The New York Giants will return from their bye this week as they begin to make preparations for their Week 15 matchup against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
At 2-11, no matter what happens in their final four games, 2025 will go down as one of the most disappointing seasons in the history of the franchise. If the season ended today, the Giants would have the number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Despite nothing to play for other than pride, interim head coach Mike Kafka will have his team prepared to win each game. Here’s a list of four things to keep an eye on in the final four games of the year.
Will Jaxson Dart avoid taking unnecessary hits?
The lone bright spot for Big Blue in 2025 is that they’ve finally found their franchise quarterback in Jaxson Dart. His competitive energy has given the team a spark, and at times, he’s tried to carry the offense on his back.
However, in trying to carry the team, he has taken unnecessary hits by holding the ball too long, or not sliding or running out of bounds. As a result of this, he’s been evaluated for a concussion several times this season and missed two games due to a concussion.
Dart must understand that he’s too valuable to the team to take unnecessary punishment and must do a better job of protecting himself. It will be interesting to see if the rookie quarterback does a better job of avoiding hits in the final four weeks.
Can Abdul Carter show maturity and improve his production?
Nobody would have thought coming into this year that after 13 games, Abdul Carter would have just a sack and a half. But that’s the sack tally that the third overall currently has. He was the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but has yet to make a significant impact.
Not only has Carter not lived up to expectations on the field, but he has also fallen short off the field. It has been reported that Carter has been late to team meetings while Brian Daboll was the head coach. Then, when Daboll was fired on November 10th, the 22-year-old edge rusher’s tardiness continued under interim head coach Mike Kafka. This led to Carter being benched for the first drive against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11 and being out for the first quarter in Week 13 against the New England Patriots.
Has the bye week allowed Carter to reflect and resolve whatever the issues were for him being late, and can he show the dominance he displayed in college in the final four games of the season?
The play of Wan’Dale Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott
New York will have to make a financial decision this offseason with two of their most consistent players this season in receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and corner Cor’Dale Flott. Both are 24 years old and are having the best seasons of their careers.
Robinson is one of the best slot receivers in the NFL, and coming into Week 14, he’s 10th in the league in receptions and is poised to have his first 1,000-yard receiving season. In his fourth year with the team, Flott finally emerged as a starter and had a key interception in the team’s 34-17 upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6.
With both players wanting to capitalize on their earning potential, it won’t be easy to keep both. Whoever the team decides to prioritize could come down to how they perform for the remainder of the year, and who they deem is more difficult to replace.
Who is playing with heart and effort, and who has checked out?
Anytime a team is out of playoff contention at the end of the season, people speculate whether all of the players are giving optimum effort or if some players’ minds are on their offseason travel plans.
Whether or not the team retains Joe Schoen as their general manager or brings in someone else, they’ll be watching tape on the final to see who is still competing and who has checked out. This will play a huge factor in deciding who will be with Big Blue in 2026.
