Though they are three games under .500, the New York Giants find themselves at the top of the NFC East looking at a spot in the playoffs.
A 19-17 victory over the Bengals this weekend put them into a tie with Washington for first place.
They own the season series against Washington, however, so they sit in sole possession of the top spot.
Sole possession of first place in the NFC East:
The 4-7 New York Football Giants 🏈 pic.twitter.com/a5lXwnBYDZ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 29, 2020
At 4-7, the Giants have a less than desirable record.
Beyond that, not much separates the Giants from having one of the NFL’s worst records.
In fact, it was less than two weeks ago that drama within the coaching staff led to the firing of offensive line coach Marc Colombo.
Last week’s win also dropped the Giants from the sixth overall draft pick to the 19th.
However, thanks to a historically bad NFC East, the Giants still find themselves in the thick of the playoff picture.
Their win on Sunday gave them a nine-spot boost in the playoff standings to the fourth seed.
Even though they have a worse record than any other playoff team, the Giants are looking at hosting the Wild Card game.
Giants Playoff Chances
As it stands after Week 12, the Giants have a spot in the playoffs.
It’s official! The New York Football Giants are in 1st place through week 11. #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/9Y2dEI58np
— 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝘆𝗻𝗲𝘀 (@lt4kicks) December 1, 2020
However, with how close each team in the NFC East is, this could change with one bad performance.
The rest of their schedule also doesn’t provide much relief, as their next three games are against current playoff teams.
They will need to string together a few good performances to hold their spot atop the division.
We have, however, seen how unpredictable the NFC East has been.
The Giants could have a legitimate chance of winning the division with a 6-10 record, something that doesn’t even seem possible.
Other teams in the division seem to be crumbling at their foundations each week.
At the spot they’re in now, the Giants should be seen as the favorites to win the division.
Besides a couple of losses earlier in the season, most of the Giants’ games have been within one possession.
They have also won their last three games, though they haven’t come against very good opponents.
If they are just able to execute down the stretch, they can return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Potential Playoff Matchups
If the Giants are able to make it to the playoffs, they could be looking at a few different matchups.
They would face the Los Angeles Rams if the season ended today.
Earlier in the season, the Rams defeated the Giants in a low scoring, 17-9 affair.
The second Wild Card team is the Tom Brady led Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In a Week 8 game against the two teams, the Buccaneers walked away with a slim 25-23 victory.
The last team is the Arizona Cardinals, who toe the line of the Wild Card due to the stellar play of QB Kyler Murray.
While the Giants and Cardinals have yet to meet, a Week 14 game may give a glimpse as a potential playoff game.
On paper, the team does not match up well with any opponent.
Regardless, they still have a look at a home playoff game in the first round this season.
NFL playoff picture: Giants, Titans jump into division leads https://t.co/M763IP2Vyx #NYGiants pic.twitter.com/aPDtpUVxJn
— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) November 30, 2020
If they are able to continue building off their success the past three weeks and sneak a win or two against the better teams in their schedule, they could hold off the rest of the NFC East.
We may then see playoff football from the New York Giants once again.
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