OBJ, Jaxson Dart Et Al - The Past & Present of Harbaugh's New Look, New York Giants

By Peter Mann

Four-time Super Bowl winners, New York Giants, are hoping a former, fan favourite, alongside a mixture of new breed and experience, can lead them back to the promised over the coming seasons.

Odell Beckham Jnr, a Super Bowl winner himself with the Los Angeles Rams five years ago, began his NFL career at MetLife Stadium, before spending the better part of the last seven seasons on the road with Cleveland Browns, the Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Dolphins.

Now, it’s over to the new Giants Head Coach, John Harbaugh, to not only oversee an overhaul of the Giants roster, but also to see how far they can actually go, the first step of which is attempting to dethrone the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys franchises in the NFC East, and winning a division they’ve not done so since 2011.

Coughlin's Super Bowl Years

The Giants, it’s been some fifteen years since producing anything of real note in the post-season, going all the way in 2011, as Tom Coughlin’s ‘Big Blue’ saw off the challenge of Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots.

Coughlin, who initially brought Beckham Jnr to the Giants, eventually departed in 2015, after twelve, relatively successful seasons, three NFC East titles (2000, 2007, and 2011), two NFC Conference championships (2007 and 2011), and two Super Bowl successes.

Back in 2011, Coughlin had the likes of quarterback Eli Manning (296yds, 1TD in the Super Bowl), running backs Ahmad Bradshaw (72yds, 1TD, rushing, in the SB) and Brandon Jacobs, wide receivers Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Victor Cruz (25yds, 1TD, receiving in Super Bowl), alongside defensive back Antrel Rolle, safety Kenny Phillips, cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Corey Webster, and linebackers Chase Blackburn and Michael Boley.

Between them, those dozen stars racking up an impressive, combined 1,179 appearances in dark blue, red and white; Manning racking up 248 of those during his impressive, one-franchise career in New York, whilst Blackburn (123 apps), Webster (121 apps), and Jacobs (118 apps) also registered three digits.

In mid-December 2022, Coughlin released a book entitled ‘A Giant Win,’ looking at the success over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII; speaking to Good Morning America, who interviewed both Coughlin, and his quarterback, Manning, the coach said; “Well, to me the greatest, certainly the greatest upset in the history of the Super Bowl.

“But it’s also the timing. We’ve been through COVID. We’re into a recession.

“Anybody that’s down on their luck or had a bad day or whatever can relate to this because it’s about hope and inspiration.

“First of all, they wanted to fire the coach. The coach was gone after the [2006] season, and had to battle to get really, quite frankly, to get his job back.

“The second half of the season wasn’t easy. And yet we just hung in there and hung in there and made things happen and got ourselves in position.

“Between hope, between inspiration and between someone telling you can’t do something, the reality of that you can’t underestimate.”

That was then, however, since Coughlin’s departure, and Manning’s eventual retirement in 2019, the Giants have been on pretty much a downhill slide with, over the past fourteen seasons since winning their last Super Bowl, the Giants faithful have endured eleven, losing seasons, eight of which have arrived in the last nine.

Coughlin’s final record with the Giants, with six winning seasons, and two that finished 8-8, would be 102-90 (overall record of 170-150).

Brian Daboll Leads A New York Revolution - Before A Fall

When Brian Daboll took the head coach position in 2022, the, primarily offensive coordinator looked like he was ushering in a bright, new revolution in New York, even taking them into the playoffs in his first season at the helm.

A Wild Card play-off victory over Minnesota Vikings afforded hope, but a loss to Philadelphia Eagles was like tearing off a band-aid which had been gently applied to old wounds; then- quarterback Daniel Jones, and running back Saquon Barkley, impressing throughout the season as the Giants registered what was to be their first play-off win in eleven years.

That season also saw the Giants post their first winning record since 2016, but familiar failings were right around the corner, and Daboll’s Giants slumped, hard.

Over the next three seasons the Giants collected just thirteen victories, finishing bottom of the NFC East in each of the last two seasons, and losing thirty-eight games along the way; the slump would eventually cost Daboll his job, being fired midway through last season with the Giants sitting 2-8 at the time – the now Tennessee Titan’s offensive coordinator’s final record with the Giants, a rather unimpressive, 20-40-1.

Mike Kafka took interim charge for the final seven games of the season, he finishing 2-5 as the Giants crashed to a 4-13 record, one win better than 2024, their centenary season.

Old Heads, New Blood: Harbaugh Ushers In A New Era

A veteran coach of over four decades, 63-year-old John Harbaugh has been brought in by the Giants administration to not only steady a wobbling ship, but also usher in a new era of Giants football.

With a coaching career which began back in the mid-eighties, Harbaugh, a former safety with Miami RedHawks, is the brother of current Los Angeles Chargers HC, Jim Harbaugh, and the son of former college football coach, Jack Harbaugh.

After fourteen years ‘learning the ropes’ in college football himself, John Harbaugh hit the NFL in 1998 with Philadelphia Eagles, taking his first HC position a decade later, with Baltimore Ravens, where he’d spend the next eighteen seasons, taking them to play-offs on a dozen occasions.

With six AFC North titles under his belt, the 2012 Ravens consisted of players of the ilk of quarterback Joe Flacco, and linebacker Ray Lewis, Harbaugh leading them to Super Bowl success, against brother Jim, at the time leading San Francisco 49ers.

Upon his arrival at MetLife back in mid-January, Harbaugh said in an interview with www.giants.com that; “I want to thank John Mara, Steve Tisch, Chris Mara, and Joe Schoen for the opportunity to lead the New York Giants.

“To serve as this franchise’s head coach is a tremendous honor.

“I come from a football family, and I have deep respect for the history and tradition of this organization.

“I’m excited to begin assembling our staff and getting to work building our team.

“I would like to sincerely thank Steve Bisciotti and the Baltimore Ravens organization for 18 remarkable years, including the opportunity to become a head coach in the National Football League.

“My family and I are grateful for the welcome we’ve already felt, and we look forward to becoming part of the Giants family.”

John Harbaugh also has experience in managing that of Odell Beckham Jnr, the pair linking up as recently as 2023, with the Ravens going all the way to the AFC Championship game.

Alongside Beckham Jnr, four other Ravens have been seen to swap Baltimore for New York, with Harbaugh adding that of tight end Isaiah Likely, punter Jordan Stout, safety Ar’Darius Washington, and fullback Patrick Ricard (nicknamed Pancake Pat), the Giants HC overseeing some overhaul at MetLife.

Another former Ravens player, guard Daniel Faalele, had also joined the Giants back in April, but has since been traded to Jacksonville Jaguars.

Dart & OBJ: The Past & Future of Giants Football Collide

Fledgling quarterback Jaxson Dart, and experienced wide receiver Odell Beckham Jnr, represent the past and the future of the hopes and dreams of the New York Giants.

Dart made fourteen appearances in Giants blue last season, registering overall statistics of 2,272yds, 15TDs (pass), 987yds, 9TDs (rush), in an impressive, rookie season, which initially began with him as back-up to the now retired, Russell Wilson.

In his first start for the Giants, the first round draft pick from Ole Miss Rebels, in 2025 (95TDs in four seasons for USC Trojans, and Ole Miss), Dart registered 111yds, 1TD (pass), 54yds, 1TD (rush) against the then-undefeated, Los Angeles Chargers, in week four, as the Giants won 21-18 at Met Life.

Speaking of drafting Dart, then-Giants HC, Daboll, told www.nfl.com; “I like the way he plays.

“I like his competitive fire. I like his accuracy. I like his ability to push the ball down the field, his athletic ability to run with the football.

“I think this guy’s got better every year he’s played. He’s a leader. He was smart. He has the attributes that we were looking for.

“Excited to have him. Look forward to getting him in the room. He’s got a lot to learn.

“It’ll be a process here with him, but he’s a guy we look forward to working with.”

On the flip-side, wide receiver Beckham Jnr has 126 appearances to his name, in an NFL career dating back a dozen years and counting.

Beckham Jnr was a first round draft pick for the Giants back in 2014, having spent his college years playing for LSU Tigers, registering a dozen scores in his three seasons, eight of which came in his last, 2013 outing.

His first debut for the Giants arrived in the week five, 30-20 victory, over Atlanta Falcons, in early October, returning from a pre-season hamstring injury and registering 44yds, 1TD (rec), the score coming with ten minutes left of the game, following a 15yd pass from then-quarterback, Eli Manning.

Now 33-years-old, the Louisiana-native spent his first five seasons in New York, registering sixty appearances, registering 44 receiving touchdowns, before moving to Cleveland Browns in 2019.

After two-and-a-half seasons in Cleveland, Beckham found himself, briefly, with the Los Angeles Rams, where his twelve appearances and seven touchdowns helped them to a Super Bowl success, 23-20, against Cincinnati Bengals.

In 2023 Beckham Jnr was with Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens, before spending last season sunning it up in Florida, with Miami Dolphins, the transfer back to New York this season, perhaps a swansong in blue for the former, Rookie of the Year, and three-times Pro-Bowler (2014-2016).

Upon his rejoining the Giants, Beckham Jnr told reporters that; “Most people don’t get the chance to double back.

“This is a place that made me into a man, made me into who I am.

“I have so much love for this organization, this city.

“I got ‘New York’ tatted on my back, you know what I mean.

“I’m from New Orleans. All I ever wanted to do was win a championship for the New York Giants.”

A holder of numerous, Giants records, what odds on him either breaking, or adding to those, over the upcoming season?

The Giants in 2026

Alongside the above pairing of Jaxson Dart and Odell Beckham Jnr, the Giants will have the talents of running backs Cameron Skateboo and Devin Singletary, defensive tackle Darius Alexander, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, to name a few.

London-born Eluemunor played rugby and cricket in his youth, before he and his father moved stateside in 2014, since which he began playing American Football in high school; initially the Englishman played for Lackawanna College, Pennsylvania, before appearing for Texas A&M Aggies (2014-16).

Eluemunor’s NFL career has since seen him make appearances for Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, and Las Vegas Raiders, before signing on with the Giants in March 2024, signing a new contract earlier this year.

Moving onto the pending, 2026 season, the Giants will open their challenge with the visit to MetLife of Dallas Cowboys on 13 September, followed by a trip to Los Angeles Rams (21 September), then consecutive home outings against Tennessee Titans (27 September) and Arizona Cardinals (4 October).

Harbaugh then takes his charges to the Washington Commanders (11 October), before welcoming New Orleans Saints to New York the following week (18 October), then a pair of road games against Houston Texans (25 October) and Philadelphia Eagles (8 November).

The return game with the Commanders comes on 12 November at MetLife, followed by the visit of Jacksonville Jaguars (22 November), closing the month at Indianapolis Colts (29 November); December sees San Francisco 49ers (6 December) head to New York, before a trip to Seattle Seahawks (13 December).

The final four of the Giants’ regular season, either side of Christmas and New Year, sees a hosting of Cleveland Browns (20 December), then a road trip to Detroit Lions (28 December) and the return with the Cowboys (3 January), before Harbaugh et al close the regular season with a home dance against the visiting Eagles a week later (9.10/1).

PETER MANN

NFL ANALYST

PETER IS A LIFELONG SPORTS FAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR BASED IN COUNTY DURHAM. HE HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL AND THE RAIDERS SINCE THE 1980s, AND LOVES BOTH SPORTS AND FAMILY HISTORY. PETER HAS A DEGREE IN SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY, AND CAN BE FOUND ON TWITTER @petermannwriter

 
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