The New York Giants took a step back in their ugly 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.
The good vibes cratered after the Giants lost both quarterback Jaxson Dart and edge rusher Brian Burns to injuries. But the Giants’ status leaguewide didn’t drop as drastically among pundits who unveiled their power rankings Tuesday ahead of Week 3.
How the Giants Are Rated on NFL Power Rankings After Week 2 Loss
- ESPN’s Week 3 power rankings: No. 18 (previous: No. 18)
- Bleacher Report’s Week 3 power rankings: No. 22 (previous: No. 21)
- The Athletic Week 3 power rankings: No. 24 (previous: No. 18)
- Sports Illustrated Week 3 power rankings: No. 22 (previous: No. 18)
- USA Today Week 3 power rankings: No. 17 (previous: No. 14)
What National Pundits Are Saying About the Giants’ Power Ranking
“A vibes 180 in the wake of … whatever happened to QB Jaxson Dart in Monday night’s loss. But it doesn’t seem like the G-Men are in an unrecoverable spin.” — Nate Davis, USA Today.
“The Giants will have to see how much time Dart will miss, but Jameis Winston’s performance in the second-year quarterback’s stead didn’t instill hope for the upcoming contests. Without Dart behind center, the Giants offense becomes predictable and far less dynamic.” — Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report.
“The Giants were batted around like a kitten’s yarn ball after Jaxson Dart left the game on Monday. There’s not much to take from a game in which all your momentum is robbed within seconds of kickoff, save for the fact that John Harbaugh cannot kick a field goal before half and then tell the sideline reporter that field goals won’t cut it.” — Conor Orr, SI.com.
“The only focus for the Giants after Monday night is the health of quarterback Jaxson Dart, who left the game with a knee injury and watched the second half in street clothes. If Dart is out for a while, it won’t matter what any of the rookies do this year.” — Chad Graff, The Athletic.
We’ll Learn a Lot When the Giants Face the Titans in Week 3
Dart’s injury is, of course, the biggest story in the Giants’ universe right now. But losing to the Super Bowl favorites wasn’t a shock even with Dart.
Without him, their offense was no match for the Rams’ defense, especially with the emotional lift Aaron Donald gave them in his return to the NFL.
But the Giants need to bounce back Sunday against Tennessee. The Titans are 0-2 and rank 31st in total offense and 28th in scoring.
They pushed the Eagles to the limit in their 24-20 loss Sunday, but the Giants need to show they can win without Dart — assuming he doesn’t play — since they are 0-5 in games he hasn’t started since the start of last season.
