Giants NFL power rankings round-up going into Week 14

They’ve been surprisingly competitive in a stacked NFC East … even if it feels like they’re definitely no better than a one-and-done playoff outfit.

Keep tying. Not trying, tying. A 7-4-6 record would almost definitely get Brian Daboll into the playoffs, which is good news since he seems to enjoy playing for the tie. The Giants neglected to go for a fourth-and-3 from the Commanders’ 45-yard line with 1:42 left in overtime, opting to punt instead.

“We had the two timeouts. (If) we go for it, miss it, there was a short field,” Daboll explained after the game. “They go and get a win against a division team. So, that’s what we decided to do.”

Hindsight, like the game itself, is 20-20.

Nothing is coming easy for the Giants. None of their seven wins this season have been by more than eight points, and they’ve only had a lead going into the fourth quarter in three of their 12 games. It’s a gritty, volatile way to play each week, but the Giants simply have no other way. The truth is that this roster lacks top-end talent, and too many of the players they do have are injured. The Giants have the 10th-most difficult remaining schedule, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

The Giants didn’t fade when falling behind early but were not able to break the tie late with Washington on Graham Gano’s field-goal attempt.

The New York Giants-Washington Commanders game was a perfect encapsulation of what the NFC East is in 2022. The game was competitive and often ugly, but both teams battled their tails off to a tie.

The Giants haven’t been incredibly impressive to the eye in 2022. They’ve found some spark offensively with Daniel Jones’ rushes and some explosive Saquon Barkley runs, but overall they look like a team building toward something.

The fact they’re competing so quickly in Brian Daboll’s tenure is a good sign for their future.

The Giants played a weird game of attrition against the Commanders, and they were fit to be tied with cautious offense and limited play-calling in relation to their weapons around Daniel Jones with the defense struggling. It wasn’t the worst idea to preserve playoff position ahead of a Week 15 rematch.

With 1:42 left in overtime, the Giants had fourth-and-3 at the Washington 45. Instead of going for it and maximizing their chances for a win, they took a delay of game and punted. They did get the ball back and had a shot at a game-winning field goal, but that fell short. But Brian Daboll punted there presumably knowing the tie wasn’t a bad outcome for the Giants. Nobody wants to hear that, but a half-win gets the Giants closer to the playoffs. It was fine.

The Giants and Commanders came into Sunday’s game with similar records and similar team profiles. It’s no surprise they left the Meadowlands with a tie.