Who do the Giants play next? New York's playoff schedule explained
The New York Giants pulled off a huge upset! They beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 away from home in the NFC Wildcard round to advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.
Quarterback Daniel Jones delivered his best performance for the Giants since being drafted by the team in 2019. He threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 78 yards to help New York beat Kirk Cousins and the Vikings.
Isaiah Hodgins (105 receiving yards, one touchdown catch) and Saquon Barkley (56 receiving yards, 53 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns) were also exceptional for the Giants.
With the Vikings out of the way, the Giants will be on the road for their first NFC Divisional round game since the 2011-12 season. But who will they face?
Giants' next opponents are a familiar foe
The New York Giants' next opponents will be their NFC East division rivals and No. 1 seed, the Philadelphia Eagles. The lowest-seeded team remaining after the Wildcard round travels to take on the No. 1 seed in the conference in the divisional round.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 4) and the Dallas Cowboys (No. 5) are both seeded higher than the Giants in the NFC playoff standings. The Seahawks were the seventh seed in the NFC but were eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, which leaves the Giants (No. 6) as the lowest remaining seed in the NFC.
If the Giants beat the Eagles, they will be on the road against the winner of the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Buccaneers or Cowboys in the NFC Championship game.
Eagles vs. Giants history: Recent record favors Philadelphia
The New York Giants have lost three straight games against the Philadelphia Eagles. They were thrashed 48-22 in the first meeting between the two sides this season and were beaten 22-16 in Week 18.
Recent history, home-field advantage, and a two-week break from football. The Eagles have all the advantages ahead of their divisional-round clash against the Giants. But those factors seldom matter in a playoff game. The Eagles will have to be on top of their game to topple the Giants next week.
Will New York head to the NFC Championship game or will the Eagles host it a fortnight from tonight? Only time will tell.