The Giants are the best team in the NFC East

Right now I am going to enjoy first place. And enjoy them being good enough for that.

NOT “as good as any team in the NFC” though.

In the East definitely though. The only team playing close to as well as us is Washington and we swept them. We certainly played well enough to sweep the Eagles. We lost to the Cowboys but that was also before Dak went down. With Dak not coming back and Jones coming back in a matter of weeks we are absolutely better than Dallas this year. If Dak were 100% healthy there could be a debate but if my aunt had testicles she’d be my mom’s brother

In comment 15062788 81_Great_Dane said:

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Right now I am going to enjoy first place. And enjoy them being good enough for that.

If we get Jones back soon and make the playoffs?

Yes, we’re as good as anyone.

We have a terrific coaching staff.

A young, strong offensive line.

An emerging defensive line.

Good linebackers.

The best secondary in the NFC.

A good running game.

Decent wide receivers.

A young and multi-treat QB.

An inconsistent but high upside tight end.

Yeah. The Giants can play with anybody.

But I generally agree with the sentiment.

In comment 15062794 Ralph.C said:

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In comment 15062788 81_Great_Dane said: Quote: Right now I am going to enjoy first place. And enjoy them being good enough for that. If we get Jones back soon and make the playoffs? Yes, we’re as good as anyone. We have a terrific coaching staff. A young, strong offensive line. An emerging defensive line. Good linebackers. The best secondary in the NFC. A good running game. Decent wide receivers. A young and multi-treat QB. An inconsistent but high upside tight end. Yeah. The Giants can play with anybody.

Definitely. Best team in the NFC. Except: hopefully we don’t run into that buzz saw known as the 49ers’ backups b/c they’ll beat us by 4 TDs.

I’m kidding, I know we’re better then we were 2 months ago. And I really don’t want to be “that guy” saying “who have we beaten?” I’m absolutely ecstatic we’re on a 3-game win-streak, I don’t care what teams we beat I’m flat out happy we’re actually winning (I posted a whole thread of optimism stating exactly this just last night). But at the same time, I don’t think wins over WAS, PHI, and a Burrow-less Bengals team gives us the right to say we’re “as good as any team in the NFC.”

Lets take this in steps. I’m just happy the arrow seems to be pointing up and we’re in 1st place on Dec. 1st. But nothing happens overnight— I mean let’s not forgot how bad this team looked just several weeks ago. In fact, we still have looked pretty bad the last 3 weeks, but the nice difference is guys have stepped up and made the right plays at the right times to get is a few Ws.

I definitely feel the whole “any given Sunday” sentiment— I mean i certainly don’t think there’s any team that’s “impossible” for us to beat by any means. I just wouldn’t go so far as to say we’re as good as any team in the NFC, that’s just a huge leap IMO considering our record and who we’ve eked out our wins against

(again, not taking anything away from our 3 game win streak, I think sweeping Washington was more impressive than we’re getting credit for— but we haven’t beaten a team .500 or better since 2016 I think. Let’s keep this in perspective for the moment?)

...and that's assuming Drew Brees is healthy. The rest of the NFC is unimpressive. But it's only week 12. In five weeks the landscape will be different. Lots of variables could shuffle the deck between now and January.

I think they’re CLEARLY better, just based on their record and who they’ve beat and how they’ve looked playing football all year.

That said, I would still list at least 3 or 4 more teams that I’d consider “better” than NYG, BUT I think we would have a good chance of being *competitive* with those 3 or 4+ teams and possibly beating them, say, 3 times out of 10. That’s a far cry from being “as good as any team in the NFC” though, that’s all I’m saying.

They're having debates on changing the rules in the future so teams like us don't make the playoffs or host playoff games.

And we aren't even in the playoffs yet btw. And we have the toughest schedule left in the division.

But let's suck our own dicks some more.

In December. But come on. It's not a fan contest. It's football. We're not some juggernaut just yet.

You are the smartest one in the dumb row !

lol exactly. Like just a few weeks ago so many on this board were certain this is the worst Giants team they’d ever seen. And based on the way we were playing that really was an understandable take to some extent. Then, we barely eked out wins against WFT, Eagles, and Bengals (no Burrow) and all of a sudden we have just as good a chance as anyone of winning the whole NFC?

I hate to even say all that because I’m the last guy who wants to take anything away from our awesome 3 game win streak that clearly we should all feel good about REGARDLESS of the opponents we’ve beaten... but we need to be at least a little bit reasonable in our optimism, right?

In comment 15062810 morrison40 said:

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You are the smartest one in the dumb row !

I don’t get this thinking.

For F’s sake. I thought the whole thing was about having a game to play the next week. Who the hell cares if we make the playoffs at 6-10? Would you rather not make it? When the season ends and the “tournament” ( In the word of Parcells) begins, don’t you want to be there in any way possible? Isn’t the thing that scares you most as a fan of the team is not having a meaningful game the next week? I could t stand the stress this week, it on the other hand, it was great to feel it. Who cares what our win-loss record is? It would be a blast starting off 1-7 and then making the playoffs. Actually, winning the division at 14-2 and then going on a playoff run is not as much fun.

The Giants have a history of doing weird things at weird times both good and bad.

Get on board and get behind what this team has a shot of doing. Yeah, It’s a leap of faith and a stretch . . . But that’s why we do this.

In comment 15062814 Ralph.C said:

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In comment 15062810 morrison40 said: Quote: You are the smartest one in the dumb row ! I don’t get this thinking. For F’s sake. I thought the whole thing was about having a game to play the next week. Who the hell cares if we make the playoffs at 6-10? Would you rather not make it? When the season ends and the “tournament” ( In the word of Parcells) begins, don’t you want to be there in any way possible? Isn’t the thing that scares you most as a fan of the team is not having a meaningful game the next week? I could t stand the stress this week, it on the other hand, it was great to feel it. Who cares what our win-loss record is? It would be a blast starting off 1-7 and then making the playoffs. Actually, winning the division at 14-2 and then going on a playoff run is not as much fun. The Giants have a history of doing weird things at weird times both good and bad. Get on board and get behind what this team has a shot of doing. Yeah, It’s a leap of faith and a stretch . . . But that’s why we do this.

I think just about everyone WANTS the giants to win the division and get a playoff game— everyone is onboard for that. I think most people think there’s a very decent chance it happens too, and I think a certain number of people here would give the Gmen a 50/50 chance in the wild-card round.

But... if you’re going to quote Parcells, you might as well also quote him on the “you are what your record says you are.” The notion that a 6-10 playoff team is “as good as any team in the NFC” is the one part where I can’t help but disagree. We’re going to be 6-10 for a reason, the Saints and Packers will be 13-3 & 12-4 for a reason. I can’t agree with you that getting in at 6-10 is more fun than getting in at 14-2. You’re presenting this as though it’s like “well once we get in every single team has an equal chance of going to the Super Bowl anyway” (I’m paraphrasing of course, not to put words in your mouth, but you saying we’re as good as ANY team in the NFC makes it sound that way).

I’m not trying to kill your vibe lol, just injecting a dose of reality. Think about where we stood 3 weeks ago at 1-7 and the general sentiment on this board about how bereft of talent this roster clearly is. 3 weeks later we’ve barely eked out wins against WFT, Eagles, and Bengals, all teams well under .500, mostly with back-up QBs, so I’m legit asking: where exactly is the sudden spurt of confidence coming from all of a sudden?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for optimism— a 3 game win streak is a 3 game win streak (I know I sound like a broken record)... the arrow is clearly pointing up and this team is playing “together” football finally, and WINNING football. It’s awesome. But let’s keep things in perspective here, maybe take things one step at a time, is all I’m saying.

Patting ourselves on the back after a 6-10 playoff year or making personnel moves as if we are only a couple pieces away from Super Bowl contention is what we want to avoid.

I think McCoy will be a lot better with a week of first-team reps, but he's still Colt McCoy. When Jones returns, he will probably have to function - at least initially - as an immobile pocket QB. That might work out OK with the O-Line improving, or it might simply take too big a chunk out of his game and give defenses too big an edge against a very mediocre receiving corps.

Are the Giants the best team in the NFC East? They probably were, until Jones got hurt. With McCoy or a hobbled Jones at QB, I don't think they would be favored against anyone with more than two wins - and that includes all three division rivals.

an updated picture of your refrigerator magnets?

Lol

Ralph -- I love you dude -- but boasting that the Giants are the best team in the NFC East is like boasting that out of 4 moldy pieces of bread - you are the least moldy.

The NFC East is absolutely the worst division in the NFL right now, and the Giants don't have, and have not beaten a team with, a winning record. It is highly unlikely they will be in first place next week -- unless every team in the NFC East loses.

Now - I am enjoying this season and the Giants are showing some spunk -- but this team still needs some improvements to hang with the big boys that just aren't going to occur this season.

ANd lest we forget... our quarterback, the team's leading rusher, has, at a minimum for the foreseeable future, lost his ability to run.

Let's savor some small things that bode well for the future -- our offensive line is turning it around and starting to look like they are for real. Even so the Giants had a tough time running against Cincinnati, who is not great at stopping the run. The Giants are manufacturing sacks -- that is also a great development. They have some developing stars you can build a team around -- also great. THey are starting beat some awful teams -- yay!!!

very premature....

the voice of reason.

In comment 15062821 Leg of Theismann said:

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if you’re going to quote Parcells, you might as well also quote him on the “you are what your record says you are.”

Over the last three games, the Giants record is 3-0. They are one of only five teams in the NFL that is undefeated over that span.

I am grateful for BBI arguing how good/bad we are while in first place in December (FIRST place!...let that sink in), rather than arguing over whether we would pick 1,2, or 3 in the draft.

Grateful for not being an Eagles or Cowboys fan.

Seattle, Arizona, Baltimore, and even Cleveland are a few rungs up the competition ladder over Washington, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati.

I would hate to be as negative as so many here. I don't know about the whole NFC, but I do think the Giants are the team in the NFC east with the arrow pointed up.

I'll be happy as a pig in shit if they make the playoffs; don't care what their record is and wouldn't doubt they win a playoff game or 2.

If they finish 6-10 or 7-9 after starting 1-7 with the youngest team in the league w/o minicamps or preseason games? Damn right I'll be f*cking ecstatic!

In comment 15062807 adamg said:

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They're having debates on changing the rules in the future so teams like us don't make the playoffs or host playoff games. And we aren't even in the playoffs yet btw. And we have the toughest schedule left in the division. But let's suck our own dicks some more.

Have to agree with this. Definitely some encouraging play in spots for the Giants. But reality is, they beat a Redskins team featuring Kyle Allen as qb - who the nearly lost to the first game - a Bengals team without Joe Burrow, who they were a shoestring tackle away from losing. The one game I walked away impressed was the Eagles, where they were clearly the better team start to finish.

I've seen this same song and dance in 2013 and, more recently 2018, where they were 5-8. If they can sustain the success until seasons end, that will go a long way toward truly proving this team is on the right track.

The Eagles win was satisfying, not only because it was the Eagles, but because it was a pretty solid, decisive victory. I was really hoping to see them build on that by beating the Bengals in even more convincing fashion, but that didn't happen. Yes, losing Jones hurt, but the game was only 13-10 at the time he went out.

Maybe we see that kind of win down the stretch, hopefully against a decent team, but I'm not going to start waving the pom-poms before then.

In comment 15063110 Greg from LI said:

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The Eagles win was satisfying, not only because it was the Eagles, but because it was a pretty solid, decisive victory. I was really hoping to see them build on that by beating the Bengals in even more convincing fashion, but that didn't happen. Yes, losing Jones hurt, but the game was only 13-10 at the time he went out. Maybe we see that kind of win down the stretch, hopefully against a decent team, but I'm not going to start waving the pom-poms before then.

Jones stays in that game we win decisively. We went with some aggressive offensive playcalling going for the kill shot early. Lots of gadget stuff that the Bengals stay disciplined on, Slaytons big drop, and the KR TD. The specials were bad for first time all year, but to be fair, Bengals have great special teams unit. That was really the only disappointing thing in game outside of Jones injury.

.

The great thing about it for you is that it's impossible to disprove.

The plain fact of the matter is that the 30th ranked scoring offense had a whopping 13 points midway through the third quarter against an atrocious defense. Indulge in whatever flights of fancy about all the points Jones would have piled up in the fourth quarter if it makes you feel better.

lax counsel said:

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I've seen this same song and dance in 2013 and, more recently 2018, where they were 5-8. If they can sustain the success until seasons end, that will go a long way toward truly proving this team is on the right track.

In Tom Coughlin's last year here, the 5-4 Giants led the division and came within a Landon Collins drop of beating the Super Bowl Champs. A month or so later, they were circling the drain and Coughlin was done.

On the positive side, this is a much younger team whose best days appear to be ahead of it. But that kind of promise often goes unfulfilled.

they are 4-2 in their last six. Over that span of time, here are the other teams in the NFC:

6-0 class of the NFC during that span:
NO

5-1
Nobody

4-2
GB, MIN, ATL, NYG

3-3
WFT, SEA, LAR, ARI, SF, TB

2-4
PHI, DET

1-5
DAL, CHI, CAR

0-6
Nobody

So IF you like to cherry-pick your stats, you can make a case that the NYG are one of the better teams in the conference over their last six games.

The other statistic I like is that we've had a two-score lead in 7 straight games, even if we're 4-3 over that time period.

But let's face it, any claims about us being a top team right now are biased and remind me of how WFT fans act when they start 1-0, so desperate for something to feel good about they're poring over stats like YPC, YPA, etc. to prove they are better than the other 16 1-0 teams.

In comment 15063134 Greg from LI said:

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The great thing about it for you is that it's impossible to disprove. The plain fact of the matter is that the 30th ranked scoring offense had a whopping 13 points midway through the third quarter against an atrocious defense. Indulge in whatever flights of fancy about all the points Jones would have piled up in the fourth quarter if it makes you feel better.

Flights of fancy? Our drive completely stalled in red zone when DJ went out. The offensive line was getting great push, we had another red zone turnover on a great defensive play, and we tried a lot early to bury the game. I didn’t like it at time, but after the first quarter and half, we played more straight up offensively. Just play it straight up and we were putting up points. It’s not a flight of fancy to think we put up another couple TDs with DJ in game. We were dominating up front, and save a really bad drop, and a turnover on great play game doesn’t even look close. Maybe the Bengals come up with another 1 or 2 in the alternate universe DJ finished the game, but I doubt it.

win one playoff game that will silence a lot of folks!

In comment 15063160 Dan in the Springs said:

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they are 4-2 in their last six. Over that span of time, here are the other teams in the NFC: 6-0 class of the NFC during that span: NO 5-1 Nobody 4-2 GB, MIN, ATL, NYG 3-3 WFT, SEA, LAR, ARI, SF, TB 2-4 PHI, DET 1-5 DAL, CHI, CAR 0-6 Nobody So IF you like to cherry-pick your stats, you can make a case that the NYG are one of the better teams in the conference over their last six games. The other statistic I like is that we've had a two-score lead in 7 straight games, even if we're 4-3 over that time period. But let's face it, any claims about us being a top team right now are biased and remind me of how WFT fans act when they start 1-0, so desperate for something to feel good about they're poring over stats like YPC, YPA, etc. to prove they are better than the other 16 1-0 teams.

PITT?

We may be better then Washington now that Alex Smith is playing or we may not, that is close, we are close with Dallas without Prescott, with him we are as good as Dallas, but another off season of moves and growth and we may become contenders for East title next season.

NFC specific

In comment 15063270 Sean said:

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NFC specific

ahhh -- thanks

In comment 15062807 adamg said:

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They're having debates on changing the rules in the future so teams like us don't make the playoffs or host playoff games. And we aren't even in the playoffs yet btw. And we have the toughest schedule left in the division. But let's suck our own dicks some more.

Hey dogs do it, so why not?

Half of the posters on this board have lost their minds, and it seems like they won't be locating them any time soon. The euphoria of beating another ugly team in another ugly fashion hasn't worn down after a couple of days the way that you would expect.

My best guess is that to a starving man, a plate of dog food is the best meal he's ever had.

In comment 15062814 Ralph.C said:

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Actually, winning the division at 14-2 and then going on a playoff run is not as much fun.

Uh -- Disagree

Medic!!!!