Giants fans’ Super Bowl dreams will be crushed by John Harbaugh

There is a lot of talk about John Harbaugh changing the New York Giants. And Harbaugh is certainly fired up. But Giants fans’ Super Bowl dreams will be crushed by John Harbaugh.

Here’s the thing about coaching hires. No franchise brings in a new guy hoping to be competitive. They want a perennial playoff contender. And the real hope is a Super Bowl berth.

But history tells us the majority of coaching hires fail. For every Sean McVay or Mike Macdonald, there are many Brian Callahans or Jonathan Gannons. It’s life in the NFL.

Certainly, Harbaugh has the pedigree. But is the hype too much?

Giants HC John Harbaugh wasn’t a bad choice, but …

Does it make sense? Yes. Was it the best thing the Giants could have done? Probably. Will this marriage work? It depends on the expectations.

If the Giants stay healthy, they will improve their record significantly. They should even be in the playoff hunt down the stretch.

But that isn’t what this hire is about. When you hire a guy like Harbaugh, you expect the Super Bowl. And Harbaugh’s career has been more about postseason failure than success over the last decade.

He went 9-4 in his first five NFL seasons, winning a Super Bowl in year five. That was 2012.

Since then, Harbaugh has gone 4-7. And let’s not pretend like he didn’t have loaded teams. He had superstar QB Lamar Jackson and some terrific defensive units. But the Ravens didn’t look the part in postseason play.

A lot of people want to put that all on Jackson. And some of that criticism is deserved. But Harbaugh needs to share in the blame.

That’s the reason the Ravens let Harbaugh go. This year in particular was bad. The Ravens had Super Bowl hopes. And they got Jackson back from injury soon enough to make the playoffs. But they failed.

How is the John Harbaugh fit?

Another word of caution for Giants’ fans. Harbaugh is no offensive guru. He’s not going to give Jaxson Dart the same kind of boost that Ben Johnson gave to Caleb Williams.

This is important. For the Giants to fly, Dart must soar. And at critical moments with the Ravens, Harbaugh didn’t get the best out of Jackson.

And Harbaugh isn’t some young whiz who is going to bring a fresh approach. He is 63 years old. Andy Reid was almost 10 years younger than that when he took over the Chiefs. So let’s drop that comparison.

It’s not that Harbaugh is too old, but the NFL is becoming a young coach’s game. It’s the reason every team wants to find the next Sean McVay. (It’s also kind of funny how many “next Sean McVay” guys there are in the NFL. It’s like every young coach with a sprinkle of success is a rising superstar coach. It’s almost laughable.)

Why John Harbaugh could succeed

He will build the team in a way that gives it a chance to be successful each Sunday. For any faults about Harbaugh, his teams meet weekly challenges.

Also, this defense has the potential to be gnarly good. The defensive line took the No. 11 spot in the final Pro Football Focus defensive line rankings.

And here’s the thing. The defensive line was disappointing, considering the enthusiasm heading into the season. The unit underperformed and remained on the fringe of a top-10 group.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence had three straight Pro Bowl years coming into the season. But he managed only half a sack and didn’t look like himself, despite playing all 17 games. However, he is 28 years old and should bounce back strong in 2026.

So, there’s a good building block for Harbaugh, despite this review from Sports Illustrated.

“Lawrence’s pressures, quarterback hits, and tackles were also way down,” Patricia Traina and Bob Folger wrote. “If you’re looking for the biggest reason why this defense sagged so badly, look no further than the Pro Bowl nose tackle playing like a journeyman.”

Another thing to consider is that Lawrence finished in a tie for the No. 15 spot in the NFL as a pass rusher. He stood there along with teammate Abdul Carter and Denver’s Nik Bonitto. All three had a grade of 84.5, according to Pro Football Focus.

Also, Giants edge rusher Brian Burns turned in his career-best season, totaling 16.5 sacks and earning a Pro Bowl spot. And Burns is only 27 years old.

Certainly, the Giants need help at the cornerback position. But this group has the potential to be solid under the guidance of Harbaugh.

What will likely happen with John Harbaugh

You have to consider the division. The Philadelphia Eagles are still a Super Bowl contender. What they do in the offseason can greatly impact that status.

Also, the Dallas Cowboys are a few smart moves away from being in the Super Bowl contender picture.

And while the Washington Commanders look like the bottom dweller, a good offseason could make them a playoff contender — or at least a tough division foe — with a healthy Jayden Daniels.

So, don’t expect Harbaugh to automatically win double-digit games. Certainly, 10-7 is an in-the-ballpark hope. But it’s just a hope. Making the playoffs will take some good breaks, the healthy return of wide receiver Malik Nabers, and a quick maturation process for Dart.

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