Giants Clinch Spot

Big Blue’s playoff drought is over.

The New York Giants are returning the playoffs after defeating the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 38-10, on Sunday.

The Giants are now bound for the postseason for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since the 2011 season when they won Super Bowl XLVI. Along with clinching a playoff spot, New York (9-6-1) assured its first winning campaign since that same 2016 season.

Brian Daboll became the first Giants rookie head coach to earn a postseason bid since Ben McAdoo in the aforementioned 2016 campaign.

While Daboll will draw deserved acclaim, quarterback Daniel Jones has also become the first starting QB not named Eli Manning to deliver Big Blue to the postseason since Kerry Collins two decades ago in 2002.

Amid the myriad historical notes for one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, New York checked in as the third NFC East team to lock up a playoff spot, joining the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. The NFL’s most high-profile division hasn’t had three postseason entrants since 2007.

The wait is over for New York: The Giants are back in the dance.

In his weekly ‘Football Morning in America’ column for NBC Sports, Peter King gave praise to two of the biggest reasons why the Giants are in the postseason.

“Jones is in the right place. He needs to sign with the Giants for the near-term this offseason. He fits. On Sunday, after the 38-10 rout of the Colts, fans were chanting his name, loving him for probably the first heavy-decibel time in his four seasons in New Jersey. He threw two TD passes, perfect throws, and had two TD runs. He’s fast enough to outrun linebackers, but when one’s in his way, he has no problem stiff-arming them to the ground — he did it with Bobby Okereke of the Colts Sunday — or bashing into them to win a few yards.”

“The Giants routed the Colts 38-10, scoring in the thirties for the first time in 43 games. That says enough about the competent offense Daboll has built in New Jersey. The win clinched New York’s first winning season and first playoff season since 2016. Remember where the Giants were four months ago? In Nowheresville, just trying to be competent. Now they’re 9-6-1 and headed for the playoffs, with Daboll’s leadership a huge key.”