The New York Giants fell to the Detroit Lions, 31-18, in Week 11 and it was their worst showing of the year. Big Blue seemed unprepared and fell right into the trap, which was compounded by a slew of new injuries.
At 7-3, the Giants now face the toughest stretch of their season with four straight games against NFC East rivals.
As we enter Week 12, here’s a look at where the Giants place in a multitude of power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 15 (-4)
Sunday’s loss to Detroit was a reality check. But the real test will come over the next month as receiver-starved G-Men play four in a row against stiff NFC East competition.
Bo Wulf, The Athletic: 14 (+/- 0)
Thankful for: December games that matter
The Giants haven’t been over .500 in December since 2016, so even after their disappointing 31-18 home loss to the Lions, these are relevant times. With a four-game stretch starting this week against all NFC East teams, the Giants don’t have a lot of time to feel sorry for how injured they are.
Austin Gayle, The Ringer: 13 (-3)
The Giants, like the Jets, have overperformed in the win column all season. They’ve gone into the fourth quarter with a lead in just two games this season and rank 21st in point differential in the first three quarters of games. They haven’t won a game by more than eight points. And now they’re without rookie WR Wan’Dale Robinson, who led the team in receiving yards with 100 on Sunday, for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. They’re still -150 to make the playoffs, but they’re also 8.5-point road underdogs against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
Barry Werner, List Wire: 13 (-4)
The Giants were 7-2, are now 7-3 and could quickly be 7-4 because they play at Dallas on Thanksgiving.
Mark Lane, Touchdown Wire: 17 (-4)
The lug nuts were starting to come loose for the Giants in Week 10 when they were playing with their food against the Houston Texans in a 24-16 win. The loss to the Lions wasn’t too shocking. How the Giants rebound against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving will be a glimpse into how New York finishes the season.
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network: 14 (-5)
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network:
The Giants were 7-2 heading into their game against Detroit, but the nerds weren’t fooled. Entering the game, the Giants ranked 19th in DVOA compared to Detroit’s 20th-ranked team. That’s probably why Las Vegas only favored the Giants by three points at home, despite the juxtaposition of their records.
Daniel Jones had been good all season at avoiding turnover-worthy plays, but regression hit against the Lions, and it ended up being the difference in the game. New York also struggled to get anything going on the ground outside of Jones’ own legs, which didn’t help their offensive outlook.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 10 (-2)
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
The Giants’ run defense woes were exposed, as well as their limited firepower when Daniel Jones or Saquon Barkley aren’t running. They were probably overdue for a surprise beatdown with some improbable winning results, too.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: 13 (-1)
Saquon Barkley had just 22 rushing yards on 15 attempts against the Lions. That doesn’t mean he’s hit the wall, but it’s still worth noting that he had 228 touches the past two seasons combined and already has 244 this season. It’s something to monitor.
Josh Schrock, NBC Sports: 14 (-6)
The Giants will always have their impressive start to the Brian Daboll era, but a 31-18 loss to the Lions might be where they start to turn back into the pumpkin they’ve always been. F.R.A.U.D.S.
