The New York Football Giants have just lost 2 straight games after winning a stunning Thursday Night Football upset vs the Philadelphia Eagles. They were heavy home underdogs coming into a game that was seen by many as a “get right” game for the Eagles, who were struggling offensively. Historically, the Eagles have gone 23-8 playing against the Giants since 2010, and the Giants have lost 8 games straight on Thursday Night Football. However, the Giants dug in deep and held the Superbowl caliber Eagles to 1-9 on third down and limited Saquon Barkley to 12 carries for just 58 yards. The Giants rose up to 2-4 on the season, but the hope for the 2025 campaign that was once renewed came up short once they lost a heartbreaking game to the Denver Broncos, 33-32. They then lost to the Eagles the next week, although they played without half of their starting secondary. These past few weeks have contained many ups and downs, and fostered doubt even within the most hardcore Giants fans. For many fans, it feels like we just want the season to be over so we can move onto the next one, where there is a lot more to look forward to. However, here are 3 reasons for optimism going into next season. The Giants previous draft classes and rookies coming into this year are one of the things that many fans have been savoring. The Giants hired Joe Schoen as their general manager on January 21st, 2022 to replace the retired Dan Gettleman. Since then, there have been many head-scratching decisions made by the front office, ranging from over the top quarterback signings like Daniel Jones, to letting certain free agents sign with other teams (Saquon Barkley and Xavier Mckinney). However, one thing that hasn’t made Giants fans wince has been the draft classes. Since Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have taken over, 25 out of 31 players drafted since 2022 are key role players and/or are full-time starters. The only notable bust has been cornerback Deonte Banks, but the amount of success and talent acquired through the draft has been astounding. The NFL average for finding full time, quality starters is 1-2 per draft. The Giants 2022 draft class alone (Schoen’s first year) yielded four quality starters in Micah McFadden, Dane Belton, Wan’dale Robinson, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The 2023 draft class was a disappointment, with only John Michael Schmitz, Deonte Banks, and Jalin Hyatt still on the roster. However, the 2024 and 2025 draft classes have produced a surplus of offensive talent as well as key defensive players. Malik Nabers, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Theo Johnson, Jaxson Dart, and Cam Skattebo are the main pieces on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, Abdul Carter, Darius Alexander, Tyler Nubin, Dru Phillips, and Darius Muasau have been outstanding the past two seasons.

The Giants homegrown talent has performed very well over the course of the season. They played a key part in the huge upset on Thursday Night, and it should be noted that the games that the Giants lost the past two weeks have been without most of their key rookies and second year players. With more rookies on the way with the next draft class coming up next season, that should be a source of optimism and something to look forward to.

Another noticeable change has been the fearless, confident vibe the offense has given off with Jaxson Dart under center for the Giants. The Giants named Russell Wilson their starting quarterback to begin the season. He rewarded them by going 0-3, putting up only a 58% completion rate and 3 interceptions in his last two games, all at crucial moments. He passed for 786 yards in three games, but 450 of them came in a back and forth battle versus the Cowboys, where he also threw the game losing interception. However, with Jaxson Dart starting at quarterback, they have gotten much better. Although there have been many bumps in the road, it is clear that Jaxson Dart is not one of the problems. It has been a long time since there was a clear answer at QB for the Giants, and Jaxson Dart has distinctly proven that he is the answer. He puts his body on the line and has a winning mentality, which are two key components to building a winning program. He makes the most of what he has, even though he is working with Beaux Collins and Gunner Olzeski at wide receiver. He was also robbed of his best friend and security blanket, Cam Skattebo, to an ankle injury, but still pushed through. Next year, with key offensive players returning like Malik Nabers and Skattebo, there should be a much better outlook, including any players that they draft next year, which should only add to the talent pool. The improvisation that Jaxson Dart brings to this offense when he is scrambling out of the pocket has made all of the puzzle pieces of this young team fall into place and is another reason for optimism.

The most important reason for optimism is that we have to recognize that the toughest part is over. After starting 0-3, the Giants have been able to sandwich two wins together against two teams that made the playoffs last year and are widely recognized as possible Super Bowl contenders. The first eight weeks of the schedule were supposed to be the hardest, and while it was a tough road, they were only a missed field goal away (Dallas Cowboys loss 37-40, OT), and just had to stop an insane comeback (Broncos loss, 33-32) from being an even .500 on the season. However, we should concede by now that no odds are too large to keep Jaxson Dart from making it a competitive game. Jaxson Dart has shown more than enough to prove to Giants fans that no game is too big to be written off, no odds are too high, to be circled as a loss. We should have optimism going into every single matchup, knowing that we have a capable rookie QB who keeps us competitive. It should also be noted that while we are 2-7, there have been so many injuries that it is hard to imagine what this team looked like at the beginning of the season. I think that if they had started Jaxson Dart at the beginning, they might be 5-2. Overall, things aren’t perfect, but next year, with another strong draft class, this team should be very competitive and the New York Giants fan community should be rewarded for their faithfulness through the hard times that have come upon us. Pretty soon, it will all be a thing of the past.