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3 Players the Giants Need More From to Win the NFC East
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- 3 Players the Giants Need More From to Win the NFC East
The New York Giants' vibes are good going into the second half of their season.
The Giants will have this week off before the stretch drive kicks off Nov. 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Giants are 4-2-1 and alone in first place in the NFC East, a spot they hadn't held since 2015.
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If the Giants are going to win the NFC East for the first time since 2011, they'll still need more from these three players.
Three Players the Giants Need More From
Kayvon Thibodeaux, edge rusher
Thibodeaux has turned up his play since he took over for Brian Burns after the 2025 second-team All-Pro sustained a torn ACL in Week 3 against Tennessee. He's been especially good setting the edge as a run defender, since he has the 23rd-best run grade among 113 qualifying edge rushers from Pro Football Focus (71.9).
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But the Giants only have nine sacks this season, and Thibodeaux has none. Plus, he ranks 11th on the team in tackles (15), with only five.
Darnell Mooney, wide receiver
The Giants' offense has scored at least 27 points in four straight games, though it ranks just 16th in the league in scoring (23.3 points per game). It could still use more juice, and it hasn't gotten much from Mooney, who has nine catches for 113 yards through seven games.
Mooney has just three catches for 18 yards over the Giants' past four games. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy dialed up a jet sweep for Mooney that went for 20 yards in the team's loss to the Saints , and although his run against Houston converted a fourth down, it only went for 3 yards.
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Malik Nabers, Isaiah Likely and Malachi Fields look like game-changing receivers for quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the offense. But they'll need Mooney at some point.
Jon Runyan Jr., left guard
The Giants' run game may be close to breaking out, but it won't get uncorked without Runyan, who has been the weak link of their offensive line.
According to PFF, Runyan has played the third-most run-blocking snaps (202) among the 74 qualifying guards, and he has the second-worst grade while run blocking (41.6). Runyan has committed five penalties, allowed two sacks and given up 15 pressures, which each ranks in the bottom 10.
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The challenges are only going to get tougher for the Giants offensive line. They'll need Runyan to figure it out to get to the playoffs.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
