury issues that can change a rosters direction in a hurry. That has opened the door to some unexpected names surfacing in the conversation, including Kayvon Thibodeaux and Cam Skattebo, as the front office weighs whether to hold steady or listen if the right offer comes along.
Jameis Winston is the one who really adds a jolt to the discussion, because his situation suggests a role that no longer looks as stable as it once did. Add in the fact that the Giants are trying to balance short-term competitiveness with longer-term roster value, and deadline chatter around a player like Winston feels like the sort of thing that could move quickly if the market develops the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Need Answers From Trace Ford
Trace Fords path to a bigger opportunity with the Giants has opened quickly, and it comes at a time when the team is trying to piece together its edge-rush rotation. New York brought Ford up from the practice squad to the active roster while moving on from Jihad Ward, a roster shuffle that signals the club wants a better look at what Ford can offer beyond spot duty.
Ford has appeared in three games, with seven tackles and no starts or sacks, so the next step is less about projecting production and more about finding out whether he can handle a more defined role on passing downs. With the Giants dealing with injuries around the edge, the evaluation matters now, and Ford suddenly has a chance to show whether he can be part of the answer rather than just an emergency add. [Read more 🡒]