NY Giants Fall in MMQB's Latest NFL Power Rankings Poll

Far too often, with the New York Giants and their recent history of losing seasons, we find ourselves asking whether the state of the organization could truly get any worse —and, just as early as the following week's game, reach the same conclusion.

On the heels of the team's latest drubbing to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, that answer was once again renewed as a resounding yes as the Giants put forth one of their worst collective outings of football in recent memory to lose 34-24 and fall to a disgraceful 2-7 record through nine games for the third consecutive season under head coach Brian Daboll.

Whether one wants to put a chunk of the blame on the coaches off the field or the players huddled up in between the hashmarks, the current stench of the Giants' franchise has spared responsibility from anybody, maybe with the lone exception of the team's budding rookie passing prodigy in Jaxson Dart, who has been trying everything to keep his team afloat this season with a mediocre set of resources.

While the playcalling on the field has certainly come under the microscope at several points this season, the execution was arguably at its worst in the cross-country matchup in East Rutherford that really felt like it was taking place in the heart of San Francisco with how loud the 49ers' traveling party got in a road stadium.

The Giants couldn't establish a serious offensive attack as key pieces on that side of the ball kept failing to make plays happen when they had their chances. On the other side, the Giants' defense, which was supposed to be strengthened by a vaulted front seven, had zero answers to stymie the 49ers' relentless rushing attack that tallied 159 yards despite entering the contest as the NFL's 30th-ranked unit in that realm.

And let's not forget the special teams blunders that have reared their ugly heads on multiple occasions, killing a few chances for the Giants to gain momentum in some of their games. It's all to say that with the way New York showed up on Sunday after what was already a brutal two-game skid before Week 9, one wouldn't be blamed for thinking they belong in the basement of the league order.

Surprisingly, that's not the exact direction that Connor Orr of SI.com sent them as he attempted to reorder the 32 teams in advance of Week 10. In his latest MMQB power rankings poll, Orr finally descended the Giants after a two-week stint at the No. 25 spot, but only two notches down to No. 27.

New York Giants defense attempting to track down San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. — Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. (3) carries the ball against the New York Giants during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

"Jaxson Dart has the juice, but the Giants defense is completely and totally sucking the life out of this franchise," Orr said in his analysis.

"The 21st-best pressure percentage with a hyped trio of pass rushers, a league-worst EPA against the run—yes, worse than the Bengals—and no accountability postgame. When it looks like this...you know you have some trouble."

Along with his shot at the Giants' defense, Orr threw in one specific clip from the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss that truly summed up the miserable effort that came from their unit. It was the play where the 49ers backup running back Brian Robinson Jr. scampered for an 18-yard rush that found its way into the endzone for a touchdown that helped put the contest out of reach.

On that play, Giants cornerback Deonte Banks had a chance to be the defender who saved the team from giving up another six points despite being gashed already on the ground. Yet, in the likeness of a paper bag in the wind, Banks barely latched onto the ball carrier before gliding right off and falling into the turf as Robinson continued his path to payday.

That sheer lack of grit and effort on Banks' part was indicative of a larger issue that could be building amongst some players in the Giants locker room. The focus was clearly on the overwhelming success that the 49ers had in moving the ball at a 5.8-yard clip, but there was also very poor tackling as the Giants whiffed on 11.6% of their 86 total tackles on the day.

Seeing so many miscues from professional football players can't always be attributed to bad matchups that create a defensive disadvantage. It could lead one to believe there is a lack of leadership and faith in the current system growing at 1925 Giants Drive, and that is translating to a very alarming group effort.

In addition to the weak response to getting punched in the mouth, we've already seen the frustrations of certain players who have been caught airing out their ire with the team's decision-making in a couple of close contests that the Giants wound up giving away in the final seconds.

One of those came a couple weeks ago in Denver, when inside linebacker Brian Burns was heard expressing anger over the Giants coaching staff electing to only "rush three and drop eight" as they tried to play a far too loose prevent coverage that backfired as the Broncos marched 60 yards in 35 seconds and capped off a 33-point fourth quarter comeback with a field goal that started New York's recent three game skid.

Even in the postgame availability on Sunday, a few key names were either despondent in their answers to questions from the media or dodged the obligation altogether. That is a very glaring sign that perhaps the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime is starting to fall out of favor with their players, and as we know, that could be one of the greatest grounds for changes to come.

With eight games left in their 2025 slate, which eases up a bit, it doesn't feel like a grand move from ownership will come in the immediate future. There is still time to notch a few more wins and potentially change part of the franchise's overall narrative, which hasn't held a winning record since 2022 and has been given a fair shake to do so again.

That said, if things don't change in that time, it won't be long before the dreaded reset that Giants ownership has wanted to avoid becomes inevitable. The sole promise of Dart in his early career won't be enough to halt him from having to continue his growth within a new system next year.

So, for now, it might feel like the Giants' season and current era have hit rock bottom. However, in the opinion of those like Orr, it could still take more days like this past weekend to convince him that the franchise deserves to sit in the league's basement and really reach its worst-case scenario.

What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.

More New York Giants Coverage