NY Giants Land in Surprising Spot for Latest MMQB’s NFL Power Rankings

The Giants finally gained a win with an impressive outing this past weekend, but it wasn’t enough to keep them from dropping in the latest power rankings poll.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) looks on after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If one were to ask New York Giants fans watching back home in East Rutherford and beyond what this past Sunday was like, they’d probably—more like half-heartedly—tell you that it was something very different from what they’ve been accustomed to seeing this season. 

By that they would really mean that the Giants, who entered Week 17 tied for the NFL’s worst record at 2-13 and were on the precipice of securing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, actually looked like a competent football team, one that was punching in multiple touchdowns, shutting down the opposing run game and forcing a couple key turnovers.

The only caveat was that the dominant performance, which ended their nine-game losing streak and notched their first road victory in over a year, came against the one franchise that could arguably be coined worse than them in the Las Vegas Raiders, who now own the top selection with just one week left of regular-season action to establish the final order. 

So while some of the fans may silently be happy to witness something on the other side of the spectrum from an embarrassing 10th straight loss, a large majority aren’t as impressed, including ranking compiled by Conor Orr, who dropped the Giants one spot in his latest MMQB power rankings poll to No. 30 ahead of the New York Jets and those same Raiders. 

Based on Orr’s usual commentary that has been stemming away from New York’s tangible results on the gridiron, we’d assume he leans with the party of outsiders who believe the organization got too caught up in a “culture win” rather than take the outcome that would better guide their future aspirations. 

“As we noted in our future head coaches list, Marcus Freeman was always a little bit of a pipe dream for the Giants,” Orr said.

“But it's clear after this Raiders win that the club is in need of a full-on culture reset.”

Giants messed up by winning

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants gather around cornerback Deonte Banks (2) after scoring a touchdown on a kick return in the third quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Orr is clearly of the opinion that the Giants hurt themselves by trying to go out to Vegas and capture just their third win in 2025, but that is honestly a glass-half-empty type of approach to the situation. 

If one recalls, at the start of the season, there weren’t many people expecting the Giants to be this atrocious, with at best the same number of victories as last fall and a defense that has been one of the worst across the entire league. 

No, the average projections were for the Giants to be competitive, eke out 7-8 wins, and, if they were lucky enough, remain in the postseason conversation through the tail end of the regular season before bowing out of the picture with a little extra room to grow.

And if not for a bunch of ugly and repetitive fourth-quarter collapses in a handful of their games this year, that prophecy would have likely become reality as we are staring at the final weekend of the campaign.   

With all the endless losing, the toll was starting to weigh heavily on every member of the Giants' locker room, especially the select few players like quarterback Jaxson Dart, who has made it clear he never approaches any matchup with the idea of coming out on the wrong side of things. 

Not to mention Dart, who took over in Week 4 with at least the promise of a few talented weapons around him, has had to steer the ship as some of his fellow sailors have gone down to season-ending injuries and the others haven’t been able to pick up the slack and help him make the difference making plays so he didn’t feel the need to do it all himself. 

That style of play was sending a flurry of concerns across the fanbase and the league for Dart’s long-term success in the NFL, so it was more than just important to see many of his teammates step up and do the various things that help quarterbacks survive and win in the modern game. 

The Giants needed to win a football game for more than just “culture”. They needed to prove that there are still some pieces of the franchise worth salvaging for the following season and silence the whispers that they might not really have the bona fide franchise leader in Dart before they grew into loud shouts. 

Moreover, establishing that positive “it’s wins or nothing” mentality is what sets the standard for any free agents or draft prospects that will soon join the team over the offseason, who need a reason to believe the Giants are an organization worth playing for. 

In case anyone hasn’t taken notice lately, achieving success at the game’s highest level doesn’t start and end with where a team falls in the draft hierarchy after the final snap is played.

The Giants’ recent history of failed draft choices should stress enough the fact that it matters more who is making the selections than when it’s their turn to make it.

Until proven otherwise, it appears that side of the argument continues to fall on deaf ears with those who’ve become obsessed with a team finding themselves via one period of the NFL’s annual cycle. 

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