The John Harbaugh era is about to begin. No more test runs around the block; no more pep talks about how things are going to be different around here. Giants fans have heard it all before anyway. To borrow an old, if familiar, saying: this is where the rubber meets the road. From here on out, results are all that matter.
If 2025 taught this team anything, it's that it isn't how well you start the game that counts; it's how well you finish it. Five times last season the Giants lost a game in which they held a double digit lead. The most egregious of those losses came against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in October. The Jints were up 19 points going into the fourth quarter but lost on a last-second field goal. That loss ostensibly ended yet another season that started out with so much hope.
John Mara did something even his father would never have contemplated. He not only hired a new head coach, he vested in him co-authority to run the organization as he saw fit. In the 101 years since the franchise was founded, no head coach has ever had that much power. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
From the beginning, Harbaugh put his stamp on this team. He finally pulled the plug on Graham Gano; traded holdout Dexter Lawrence for a first rounder; and set out to address needs on the roster. His decision to draft an offensive lineman with the pick he got from the Bengals underscored the latter.
In a departure from previous coaching regimes, Harbaugh's practices were tough and demanding. It was clear he was looking to build up the team's stamina; something that was sadly lacking late in games last season. Not coincidentally, the Giants defense allowed a total of 84 second-half yards over their last two preseason games against the Dolphins and the Jets.
But that's the preseason. What about the regular season? After all, the Giants went 3-0 last preseason and look where it got him.
Two years in a row I predicted a 7-10 record, and two years in a row, I was rudely awakened, as the Giants finished 3-14 and 4-13 respectively. To say that this is an organization that historically has not earned the benefit of the doubt would be putting it mildly.
That being said, there are reasons to believe this team will be better this season. For one thing, they have depth on the O-line and the front seven. If Bill Parcels was correct in saying that the game is won at the line of scrimmage, Harbaugh has done a good job beefing up both sides of it.
They also have their quarterback. Though Jaxson Dart played only one possession during the preseason - going 3-4 for 26 yards and a TD - he had by all accounts an outstanding rookie season last year. If Malik Nabers is healthy, and if Odell Beckham, Jr. can rediscover the magic that made him one of the NFL's elite receivers, the Giants will have one of the best one-two punches in the league. Add tight end Isaiah Likely to the mix and Dart should have plenty of weapons at his disposal.
In the backfield, the Giants have plenty of depth, as well. Joining Tyrone Tracey and Cam Skattebo are Devin Singletary and Najee Harris; the latter a free agent pickup from the Steelers, who before he got injured last season, ran for over a thousand yards four years in a row.
If there is one major area of concern it remains the secondary. The fact that Deonte Banks survived the final cut this weekend speaks more to the lack of options at the position than it does Harbaugh's belief in his player. Dennard Wilson is going to have his hands full keeping opposing offenses from exploiting that weakness. The onus will be on the front seven to pressure the quarterback. Indeed, the entire season may come down to whether or not they are successful.
Last season, New York had the toughest strength of schedule of any team in the NFL. Going into 2026, it has the 17th toughest schedule. So if the Giants struggle this season, it won't be because of the quality of their opponents; it'll be because they suck. And I don't think they will suck.
But while I am cautiously optimistic, I would put the brakes on any talk of a postseason berth. The NFC West and North are the top two divisions in all of football. It's quite conceivable that you could have five playoff teams coming from those divisions. Even if the Giants wind up with a winning record, they will have a difficult time beating out teams like the Seahawks, 49ers, Packers and Lions.
If we're being realistic, the goal in Harbaugh's first year should be for the Giants to be playing meaningful football in December. An 8-9 record would accomplish that goal, and is very doable given their schedule. Anything more would be a nice bonus; anything less would be a major disappointment.
Below are my predictions for the 2026 NFL standings and postseason.
Rams over the Eagles
Bengals over the Patriots
Super Bowl:
Rams over the Bengals
