The 2026 NFL season has gone as well as anybody could have expected for the New York Giants. They sit atop the NFC East with a 5-2-1 record and are favored to defeat the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night.

Head coach John Harbaugh has changed the culture and mindset of the team. The Giants have an attacking mentality on both sides of the ball, which is why they are one of the surprise teams in the league.

The Giants are the topic of a lot of discussions in the NFL, and when they’re discussions, there’s bound to be some overreactions. We’ll dive into the biggest overreactions surrounding the team.

They’re A Fraudulent Division Leader Because They Haven’t Defeated A Team With A Winning Record

Despite the team’s success over the first half of the season, they have their detractors. Some feel the Giants are a fraudulent first-place team because they have yet to defeat a team with a winning record.

New York’s five wins have come against teams with a combined record of 13-30. This is why many are expecting to falter in the second half of the season, when five or their remaining nine opponents have a winning record.

But the Giants have no control over the schedule; all they can do is prepare for the team they face that week. Big Blue has already pulled off two upsets against the Cowboys and Texans, and they’re 4-1-1 in one-score games, which is a mark of a good team. It’s hard to win games in the NFL, and when a team has a winning record after eight games, they’re a legit team.

To think that the team is a fraudulent first-place team is definitely an overreaction, and they’ll have a chance to silence their doubter when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11.

They Made A Huge Mistake By Not Trading For A Running Back

The NFL deadline has come and gone, and the New York Giants did not acquire a back despite their efforts. They offered the Indianapolis Colts a second and fifth-round pick for Jonathan Taylor, but the Colts declined. It was even reported by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan that the team reached out to the Atlanta Falcons about Bijan Robinson.

But general manager Joe Schoen decided not to sweeten the deal for Taylor or acquire another back to help the running game. The ground game has been held to under 90 yards in four games this season, and some view not upgrading the position as a huge mistake that can hinder their chances of making the playoffs.

But the franchise had limited draft capital by giving up a fifth-round pick to get J.J. McCarthy, and they used a fourth-round pick to trade up in this year’s draft to take Malachi Fields.

Sure, if they acquired Taylor, it would have enhanced their chances of winning the division this year, but the asking price would have probably been a first-round pick and more. As talented as he is, you don’t want to mortgage your future on a back who will turn 28 in January.

Sometimes the best move is not to make any move. New York needs to use their remaining draft capital in 2027 to fill holes on the team.

J.J. McCarthy Will Cause A Quarterback Competition With Jaxson Dart In 2027

After completing 31 out of49 passes for 495 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his first five quarters as a starter, some felt J.J. McCarthy did enough to create a quarterback competition with Jaxson Dart in 2027. Even after his subpar performance against the Eagles in Week 9, some still feel that way.

But it’s way too premature to think McCarthy and Dart will be in a quarterback competition at the start of training camp. The former Michigan Wolverine signal caller will need to lead the team into the postseason and probably win a game before there are any serious discussions as to who might be the team’s starter.

Let’s wait until at least the end of the regular season before we assess McCarthy’s chances of being the starter in 2027. Until then, any thought of him being a starter is an overreaction.