Giants come out of bye week and say hello to playoff push

For the last three years, the Giants’ return from their bye week meant pride was on the line, not playoffs. Not this time.

After being off this week, there are bigger goals in sight. A division title. A winning record. A playoff berth. More importantly, football games of consequence in November and potentially longer.

“I’ve been waiting my entire career so it’s cool as hell,” right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor told Newsday. “I want to play December ball when it means [something]. Like every game is going to be meaningful the rest of the way.”

It’s a feeling that got stronger while the Giants watched other teams play. Their NFC East lead grew to two games after the Cowboys’ collapse to the Cardinals Sunday. The Eagles, the Giants’ opponent this coming Sunday, lost their sixth straight game after falling to the Commanders.

If the division feels like “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, the other teams are flailing like Charlie Brown after Lucy pulls the football away. The Giants, meanwhile, are still gliding after skating on thin ice.

Their last five games had one-score leads or deficits late in the fourth quarter or overtime. They survived with a 3-1-1 record in that stretch due to better execution. It’s not pretty but it’s effective and considering their rash of injuries, it embodies the gritty resilience John Harbaugh was hired to bring.

“They were able to finish some of these games or make plays at the end of games or whatever it may be through their preparation and hard work and practice and dedication to the team and seeing how things play out on Sunday,” general manager Joe Schoen said. “So, they've earned that right to be in these games, and I know they're excited about it.”

It’s a better place than many thought the Giants would be after Week 2 in Los Angeles. Jaxson Dart was hobbling off the field with a season-ending injury. Brian Burns was injured yet played one more week before he, too, was lost for the season.

Jameis Winston’s arm looked shot with off-target throws. Trading for J.J. McCarthy seemed like a Hail Mary given McCarthy started the year as a third-string quarterback.

And yet? This month begins with the Giants firmly in the NFC East driver’s seat despite Dart, Burns and leading tackler Tremaine Edmunds all being out for the year. Winston held things down and McCarthy further ignited the offense after taking over as starting quarterback.

So embrace this. It could be a November to remember. The first time since 2023 that the Giants can focus on taking care of business, checking the standings and be motivated to keep up what Harbaugh started.

Look around the division and there’s more inspiration seeing everyone else’s state. Injuries are wrecking the Eagles. The Commanders have shown themselves masters of late-game mismanagement. The Cowboys? They couldn’t cover a mattress properly, much less an NFL offense.

The little things separate good teams from great teams. The Giants have been great at finishing games and that means something when other teams are folding around them.

“That’s why you go so hard,” running back Devin Singletary told Newsday. “That’s why the training camp is how it was, the practices are how they are. For the moments that we’ve had and [that are] coming up.”

The carrot of a playoff push is in front of them. Now the Giants have to maximize this chase and their division lead. Will they make a trade for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor or another running back or perhaps a defensive tackle?

On the field, can Malik Nabers get even better after four straight 100-yard games? How far can tight end Isaiah Likely’s career-best season take him? Can Deonte Banks - yes, Deonte Banks - remain a great cornerback after his promising start?

Can Arvell Reese contend for Defensive Rookie of the Year? It’s on the board with how great he’s been to start his career.

Of course, there are also concerns, too. Was the run game’s strong outing last Sunday in Houston a spark or an aberration, especially with Tyrone Tracy Jr. (hamstring) on injured reserve and Cam Skattebo also nursing a hamstring injury that Harbaugh said Monday is “day-to-day.”

Will the Giants’ run defense get right, especially when defensive tackle DJ Reader is off the field? Will the team survive a schedule that gets tougher later this month?

Starting with the Jaguars on Nov. 22, the Giants have a stretch of five out of six games against teams currently with winning records. If they've earned the right to be in this fight, they’ll have to prove they can stay in it.

But right now, the high vibes are worth savoring after how much the team starved for this the last three years. The bye week was refreshing. Having something to look forward to after it is just as invigorating.

The Giants know it. That’s why they’re ready to resume this NFC East race they can win or at least contend for the next two months.

“I’ve been waiting my entire football career to play a December game where it means a lot,” said Eluemunor. “I want to get there and so does everyone else, so we’re really motivated to get there."

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.