Giants Crack Top 20 in SI.com's Power Rankings After Stunning Cowboys

New York is on the rise after John Harbaugh's debut win, but a tough road test against the Rams looms Monday night.

Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh runs onto the field after defeating the Dallas Cowboys in the game at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For months, much of the talk surrounding the New York Giants was whether the “John Harbaugh” effect would take hold of the franchise and lift it out of the doldrums it had been in for far too long once he was hired as their new head coach.

After six failed attempts at finding the next true replacement for Tom Coughlin, the answer finally seems to be a resounding “yes” following the former Ravens head coach’s debut in East Rutherford, where the Giants shocked the Dallas Cowboys, 28-20, in an emotional primetime game to gain a 1-0 start to the 2026 season.

The victory has only amplified the noise around the Giants’ chances of being an improved team this season, and SI’s Connor Orr is definitely joining the masses.

In Orr's latest NFL power rankings poll ahead of Week 2, he put New York into a league position that even he admits he never saw coming until Sunday night, resting at No. 18.

Not the Same Old Giants Anymore

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) walks off the field following a 28-20 victory during a week one opening game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys at Metlife Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, NJ. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Orr’s brief yet poignant analysis shows how long the Giants organization has been spinning its wheels, trying to put together the right puzzle pieces to become a contending football team again.

Ever since Harbaugh shook loose from Baltimore and walked into the facilities in East Rutherford as the new leader, his impact has been widely noticed.

The team culture was vastly different; players went through a more demanding training camp and were expected to use their preseason workloads to prepare for the regular season.

All that preparation paid off on Sunday night in the win over the Cowboys in a jam-packed MetLife Stadium. The Giants came in focused, dominated the time of possession with a bruising run game and crisp passing attack, and defensively stymied a Dallas offense that used to put numbers on them in recent meetings.

Not everything was perfect on that gridiron, but the result made a bold statement to Orr and the rest of the league: these aren’t the same old Giants anymore. They will come ready to play every week, stay disciplined in their roles, and look to take the life out of opponents’ game plans with their physical style of play.

That’s exactly what transpired in the first four quarters of this season, leading to a well-deserved jolt up the league order. Sure, it’s only one game of what is a 17-game journey, but the Giants have spent too much time in the basement with teams like the Saints, Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, and Titans who all placed below them and aren’t on the same level with their talent.

It’ll take a lot more effort, like that of Week 1, to see the Giants fight their way into the top half of the NFL and join company with the more elite teams that aspire to be in the same breath.

Just one glorious Sunday into the Harbaugh era, it’s nice to see some respect being put back into the franchise that has prided itself on owning that for much of its history.

Is a Letdown Coming in Week 2?

Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) takes a snap against the San Francisco 49ers in the first half at Melbourne Cricket Ground. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Giants move ahead to their first road game of the 2026 slate when they travel to the City of Angels to face the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Los Angeles is coming off a tough international loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, where they didn’t play the all-around football many outsiders expected, despite the boatload of talent on both sides of the roster.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams come out heated after that poor display last Thursday and, after a long rest, look to pour cold water on the Giants’ frenzy with a dominant effort in front of their home fans.

One storyline that stands out is the health of the Rams’ key defensive pieces that have taken hits, including defensive end Myles Garrett, who will miss the team’s next four games due to a knee ailment that was repaired, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who was inactive in the Rams’ opening game after coming out of retirement to rejoin the franchise for a Super Bowl run.

While they are a little banged up on that side, the Giants won’t be able to rest on their laurels on Monday night.

The Rams are still a highly talented team with one of the league's best offensive trios (quarterback Matt Stafford and wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams) that can light up the scoreboard and test a younger opponent's resolve.

Depending on how the matchup goes, particularly if Big Blue doesn’t come back home with a second straight victory, they could see a slight slide in Orr’s next rankings poll. Still, given the opponent's quality, only a serious rout should make the drop bigger than that.

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