John Harbaugh on Giants' NFC East Lead: 'We Can Win This Division'

Vincent Rapisardi

4 days ago

3 min read

Updated: 17 hours ago

Published Oct 27, 2026, 8:12 AM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSUB_YwNvpA

Key points

John Harbaugh told Bob Papa and Carl Banks the Giants "can win this division" in his weekly interview before Week 7.
The 4-2-1 Giants beat Houston 27-21 in overtime and lead the NFC East by 1½ games over the 3-4 Cowboys at the bye.
Up next after the bye: at Philadelphia on Nov. 8 and home against Washington on Nov. 12.

John Harbaugh isn't shying away from the standings. Before the trip to Houston, the Giants coach said the NFC East title is within reach. Then his team went out and backed it up.

Harbaugh made the comment in his weekly interview with Bob Papa and Carl Banks, a clip shared by Big Blue Film Room on X. "We have everything we want to accomplish right in front of us," Harbaugh said. "We can win this division."

The sit-down on Giants.com previewed the trip to a "surging" Texans team. Three days later, the Giants won 27-21 in overtime, as we covered in Giants vs Texans Final Score.

John Harbaugh's Giants Lead the NFC East at the Bye

The Giants still hold the division's only winning record. Dallas beat Philadelphia 38-21 on Monday night to move into second at 3-4, according to USA TODAY. The Eagles fell to 2-5, and Washington is 1-4-1 after its own bye.

That leaves New York 1½ games clear. Entering Week 7, no team in the division had a positive point differential. By our count from the Week 7 scores, the Giants are now plus-2 and Dallas plus-9.

Harbaugh knows what the lead is worth. "It's a massive energy shot in the arm. It's a reward," he said, per Giants Country. "It doesn't mean anything if you don't build on it."

The Division Results Behind the Giants' Lead

The Giants beat Dallas 28-20 on Sunday Night Football in Week 1. Jaxson Dart threw three touchdown passes, two to Isaiah Likely, per the Pro Football Reference box score.

The second division game got away. New York settled for a 27-27 tie at Washington in Week 5, a game Giants Wire said featured overtime fumbles and clock-management miscues.

That leaves the Giants 1-0-1 in the NFC East. The Cowboys are now 2-1, the Eagles are 1-1 and the Commanders are 0-2-1.

By the Numbers: The NFC East After Week 7

Team	Record	Division record
New York Giants	4-2-1	1-0-1
Dallas Cowboys	3-4	2-1
Philadelphia Eagles	2-5	1-1
Washington Commanders	1-4-1	0-2-1

Source: USA TODAY standings after Monday night; division records from game results.

What Comes Next for John Harbaugh and the Giants

JJ McCarthy won his first Giants start, a move we covered in Giants to Start JJ McCarthy vs Texans. Now the Giants rest in Week 8.

Then the division schedule picks up. The Giants visit Philadelphia on Nov. 8, then host Washington on Thursday Night Football on Nov. 12. Harbaugh called those "the two most important games of the season."

Our Take: The Giants Can't Take This NFC East for Granted

I said on Oct. 9 that the Giants can win the division. Two days later, I called it the Giants' division, thanks to John Harbaugh, and I meant it with no bias.

My reason hasn't changed. The Giants have a major advantage in the NFC East because they have the best coaching staff in the division.

Harbaugh saying it out loud was the right message. On Oct. 21, I called this the most winnable NFC East since 2020. New York is in first place, and the Eagles, Cowboys and Commanders have all been a mess.

That's why I would not take this opportunity for granted. I said the Giants should very seriously look at a trade for a player like Jonathan Taylor. We covered that idea in Giants Should Get Jonathan Taylor 'in a Heartbeat,' Martindale Says.

Windows like this don't stay open long. The trip to Philadelphia after the bye is where Harbaugh's words start getting tested.

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