There will certainly be doubters of the New York Giants red hot start to begin the 2022 season. However, there is some solid evidence after five weeks that this team is a legitimate playoff contender and not just having a typically fast start to begin the year.

The Giants have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL to start this season. If not for the Philadelphia Eagles being the best team in football after five weeks, and Cooper Rush causing a borderline quarterback controversy in Dallas, the G-Men would be in first place at 4-1. The success of the two lead dogs in the division is also why many league observers are bearish on the team’s long-term outlook this season.

Having a hesitation to believe in this Giants group is a fair approach. They’ve had losing seasons in the last five years. They have a new head coach and general manager. Their starting quarterback does not project to be a perennial Pro Bowler, and much of the unit that was a part of a 4-13 season in 2021 is the group playing in 2022.

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Brian Daboll, Saquon Barkley have Giants looming large for a postseason spot

However, a change of regime and culture a year later has made an immediate impact, and there seems to be a bunch of reasons to believe the 2022 New York Giants are serious beasts of the east.

 

We have yet to see a fully healthy Giants squad in 2022

The Giants entered this season with a roster with low expectations, since — as mentioned earlier — much of last season’s losing squad was back. Then, the organization traded off their best cornerback James Bradberry in the offseason and cut 2021 defensive captain Blake Martinez days before the season started.

Compounding that fact is that many key players on both sides of the ball have missed a lot of time this season. Top pick Kayvon Thibodeaux has missed two games, pass-rushing prospect Azeez Ojulari missed three, and their best and most expensive EDGE Leonard Williams has also missed three starts. When your top three pass rushers have been out that much time the team has no business being 4-1. Yet defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale has turned this group into one of the better defenses in the league.

Not to mention, the offense was without their top three receivers last week and somehow beat the Green Bay Packers. Several of those players have missed other games as well. It’s damn near a miracle that New York has the record they do with so many key injuries and just one player having a Pro Bowl season.