Schultz: Harbaugh Effect Could Lift Giants to 9 or 10 Wins

One big reason the New York Giants were all over head coach John Harbaugh the moment he became a free agent was their belief that the veteran head coach could quickly turn the floundering franchise’s fortunes around.

So far, Harbaugh has done just that, and he’s done it despite not having starting quarterback Jaxson Dart, a player who is not only essential to the team but around whom the offense was built. Harbaugh has also managed it without last year’s team sack leader, Brian Burns, who is out for the year with a torn ACL.

Somehow, he has even gotten there despite a running game that has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry (24th in the league), and a “feast or famine” run defense whose 5.2 yards per attempt is tied for second in the league.

No, it hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been much better than many critics expected, and the Harbaugh effect is a big reason NFL insider Jordan Schultz believes the Giants are building something special.

“They’re not a pretender,” Schultz told the Locked On Giants podcast this week. “I don’t know if they’re a contender — they’re probably in the middle, like a dark horse. But I think that’s a nine- or 10-win team.”

The 3-1-1 Giants have already tied their 2024 win total of three games, and they are one win away from tying their 2025 win total.

If they finish with nine wins, that would match their 2022 total, the last time they had a winning record and qualified for a postseason berth. And a 10-win regular-season total would give them their first double-digit-win season since 2016, the last year they went to the postseason.

Based on how the NFC East has gone the last several years, a double-digit-win season should not only assure the Giants a spot in the playoffs, but it could be just enough for them to win their first division crown since 2011, coincidentally their last Super Bowl appearance.

Given the current NFL landscape, a double-digit-win season for the Giants isn’t as crazy as it sounds. According to Tankathon, the combined strength of schedule of the Giants’ remaining opponents comes in at .492, 20th in the league.

They’re listed as having four “tough” opponents remaining — the 49ers, Jaguars, Seahawks and Lions.

Of course, at the end of the day, that probably means nothing, as the team needs to go out there and take care of business. But with Harbaugh driving the bus, Schultz believes the Giants are headed for smoother terrain than they have seen in the past.

“There’s a sense of belief and a lightness to them that they haven’t had, and maybe that’s the coach,” Schultz said.

“You gotta give credit to John Harbaugh. But I like the Giants. I’ve probably been about as bullish on them as anyone, just because you can see the DNA of it, and that it’s working.”

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