2018 NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Eagles earn tough win in Carson Wentz’s return

25. New York Giants

After two tough losses to start off 2018, the New York Giants knew Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans was the perfect opportunity to earn that first win of the year, and thank goodness they were able to come through the way they did. Talent wise, the Giants seem capable of making a run at the playoffs in the NFC, and seeing them struggle to live up to the hype has been frustrating for the most part, even if they did face a couple of difficult matchups.

Now that New York finally has a win under their belts, all eyes will be on whether this team can end September on a hot note with another win, and whether that happens could come down to Saquon Barkley in the backfield. The Giants were criticized by many for going with the former Penn State star in the first round of this year’s draft instead of a successor to Eli Manning, but seeing him continue to be a workhorse on offense makes it seem like Barkley was the right choice.

For once, Eli Manning must be thrilled to see someone like Barkley help take some of that unnecessary pressure off him on offense with a reliable option in the backfield. There were plenty of reasons for the Giants to like Barkley, and seeing him finish with 82 rushing yards to go along with a score on 18 carries makes it seem like this is only the beginning for the rookie’s potential.