In the immortal words of legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor, the New York Giants have clearly seen their share of "fire" and "rain" through the first five games of the 2026 NFL season.
From losing incumbent starting quarterback Jaxson Dart to a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, to defensive team captain Brian Burns suffering both a torn ACL and torn meniscus in Week 3, New York has been forced to push through adversity.
Still, the Giants have endured. Under new head coach John Harbaugh, the team has found renewed vigor. Playing solid, fundamental football, Big Blue sits alone atop the NFC East at 3-1-1.
Though several factors have contributed to New York's unexpected return to relevance, veteran offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr. knows the foundation for that success was laid months ago.
"I think it says a lot about our coaching staff and what they've tried to build throughout the whole offseason program and into training camp," Runyan said. "It says a lot about them, the foundation that they've built, and a lot of us as players. Because of that, we're sitting 3-1-1 right now."
Originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round (No. 192 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft, Runyan has been with the Giants since signing a free-agent deal with the club in 2024. The 6-foot-4, 307-pound left guard has started all 34 games he has appeared in for the team.
This season, he has played 347 offensive snaps and earned a pass-blocking grade of 78.5, which ranks sixth among 75 qualified offensive guards, per PFF.
Sep 13, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dee Winters (53) tackles New York Giants guard Jon Runyan Jr. (76) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While Runyan's on-field skills have helped the Giants' offensive line perform at a high level, his veteran leadership remains integral to the unit rising above its middle-of-the-pack preseason rankings. The line has not only provided improved protection for quarterback Jameis Winston, but it has also strengthened its run blocking.
Despite injuries to key starters such as right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (calf) and left tackle Andrew Thomas (groin), the Giants' O-line continues to press forward. Even as they have weathered the storm through the first five weeks of the season, Runyan has enough experience to know situations can always worsen.
In that regard, Runyan is confident that Big Blue has the structure in place to persevere - even if the club has yet to reach its on-field peak.
"I still feel like we have a long way to go on this team," Runyan said. "Luckily, we are 3-1-1 at the moment. And as I said, we still have a long way to go. This whole division stacks up how it does, as long as we take care of what we got. Coach Harbaugh has been saying go 1-0 every week, and that's been our mindset, and it's been working so far this year."
With their Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium approaching, the Giants will continue to require a total team effort to return to the win column.
As players begin to hit their stride, Runyan believes the strong solidarity throughout the organization will be the primary reason the Giants accomplish their mission - should they choose to accept it.
"In my opinion, it's about really good communication back and forth between players and coaches," Runyan added.
"That is going to help us when we get further down the road in the season. And especially going to be helpful when we face a little bit more adversity, knowing that we have that solid foundation with everybody around us."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/giants/onsi as Giants Jon Runyan, Jr. Credits Coaching Staff for Success Through Adversity .
