Jul 152014
 
Eli Manning, New York Giants (December 22, 2013)

ESPN doesn’t have much faith in a bounce-back year from Eli Manning – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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The New York Giants put together arguably the most active offseason of any NFL team, signing big name after big name to fill the many vacancies left by expiring contracts.

Despite all the new faces, ESPN isn’t quite sold yet on New York being a vast improvement over last year’s team. After finishing 2013 ranked No. 23, the Giants enter 2014 ranked No. 19.

If ESPN’s pre-season power rankings prove to be entirely accurate, the Giants will finish second in the NFC East behind the ninth-ranked ranked Eagles, but fail to qualify for the playoffs. Nine NFC teams would finish ahead of New York. Theoretically, the NFC playoff picture would look as follows:

No. 1 seed: Seattle Seahawks
No. 2 seed: New Orleans Saints
No. 3 seed: Green Bay Packers
No. 4 seed: Philadelphia Eagles
Wild Card No. 1: San Francisco 49ers
Wild Card No. 2: Arizona Cardinals

Tiki Barber, New York Giants (August 2006)

Tiki Barber’s rookie year snapped the Giants last three-year playoff drought.

The Giants’ omission would be the third-straight season the team would fail to make the playoffs. New York hasn’t gone three years without qualifying for the postseason in 15 years. From 1994-1996, the Giants missed the postseason three straight times finishing 9-7, 5-11 and 6-10 before going 10-5-1 in 1997.

In the NFC East, ESPN ranked the Dallas Cowboys No. 22 and the Washington Redskins No. 28. The Cleveland Browns were ranked No. 32.

Agree or disagree Giants’ fans? Voice your opinion here. ESPN’s complete list can be viewed below.

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Denver Broncos
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. New England Patriots
5. New Orleans Saints
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Indianapolis Colts
8. Arizona Cardinals
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11 Carolina Panthers
12 Chicago Bears
13 Baltimore Ravens
14 Atlanta Falcons
15 Kansas City Chiefs
16 San Diego Chargers
17 Pittsburgh Steelers
18 St. Louis Rams
19 New York Giants
20 Detroit Lions
21 New York Jets
22 Dallas Cowboys
23 Tampa Bay Bucs
24 Miami Dolphins
25 Tennessee Titans
26 Houston Texans
27 Buffalo Bills
28 Washington Redskins
29 Minnesota Vikings
30 Jacksonville Jaguars
31. Oakland Raiders
32. Cleveland Browns