Despite dropping three straight games, the New York Giants are presented with a unique situation. Due to the NFC East’s poor overall performance in 2020, the Giants head into Week 17 with the chance to potentially win the division for the first time since 2011. With a win against the Dallas Cowboys and a loss from the Washington Football Team on Sunday, the Giants are on the verge of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016. They can also win the NFC East for the first time since 2011.
New York Giants On Verge Of NFL Playoffs
Advantages of Making the Playoffs
‘Playoffs’ is a word that the Giants have not been familiar with for a while now. Since their 2011 Super Bowl win, New York has only reached the playoffs once since then. While their record is not great, making the playoffs would do wonders for this growing team.
With a first-year head coach coming in and completely changing the culture, making the playoffs would boost this team’s confidence. Also, it is important to mention that the fans are dying to see Big Blue back in the postseason. Lots of fans call their run in 2016 a fluke season. So they have been long awaiting the chance to watch their team compete against the NFL’s best.
If the Giants were to make the playoffs this season, they would make history. No team has ever started a season with a 1-7 record and made it to the playoffs. If everything goes right this weekend, we could see the 2020 New York Giants in the history books.
Disadvantages of Making the Playoffs
While playoffs would be a great accomplishment for the team, they would likely be a first-round exit. Yes, the division itself has been bad, but a possible 6-10 record is nothing to boast about. Improvement from previous seasons? Of course, but if these last three losses showed anything, it is that this team still has a lot of holes to fill if they want to become contenders next year and beyond.
Another possible outcome of making the playoffs would ensure Dave Gettleman‘s job to be safe. While Gettleman has made some good moves over the past three seasons, the bad outweighs the good by a lot. In Gettleman’s tenure as general manager, the team has lost 10-plus games each season. His “win-now” approach when he first began set the team back even further, and it is evident on the field. Gettleman, playoffs or not, should be gone. However, John Mara and co. will see this as an excuse for all the bad he has done to this franchise for the last three years.
For those worrying about the draft, making the playoffs would certainly take New York out of the top 10. With a loss and help from a lot of teams, the Giants could pick as high as third in the upcoming draft. If they somehow enter the postseason, that range goes all the way until the 32nd pick. Here’s a crazy stat to think about: the Giants have a better chance of reaching the NFC Championship game than they do picking third overall, according to Art Stapleton.
Basically, the Giants making the playoffs would mean a lower pick with the same general manager who has set this team back even further than when he got here.
History Possibly Repeating Itself
The first team with a sub-.500 record to reach the postseason was the 2010 Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks, who were also dealing with a first-year head coach, finished that season with a 7-9 record and ended up winning the NFC West. Joe Judge and the Giants sit at 5-10, where all they have to do is beat Dallas and hope for a Philadelphia win if they want to make the playoffs.
The 2010 Seahawks team sent shockwaves around the league, not only by making the postseason but also by winning their first game against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. That game is known for Marshawn Lynch‘s “beast quake” run that led the Seahawks to victory.
Imagine if the Giants snuck into the playoffs and won the first game. Fans, media, and the entire NFL universe would go into a frenzy.
The waiting game is also a familiar situation, this time with the 2017 Buffalo Bills. That year, the Bills were 9-7 and won their last game of the season, but that was not enough. After the game, the entire team watched the Cincinnati Bengals versus Baltimore Ravens matchup, since Buffalo needed the Bengals to win in order to make the playoffs.
Even if the Giants do win Sunday, they will have to wait for Sunday night to see if they will be in or not. If the Giants beat Dallas, Washington has to lose in order for them to make the playoffs.
Final Word on the New York Giants Playoffs Hopes
If the 2020 New York Giants do indeed make the playoffs, it would ultimately change the way people view this team. While the record is not great, and there are flaws still to be fixed in the offseason, a playoff appearance would do wonders for this team’s confidence and overall respect around the league.
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