Halloween will have come and gone by the time the Giants hit the field again. Thanksgiving arrives before you know it, and the Giants will be in it. And, based on what we know and suspect about the NFC East, this is a team that should be in the thick of the division race at Christmas and on into New Year’s. 

These holidays on the calendar so often were depressing landmarks for a franchise that won a total of 13 games the past three seasons. Down in last place by Halloween. Out of realistic playoff contention by Thanksgiving. Dealing with possible coaching changes for Christmas and well into the upcoming draft before the new year rolled in. 

Not this season. Not this year. The John Harbaugh impact is real, and it has spread its wings quicker and more forcefully than anticipated. The Giants are 4-2-1 at their bye week and in sole possession of first place in a division where none of the other three teams is at .500. This has been achieved despite the crushing loss of emerging quarterback Jaxson Dart, top defender Brian Burns and, more recently, leading tackler Tremaine Edmunds. 

With Dart, most of the forward-thinking predictions had the Giants somewhere about the break-even point (8-9, 9-8) in Harbaugh’s first season, as he weeded out the roster and instilled his demanding culture into the building. The postseason was considered too much, too soon for this group. 

Those prognostications are in need of revamping. This team and its fanbase are reaching for higher goals. 

“I’m happy where we are,’’ general manager Joe Schoen said. “I really like the team. I like the makeup of the players, the grit. Just the resilience of the players, the way we performed late in games in the fourth quarter and overtime.’’ 

Resilience is the key here. Losing a young, vibrant starting quarterback with 15 games remaining in a season can wobble and drop many teams. The Giants found a way through, first with Jameis Winston and now with trade addition J.J. McCarthy. Rookie first-round draft pick Arvell Reese is a force and often a beast with his hard-hitting tendencies, and third-round pick Malachi Fields is emerging as a productive wide receiver. 

There have been thrills and spills along the way. Too many fumbles and defensive lapses. This is far from a complete team. Harbaugh thus far has been worth every penny of the five-year, $100 million contract the Giants were so eager to give him. He is understanding and positive, and yet demanding and unwilling to accept players who fail to get the job done. 

“I am appreciative of the fact that everybody in the building made it about what’s important, which is the football,’’ Harbaugh said. “That’s what we have to continue to do, and we will continue to do that. We’ve all seen it be successful. We have a long way to go. We have a lot of work to do. We’re going to be playing some really tough games coming up here in the next few weeks — really physical, violent, tough games that are going to require our best football, our best execution. We’re going to have to be at our best. November football is in front of us, and that’s what we’ve got to be pointing towards.’’ 

The Giants enter November atop their division and in the playoff picture. Away we go. 

Most Valuable Player 

A case can be made for Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely, but since those two pass-catching weapons can feed off each other, we will go in a different direction. 

Who does Abdul Carter get to feed off? It was supposed to be Brian Burns, but he tore his ACL in Week 3, leaving the defense with Carter as the only edge rusher to keep offensive tackles up at night. The eye-test is needed with Carter because his raw data — two sacks, 18 tackles, seven quarterback hits — are nothing special. What is special is his endurance — his 388 snaps are 88 percent on defense — and his ability to infiltrate the pocket. 

Carter grades out third among 113 edge rushers by Pro Football Focus, and he is among the NFL leaders in pressures, pressure rate, pass rush-win rate and quick pressures. He is also emerging as a team leader whose voice is heard. 

“He’s always believed he can be that kind of player,’’ Harbaugh said. “You see it starting to happen right now. It’s been happening.” 

Least Valuable Player 

Center John Michael Schmitz was benched and highest-paid cornerback Paulson Adebo lost his starting spot before his stint on injured reserve. This might seem a bit harsh, but safety Tyler Nubin has not taken the step forward with this new coaching regime that was needed to make him a vital part of the defense. 

Nubin was considered a safe and smart second round pick in 2024, as he was one of the highest rated players at his position in that draft class. He started 24 games in his first two seasons but showed none of the ball skills that highlighted his play in college. This season, Nubin in the first two games played 100 percent of the snaps on defense, but his time on the field is steadily on the decline. 

In Houston, coming off a calf issue, he got in for just one snap on defense even though Jevón Holland was out with a concussion. It seems likely that Jason Pinnock and also Ar’Darius Washington have moved ahead of Nubin, who continues to take bad angles to the ballcarrier, resulting in more yardage than necessary. 

Biggest Surprise 

This is an easy one. Deonte Banks has undergone a remarkable career transformation. As a 2023 first-round pick, he showed potential as a rookie. His trajectory took a nosedive in 2024 and reached a nadir in 2025, sent to the bench for glaring deficiencies in performance and effort. 

If this new coaching staff wanted to cut him, no one could have realistically objected. Banks was given trust, a clean slate and an aggressive man-coverage scheme that fit his skill set. PFF has Banks 29th among 103 qualifying cornerbacks and his 98-yard pick-six to seal the deal against the Cardinals was a sweet redemption for him. 

Biggest Disappointments 

This was supposed to be a pound-the-ball offense and stuff-the-run defense type of team, and that has rarely transpired. The run defense is especially weak — ranked 25th in the league, giving up 128.1 yards per game, and tied for 28th in yards per carry at a bloated 4.8 yards. Defensive tackle DJ Reader has been a fantastic free agent signing, but he needs help, and this will be a trade deadline objective. 

The rushing attack on offense has been unreliable, averaging just 4.1 yards per attempt. The league ranking of 15th at 116.7 yards per game was inflated by the 188-yard eruption in the overtime victory in Houston. Before that, the Giants were averaging just 104.5 yards per game. Cam Skattebo (98-418, two TDs) was demoted for fumbling issues but now is reinstated. Tyrone Tracy Jr. (19-55, two TDs) has yet to get untracked, providing Devon Singletary (18-80, one TD) an opportunity after Najee Harris was released. 

Best Moment 

Yes, the Giants entered their Week 7 game with the Texans in first place in the NFC East. But it felt like a tenuous perch, as the feeling was backup-turned-starting quarterback Jameis Winston lacked the consistency and escapability to continue to squeeze out victories. The ball was given to J.J. McCarthy, and no one really knew what to expect. McCarthy, less than a month after coming to the Giants in a trade with the Vikings, was beyond impressive in leading the Giants to a 27-21 overtime upset of the Texans.

McCarthy made it look seamless in completing 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards. He did not turn the ball over and did not run with it, either. What he did was spray the ball short, intermediate and deep, showing off his strong right arm. The 23-year old provided a heavy dose of positivism for what this offense can achieve. 

Worst Moment 

There can be no debate here. The opening drive of the Week 2 meeting with the Rams at SoFi Stadium turned into utter despair when Jaxson Dart was hit high-low by defenders Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart. The Giants flew home that night after a 28-6 loss believing Dart suffered an MCL injury and that he would be out a month. An MRI exam the next morning revealed meniscus damage in his left knee, and the required surgery put him out for the season. Dart was so sensational in the opening-night victory over the Cowboys that he gave fans reason to believe he was capable of leading their team to great heights. This injury reverberated throughout the building. 

Reasons for Optimism 

McCarthy injected a heavy dose of this with his outstanding performance in his first start for the Giants. If he indeed plays to his physical talent and draft pedigree — No. 10 overall in 2024 — and indeed has matured since his failures with the Vikings, he has far more upside than what Winston was able to provide. Also, have you taken a look at the NFC East? The Giants at 4-2-1 would not be in first place in six of the eight divisions, but all a team has to do is rise in its own neighborhood. There are four more games (two with the Eagles, one each with the Commanders and Cowboys) in the division, offering the chance to inflict some damage. 

Reasons for Pessimism 

Have you taken a look at the upcoming schedule? Home games with the Jaguars, 49ers and Browns, and road games in Seattle and Detroit are against opponents with a combined record of 23-10. The Giants have shown they are a team with extremely fine margins. Their past five games, all against opponents with losing records, all came down to the wire. One play here or there, the 3-1-1 record in those games could be reversed. Stronger play will be needed to beat stronger opponents.