Giants playoff outlook: Current standings, remaining games, keys to improve, prediction for New York

For a while, the Giants were one of the biggest surprises of the 2022 NFL season, racing out to a 6-1 start under new coach Brian Daboll. In the five games since, they’ve logged just a single victory. And after Sunday’s 20-20 tie with the rival Commanders, they aren’t a lock to even make the playoffs. What, exactly, is their path to the postseason entering Week 14? Who’s left on their schedule? And what are the keys to clinching their first playoff berth in six years?

We’re glad you asked. Here’s everything you need to know about the Giants’ 2022 playoff outlook:

Current standing

If the season ended today, the Giants (7-4-1) would be in the playoffs. After 13 weeks, New York tentatively owns the No. 6 seed in the NFC. That’s the second-best of three wild card spots, behind the rival Cowboys (9-3) and ahead of the NFC West’s Seahawks (7-5). If the current seedings were to remain in place through the end of the regular season, the Giants would be scheduled to visit the 49ers (8-4) in the opening round of the playoffs.

Where the Giants are hurting, despite their current placement among NFC playoff hopefuls, is their track record within the conference and division. New York can retain its spot by simply maintaining a superior overall record. But the G-Men enter Week 14 just 0-2-1 in the NFC East and 3-4-1 in the NFC, meaning other teams (like the Eagles and Cowboys) are better positioned to secure a division title, and others (like the Seahawks and Lions) are better positioned to win a wild-card tiebreaker.

Remaining games

• Week 14 vs. Eagles (11-1)
• Week 15 at Commanders (7-5-1)
• Week 16 at Vikings (10-2)
• Week 17 vs. Colts (4-8-1)
• Week 18 at Eagles (11-1)

In a wild-card race, every game is big. But it’s the NFC matchups that matter most, and four of the Giants’ final five fall in that category, with three coming in their own division. The Eagles figure to be the toughest opponent on tap, and they get them twice. But if the Giants can pull off just a single upset of Philadelphia (11-1), their path to the postseason would become dramatically easier; beating the Eagles in either Week 14 or Week 18 would instantly propel their chances of securing a berth from about 65% to 80%, according to New York Times simulations. That may be easier said than done, of course. Not only has Daboll’s squad failed to win a single NFC East battle to this point, but the Eagles have arguably the NFL’s most…