The
2018 season was the
New York Giants' 94th in the
National Football League (NFL), their ninth playing their home games at
MetLife Stadium and their first under
head coachPat Shurmur. The Giants entered the season looking to improve on their
2017 campaign, which saw the team finish with a 3–13 record, their worst since the adoption of a 16-game regular season. Despite starting 1–7 for the second consecutive year, the Giants managed to improve on their 3–13 campaign with a 30–27 win over the
Chicago Bears. After a 17–0 shutout loss to the
Titans in Week 15, the Giants missed the playoffs for the second straight season. The season was highlighted by blown fourth-quarter leads much like
2015, the Giants were in 12 one-possession games and lost eight games by seven points or fewer. The Giants finished the season 5–11 and last place in the
NFC East for the second straight year and the first time they finished last in back to back years since
1977 and
1978.
The Giants were awarded a fourth-round
compensatory pick (135th overall).
Draft trades
The Giants traded a compensatory fourth-round selection (135th overall) and a sixth-round selection (176th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a seventh-round selection in 2019 and linebacker
Alec Ogletree.
The Giants traded a fourth-round selection (102nd overall) and defensive end
Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a third-round selection (69th overall) and a fourth-round selection (108th overall).
The Giants traded a seventh-round selection (220th overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for defensive back
Ross Cockrell.
Supplemental Draft
The Giants selected Western Michigan cornerback
Sam Beal in the
2018 Supplemental draft.[32] As a result, the team forfeited their 3rd-round selection in the
2019 draft.
Undrafted free agents
The Giants signed a number of undrafted free agents. Unless stated otherwise, they were signed on May 11, 2018.[33]
On March 22, 2018, the Giants traded defensive end
Jason Pierre-Paul to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 3rd round pick and swapping 4th round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.[73]
On April 20, 2018, the Giants acquired punter
Riley Dixon from the
Denver Broncos in exchange for a conditional 7th round draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.[74]
On August 26, 2018, the Giants traded center
Brett Jones to the
Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 7th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.[75]
On October 23, 2018, the Giants traded cornerback
Eli Apple to the
New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and a 7th round pick in the
2020 draft.[76]
With the loss, the Giants started 0–2 for the second consecutive season. It was 20–3 for most of the 4th quarter until the Giants scored 10 points in the final 2:09.
Week 3: at Houston Texans
Week Three: New York Giants at Houston Texans – Game summary
Odell Beckham surpassed
Lionel Taylor (319) for the most receptions by a player through his first 50 career games with 337 catches (he would be passed by
Michael Thomas (346) in 2019).[77][78]
With the win, the Giants improved to 1–2.
Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Four: New Orleans Saints at New York Giants – Game summary
Odell Beckham threw a touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley and also caught his first touchdown pass since breaking his ankle the year before. Similar to the Eagles game in Week 3 last season, the Giants rallied back in the 4th quarter, but were overshadowed by a 63-yard game-winning field goal by
Graham Gano. However, controversy surrounded after the game, where players believed there was a wrong call on the final drive on a 3rd and 1 run by
Christian McCaffrey and another wrong pass interference call on
Landon Collins.[79] This game marked the first time the Giants scored 30 or more points in a game since Week 17 of the
2015 season.[80]
Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week Six: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – Game summary
The Giants failed to capitalize on offense, including missing a critical 4th and Goal at the 1 yard line. They were unable to complete a comeback, and fell to 1–6 with the loss.
Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
Week Eight: Washington Redskins at New York Giants – Game summary
With the loss, the Giants entered their bye week at 1–7. This is the last time Washington beat the Giants as the Redskins, as they
changed their name before the
2020 NFL season.
Week 10: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Ten: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Despite fires threatening the region, the Giants and 49ers played a Monday Night thriller. The Giants managed to complete a comeback over the 49ers with Sterling Shepard's game-winning touchdown with 53 seconds remaining. The Giants snapped a 5-game losing streak and improved to 2–7. They beat an NFC team other than the
Washington Redskins for the first time since Week 15 of the 2016 season.
Odell Beckham Jr. also had 2 touchdowns in the win. This was the last primetime win of
Eli Manning's career.
Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants – Game summary
The Giants improved to 3–7 with 152 total yards and 3 touchdowns from Saquon Barkley. Eli Manning completed 17 of 18 passes with a 155.8 passer rating.
Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week Twelve: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
The Giants came out hot in a must win game, but squandered a 19–3-second quarter lead when Manning forced a pick deep in Eagles territory, who responded with a touchdown and 2-point conversion. The Eagles offense controlled the time of possession in the second half, and Jake Elliott kicked a game-winning field goal with 22 seconds remaining, his second against the Giants in as many seasons. With the loss, the Eagles tied the all-time series at 86–86–2, and is tied for the first time since it was 0–0 in 1933.
Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Thirteen: Chicago Bears at New York Giants – Game summary
The Giants won in overtime and was
Eli Manning's 37th and final game-winning drive in his career, which at the time put him in 9th place all-time. In his final game with the Giants,
Odell Beckham Jr. threw and caught a touchdown pass, as he was inactive for the last 4 games of the season with a quad injury and then traded to the
Cleveland Browns in the offseason. Kicker
Aldrick Rosas converted the longest field goal in Giants franchise history to end the first half.
With the win, the Giants improved to 4–8 and surpassed their win total from
2017.
Week 14: at Washington Redskins
Week Fourteen: New York Giants at Washington Redskins – Game summary
With this win, the Giants became the first team in NFL history to defeat a single opponent 100 times. This was the first time the Giants scored 40 or more points since Week 8 of the
2015 season and they improved to 5–8. Saquon Barkley also set a career high for rushing yards in a game.
Week 15: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Fifteen: Tennessee Titans at New York Giants – Game summary
Both teams struggled to move the ball on a cold, rainy, and windy day. The Titans were able to silence Saquon Barkley while
Derrick Henry finally broke through the Giants defense after wearing them down. The Giants were shut out for the first time since 2017 and eliminated from playoff contention, falling to 5-9. This was their first shutout at home since week 15 of the
2013 season.
Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Sixteen: New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Andrew Luck orchestrated the final game-winning drive of his career and the Giants fell to 5–10. The Colts were one of three teams Eli Manning never defeated in his career (the other two being the Giants and the
Los Angeles Chargers).
Week 17: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week Seventeen: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
Cowboys
0
14
7
15
36
Giants
0
7
11
17
35
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date: December 30
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 77,750
Referee: Clay Martin
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
In a meaningless game for both teams,
Dak Prescott and Eli Manning traded shots in the air, but it was Prescott and the Cowboys who had the last word. Prescott connected with
Cole Beasley on a 4th Down and also connected with
Michael Gallup on the ensuing two-point conversion. The Giants season ended at 5–11 and they lost their 4th consecutive game to the Cowboys. Saquon Barkley went on to win Rookie of the Year.
^
abNew Orleans finished ahead of LA Rams based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcAtlanta finished ahead of Washington based on head-to-head victory. Atlanta finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.
^
abNY Giants finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
The
2018 season was the
New York Giants' 94th in the
National Football League (NFL), their ninth playing their home games at
MetLife Stadium and their first under
head coachPat Shurmur. The Giants entered the season looking to improve on their
2017 campaign, which saw the team finish with a 3–13 record, their worst since the adoption of a 16-game regular season. Despite starting 1–7 for the second consecutive year, the Giants managed to improve on their 3–13 campaign with a 30–27 win over the
Chicago Bears. After a 17–0 shutout loss to the
Titans in Week 15, the Giants missed the playoffs for the second straight season. The season was highlighted by blown fourth-quarter leads much like
2015, the Giants were in 12 one-possession games and lost eight games by seven points or fewer. The Giants finished the season 5–11 and last place in the
NFC East for the second straight year and the first time they finished last in back to back years since
1977 and
1978.
The Giants were awarded a fourth-round
compensatory pick (135th overall).
Draft trades
The Giants traded a compensatory fourth-round selection (135th overall) and a sixth-round selection (176th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a seventh-round selection in 2019 and linebacker
Alec Ogletree.
The Giants traded a fourth-round selection (102nd overall) and defensive end
Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a third-round selection (69th overall) and a fourth-round selection (108th overall).
The Giants traded a seventh-round selection (220th overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for defensive back
Ross Cockrell.
Supplemental Draft
The Giants selected Western Michigan cornerback
Sam Beal in the
2018 Supplemental draft.[32] As a result, the team forfeited their 3rd-round selection in the
2019 draft.
Undrafted free agents
The Giants signed a number of undrafted free agents. Unless stated otherwise, they were signed on May 11, 2018.[33]
On March 22, 2018, the Giants traded defensive end
Jason Pierre-Paul to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 3rd round pick and swapping 4th round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.[73]
On April 20, 2018, the Giants acquired punter
Riley Dixon from the
Denver Broncos in exchange for a conditional 7th round draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.[74]
On August 26, 2018, the Giants traded center
Brett Jones to the
Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 7th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.[75]
On October 23, 2018, the Giants traded cornerback
Eli Apple to the
New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and a 7th round pick in the
2020 draft.[76]
With the loss, the Giants started 0–2 for the second consecutive season. It was 20–3 for most of the 4th quarter until the Giants scored 10 points in the final 2:09.
Week 3: at Houston Texans
Week Three: New York Giants at Houston Texans – Game summary
Odell Beckham surpassed
Lionel Taylor (319) for the most receptions by a player through his first 50 career games with 337 catches (he would be passed by
Michael Thomas (346) in 2019).[77][78]
With the win, the Giants improved to 1–2.
Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Four: New Orleans Saints at New York Giants – Game summary
Odell Beckham threw a touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley and also caught his first touchdown pass since breaking his ankle the year before. Similar to the Eagles game in Week 3 last season, the Giants rallied back in the 4th quarter, but were overshadowed by a 63-yard game-winning field goal by
Graham Gano. However, controversy surrounded after the game, where players believed there was a wrong call on the final drive on a 3rd and 1 run by
Christian McCaffrey and another wrong pass interference call on
Landon Collins.[79] This game marked the first time the Giants scored 30 or more points in a game since Week 17 of the
2015 season.[80]
Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week Six: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – Game summary
The Giants failed to capitalize on offense, including missing a critical 4th and Goal at the 1 yard line. They were unable to complete a comeback, and fell to 1–6 with the loss.
Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
Week Eight: Washington Redskins at New York Giants – Game summary
With the loss, the Giants entered their bye week at 1–7. This is the last time Washington beat the Giants as the Redskins, as they
changed their name before the
2020 NFL season.
Week 10: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Ten: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Despite fires threatening the region, the Giants and 49ers played a Monday Night thriller. The Giants managed to complete a comeback over the 49ers with Sterling Shepard's game-winning touchdown with 53 seconds remaining. The Giants snapped a 5-game losing streak and improved to 2–7. They beat an NFC team other than the
Washington Redskins for the first time since Week 15 of the 2016 season.
Odell Beckham Jr. also had 2 touchdowns in the win. This was the last primetime win of
Eli Manning's career.
Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Eleven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants – Game summary
The Giants improved to 3–7 with 152 total yards and 3 touchdowns from Saquon Barkley. Eli Manning completed 17 of 18 passes with a 155.8 passer rating.
Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week Twelve: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
The Giants came out hot in a must win game, but squandered a 19–3-second quarter lead when Manning forced a pick deep in Eagles territory, who responded with a touchdown and 2-point conversion. The Eagles offense controlled the time of possession in the second half, and Jake Elliott kicked a game-winning field goal with 22 seconds remaining, his second against the Giants in as many seasons. With the loss, the Eagles tied the all-time series at 86–86–2, and is tied for the first time since it was 0–0 in 1933.
Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Thirteen: Chicago Bears at New York Giants – Game summary
The Giants won in overtime and was
Eli Manning's 37th and final game-winning drive in his career, which at the time put him in 9th place all-time. In his final game with the Giants,
Odell Beckham Jr. threw and caught a touchdown pass, as he was inactive for the last 4 games of the season with a quad injury and then traded to the
Cleveland Browns in the offseason. Kicker
Aldrick Rosas converted the longest field goal in Giants franchise history to end the first half.
With the win, the Giants improved to 4–8 and surpassed their win total from
2017.
Week 14: at Washington Redskins
Week Fourteen: New York Giants at Washington Redskins – Game summary
With this win, the Giants became the first team in NFL history to defeat a single opponent 100 times. This was the first time the Giants scored 40 or more points since Week 8 of the
2015 season and they improved to 5–8. Saquon Barkley also set a career high for rushing yards in a game.
Week 15: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Fifteen: Tennessee Titans at New York Giants – Game summary
Both teams struggled to move the ball on a cold, rainy, and windy day. The Titans were able to silence Saquon Barkley while
Derrick Henry finally broke through the Giants defense after wearing them down. The Giants were shut out for the first time since 2017 and eliminated from playoff contention, falling to 5-9. This was their first shutout at home since week 15 of the
2013 season.
Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Sixteen: New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Andrew Luck orchestrated the final game-winning drive of his career and the Giants fell to 5–10. The Colts were one of three teams Eli Manning never defeated in his career (the other two being the Giants and the
Los Angeles Chargers).
Week 17: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week Seventeen: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
Cowboys
0
14
7
15
36
Giants
0
7
11
17
35
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date: December 30
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 77,750
Referee: Clay Martin
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
In a meaningless game for both teams,
Dak Prescott and Eli Manning traded shots in the air, but it was Prescott and the Cowboys who had the last word. Prescott connected with
Cole Beasley on a 4th Down and also connected with
Michael Gallup on the ensuing two-point conversion. The Giants season ended at 5–11 and they lost their 4th consecutive game to the Cowboys. Saquon Barkley went on to win Rookie of the Year.
^
abNew Orleans finished ahead of LA Rams based on head-to-head victory.
^
abcAtlanta finished ahead of Washington based on head-to-head victory. Atlanta finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.
^
abNY Giants finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.