Giants Enter 2024 Season Ranked 24th in SI’s Weekly Power Ranking

The New York Giants were regular occupants of the lower third of the league in Sports Illustrated’s weekly power ranking last year. With a new season just days away, the Giants have picked up where they left off.

SI’s Conor Orr, in his Week 1 power rankings, has the Giants at No. 24 but offers more than just a hint of optimism as to why things could be looking up for Big Blue.

“Depending on what happens with the Eagles and the Cowboys, I withhold some optimism that the Giants can make a run at second place in the division and possibly find themselves in a wild-card game,” Orr wrote. 

“I have them currently projected for eight wins—with or without [quarterback] Daniel Jones at the helm—with my main questions being the efficacy of this offensive line and the maturity of the secondary. These are big questions, but the Giants also have new coaches for both units.”

Orr’s concerns are understandable. The Giants offensive line has been a problem for quite some time. The good news is that based on the approach taken this offseason by general manager Joe Schoen to bring in experienced veterans and the hiring of Carmen Bricillo to reshape the unit, the offensive line did not look as bad as it has in the past in the preseason.

This has left optimism that things might be looking up for a unit coming off a historically bad season in which it allowed 85 sacks, second most in the league.

The defensive secondary is another story. Although the team brought back veteran Adoree’ Jackson to presumably take over CB2, the youth behind Jackson and starter Deonte Banks is of concern, especially considering that no one who competed for the CB2 role before Jackson’s return stepped up to grab the job there for the taking. 

The potential good news for the young secondary school is the different philosophy held by the new defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen. For one, Bowen doesn’t live and die by the blitz as Wink Martindale did, meaning we probably won’t see the exotic blitzes coming in from the secondary as often as last year.

Bowen also incorporates a great deal of quarters coverage into his scheme. As the name suggests, quarters coverage splits the field into quarters with two deep safeties on the inside and the cornerbacks on the outside. The linebackers in front then spit the underneath zone into thirds.

Giving the young cornerbacks less territory to defend could benefit them, particularly against pass-heavy defenses.

The Giants kick off their 100th season on Sunday at home against the Minnesota Vikings.