Through seven weeks of the NFL season, we’ve seen the most games within one score in the fourth quarter, the most decided by one score, and the most fourth-quarter comebacks in the history of the NFL.
No team embodies the 2022 campaign more than the New York Football Giants, fresh off their sixth win of the season. The G-Men arrived at 6-1 with their 23-17 victory in Jacksonville after trailing the Jags in the fourth quarter.
While New York’s games are typical–close and of come-from-behind fashion–they are also improbable. Not just because they opened with a season win total of 7.5 (-130 on the UNDER) or held odds of -275 to miss the playoffs (+225 to make the playoffs).
In these close games, the same team isn’t supposed to always win.
All six of their wins have been by one score, eight points or less. They are just the third team in NFL history to accomplish that within the first seven weeks of the season.
The first to do so was the 1998 New Orleans Saints, who improved to 7-1 with a 14-point win and then went 3-5 the rest of the way to finish 10-6 but missed the playoffs. The 2000 Minnesota Vikings went 11-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Giants.
Five of New York’s Ws have been comeback wins in the second half, including four fourth-quarter comebacks. Only the 2007 Tennessee Titans and 2015 Atlanta Falcons managed five second-half comebacks through seven games before this season.
The Falcons finished 8-8 after a 5-0 (6-1) start and missed the playoffs; however, Tennessee made the postseason with a 10-6 mark under Jeff Fisher before falling in the Wild Card Game.
Their quartet of fourth comebacks is even rarer, as that had been only done once through seven weeks by the 2016 Detroit Lions. Jim Caldwell took the Lions to the playoffs with a 9-7 record before they were bounced in the Wild Card Game.
What does any of this mean for Big Blue’s future?
Who knows, but it’s been a fun, unexpected ride for their fan base. Maybe more so if you’ve been riding the Giants, as they are 6-1 against the spread, including three-straight out-right wins as underdogs of at least three points. Five of their wins have come with NY getting points.
