Giants hold NFC East lead at 3-1-1 despite No. 19 ranking

Computer model drops them to No. 31 on EPA

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 57m2 min read

What happened: Power polls dropped New York two spots after Week 5 despite first-place standing. The mark was built against Tennessee, Arizona and a tie with Washington, with Dallas as the lone quality win and a loss to the Rams. New York went 2-0-1 after placing Jaxson Dart on injured reserve Sept. 24 and Brian Burns on injured reserve Sept. 29.

Why it matters: New York holds sole possession of the NFC East for the first time since 2015, opening a path in a chaotic division. Underlying EPA sits near the league bottom with the offense 25th and run defense in the bottom five. Life without Burns strains edge defense and puts pressure on the offense to sustain drives.

By the numbers: Record 3-1-1; ranked No. 19 in major polls, No. 18 by one Giants analyst, No. 31 by one statistical model. PFF ranks: 23rd overall, 25th offense, 14th defense, 4th special teams. 2025: Jaxson Dart 216-of-339 for 2,272 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT in 14 games; Brian Burns 67 tackles, 16.5 sacks in 17 games.

What to watch: New York faces New Orleans on Sunday between neighboring EPA profiles. Available edge rotation and quarterback stability will show whether the start holds.

Sources

Yahoo NFL 2026-10-14T17:24:34.974194+00:00

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NFLAnalysisNew York GiantsDallas CowboysLos Angeles RamsJaxson DartBrian Burns

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