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The New York Giants defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 19-17, in Week 12 which propelled them into a first-place tie with the Washington Football Team atop the NFC East.
By virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Giants have the edge in the division and now control their own destiny.
While that’s all well and good, their latest victory — the team’s third consecutive — came at a premium cost. Second-year quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter and is expected to miss some time, including a Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite the rocky road ahead, the Giants rose three spots in the latest USA TODAY power rankings, reaching a 2020 high-water mark at No. 22 overall.
22. Giants (25): Just as they assume first place in lowly NFC Least, QB Daniel Jones hurts a hammy. Backup Colt McCoy hasn’t engineered a win since 2014.
Comparatively, the Dallas Cowboys dropped one spot to No. 29 overall, while the Philadelphia Eagles somehow rose two spots to No. 27 overall and the Washington Football Team rose four spots to No. 23 overall.
Washington even got the nod as the “hottest team in the division.”
That’s true other than losing to the Giants. Twice. But hey, who’s counting, right?
The lowly and winless New York Jets remain in the cellar at No. 32 overall, while the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers maintain their firm grasp on the No. 1 overall spot.
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