Could the Giants really be eliminated from playoff contention this early? The Week 12 odds say yes

The 2025 season has been a disaster for the New York Giants. They started 2-9 in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history and already fired coach Brian Daboll. There have been some bright spots, but even those bright spots have recently dimmed. Wide receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL in Week 4, electric rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 8 and quarterback Jaxson Dart is in concussion protocol.

No one expected the Giants to be Super Bowl contenders in 2025, but they are on the verge of becoming the first NFL team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention. It's true. The 1-9 Tennessee Titans may have a worse record, but it's the Giants who could be eliminated from the postseason on Sunday.

There are three different ways the Giants can be eliminated in Week 12, and all three hinge on the Giants losing to the 6-4 Lions in Detroit on Sunday. Here's how New York can be eliminated:

1. New York Giants loss + Dallas Cowboys win
2. New York Giants loss + Minnesota Vikings win
3. New York Giants loss + Seattle Seahawks win OR tie

According to NFL Tiebreaker expert Joe Ferreira, if the Giants were to be eliminated this week, with six weeks to play in the regular season, it would mark their earliest elimination since 1976. It would also mark the earliest playoff elimination since the New York Jets in 2020. Sam Darnold's Jets started 0-13 that season.

While anything can happen in the NFL, you could make the argument that it's "likely" the Giants are indeed eliminated from playoff contention this week. The Giants are 10.5-point underdogs to the Lions, while the Seahawks are 13.5-point favorites against their Week 12 opponent, the lowly Titans, per FanDuel Sportsbook. The Cowboys and Vikings are underdogs in their respective matchups.

Here are a few "Giants eliminated from playoff contention" parlays, if you're interested:

Bet Week 12 NFL games at FanDuel, where new users get $150 in bonus bets with a winning $5 wager.

Reason for optimism moving forward

So it's already been established that the Giants are struggling right now. The defense ranks bottom four in both yards allowed per game and points allowed per game in addition to allowing 5.5 yards per rush -- the most by any team since the 1952 Dallas Texans. (Apparently the Dallas Texans were around for just one season and went 1-11.) 

Offensively, the Giants haven't been a total disaster. Injuries have hampered this unit, and it's essentially been forced to start three different quarterbacks through 11 games.

The Giants' next coach will determine whether Jaxson Dart becomes a franchise savior or just another statistic

Ryan Wilson

With all of that being said, the Giants' job is still an attractive one. New York is the largest media market in the world and full of passionate fans. The Giants have a prospective franchise quarterback in Dart, who has been the best rookie quarterback this season, a talented running back in Skattebo and a wide receiver who could be a top-10 player at his position with Nabers. New York also has pieces on defense, such as an elite pass-rusher prospect in Abdul Carter, plus Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Now, it just comes down to getting the right coaching staff in the building.