2023 NFL Power Rankings: New York Giants

Young riser: CB Deonte Banks

The No. 24 overall pick has lived up to the hype so far. He has allowed only 50% of the passes with him as the nearest defender to be completed, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Banks has allowed just a 67.8 passer rating against and has shown good ball skills (five passes defended and an interception). This has come with being, at times, the Giants' No. 1 cornerback. The future looks bright for the rookie. -- Jordan Raanan

I am not ready to entertain the idea of keeping Daniel Jones on the bench even after he's medically cleared, but it's hard not to notice how much more open the offense has been with Tyrod Taylor under center. Either way, it appears Andrew Thomas is close to returning, and there's a decent argument to be made that he's New York's MVP, given how poorly left tackle has been manned in his absence. The 14-7 triumph over the Commanders was a good win for the Giants, with both the offense and defense slaying some demons. The G-Men won't have a lot more six-sack games, but I'll be shocked if their pass rush going forward isn't closer to what we witnessed Sunday than everything we'd seen previously. And suddenly, there are some winnable games lying ahead.

Tyrod Taylor has done a nice job in his two games as quarterback, including beating the Commanders. Is there a quarterback controversy when Daniel Jones comes back? Not yet.

Why are they having more trouble scoring points than any other team? Six starting offensive line combinations in seven games pretty much sums it up.

One question: Is Tyrod Taylor better than Daniel Jones?

This year he is. Taylor, who has started the last two weeks, has a passer rating of 95.4 this season. Jones has a passer rating of 71.7, and after Sunday they have the same amount of wins as New York's starter. This is your weekly reminder that Jones signed a four-year contract in the offseason with $81 million of guaranteed money. Jones missed Sunday's game because of a neck injury, and the Giants may let him take his time rehabbing it.

It'd be easy to dismiss such a forgettable win, but it could be a season-saver. Sure, the Giants' prospects still look bleak. But beating Washington at least brings them within shouting distance of .500, with Daniel Jones and Andrew Thomas expected back soon. If New York manages to put together some kind of run, no one's going to care that this was a total snooze fest.

Darren Waller posted a 7-98-1 line on Sunday, easily his best game of the season. That's a great sign. The Giants need that version of Waller the rest of the season to have any hope on offense.

A win is a win, even if nothing about it feels like a win.

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