Giants Show Transformation Under John Harbaugh: 5 Key Factors

The John Harbaugh era is only one game old, and the New York Giants already look like a different team than the one that took the field under previous coaches. The 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys on "Sunday Night Football" might have finally signaled the start of a far more fruitful period of Giants football after a rough decade.

The victory snapped numerous droughts. It was the Giants' first win in a season opener since 2022 and the first Week 1 home win since 2010. It also marked the team's first win in a season-opening primetime game against the Cowboys, improving the Giants to 1-8 in such matchups.

Time will tell if Sunday's impressive win is a harbinger of a successful first year for Harbaugh. But until proven otherwise, it sure seemed like a paradigm shift for this franchise.

Here are five reasons why the Giants are a different team under Harbaugh's tutelage than under his recent predecessors.

1. Giants finally have a Super Bowl coach again

There is no excuse for a "Tiffany franchise" such as the Giants to find itself mired in an extended period of poor coaching. These destination jobs should always command the best in the business. For the first time since Tom Coughlin left at the end of the 2015 season, the Giants have one of those heralded leaders.

A revolving door of four underwhelming coaches is now closed. Harbaugh slammed it shut when he landed in the Big Apple, bringing  Super Bowl experience and 12 postseason appearances. That résumé is much closer to that of the Coughlins and Bill Parcells in franchise history than the Brian Dabolls and Pat Shurmurs of the last decade.

If you want to get back to the Super Bowl, hiring a man who has already won it is a pretty ideal place to start.

2. Harbaugh can get the most out of Jaxson Dart

Among the concerns surrounding Lamar Jackson when Harbaugh's Ravens drafted him was that he would not develop the passing skills necessary to maximize his supreme running ability. Well, he sure did, and two MVPs later, his arm talent suggests he'll have plenty of career longevity. Without comparing Jaxson Dart to the most electric running quarterback in NFL history, it is fair to wonder if Harbaugh can help him reach a similar level as a passer.

There are clear parallels between the weapons Harbaugh had at his disposal in Baltimore and the ones in New York. With both teams, he rostered a raw but high-upside quarterback and a powerful running back. Perhaps Dart and Cam Skattebo can be the next Jackson and Derrick Henry  — again, being careful not to expect legendary careers from the ones who play for the Giants.

Harbaugh's impact, and that of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, is already apparent in Dart's early-season play.

> "This looked like a totally different Jaxson Dart." @B_DiNucci6 pic.twitter.com/P485UOZnqU — NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 14, 2026

3. There is new physicality in New York

A large part of Harbaugh's identity as a coach is the physicality he instills in his teams. That is a product of coaching in the AFC North for 18 years. Not only did Harbaugh quickly instill that kind of mindset in his debut Giants roster, but he also has the type of players who will buy into it and thrive. Skattebo embodies this more than anyone. It showed up in the run game in Week 1.

The Giants averaged 4.5 yards per carry against the Cowboys. Their 48.6% success rate on run plays was the seventh-highest of the 30 teams who played through Sunday. They were also 9-for-11 on third downs and converted on each of their trips to the red zone.

The physicality manifests through the defense, too. New York held the elite Cowboys offense to a modest 20 points. It bottled up Javonte Williams at the point of attack, holding him to 41 rushing yards and a long of just eight. The prolific wide receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens combined for just 72 yards in a game where Dallas went pass-heavy.

> "It felt like I was watching an AFC North team on display in the New York Giants." @BMac_SportsTalk pic.twitter.com/iI7mWgOqY5 — NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 14, 2026

4. Isaiah Likely followed Harbaugh from Baltimore

Isaiah Likely signing with the Giants in free agency might have been among the most underrated moves of the offseason. And if it was not for Harbaugh taking the head coach job, it might not have happened in the first place. Likely followed his coach from Baltimore to New York on a three-year, $40 million contract and is already proving himself as more than simply an X factor for the Giants; he might be one of their greatest assets.

The tight end led all players Sunday night in receptions (eight), receiving yards (78) and touchdowns (two) in perhaps the best game of his five-year career. No longer is he buried behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore. Likely is the tight end on this Giants roster and looks ready for a full-on breakout year.

Likely's familiarity with Harbaugh should go beyond his difference-making play on the field. His impact in the locker room as a conduit for Harbaugh's messaging is invaluable.

5. Harbaugh is rebuilding a broken culture

Coaching turnover and eight losing seasons over the last decade turned a proud franchise into a perennial bottom-dweller in the NFC East. That is a tough hole to climb out of. Reversing the year-in and year-out disappointment requires a strong culture, and Harbaugh is renowned for his ability to create one. It is already taking effect in New York.

Look, for instance, at how teammates' political differences did not fester into anything more than brief social media drama. Harbaugh guided Dart and Abdul Carter through the situation and, by all accounts, turned it into a learning situation for everyone involved. Under weak leadership, one player calling out another could have devolved into a locker room issue.

Then there was the pregame interaction Harbaugh had on Sunday with Malik Nabers that helped the wide receiver get over the mental hurdle of returning from a serious knee injury.

Harbaugh's CEO approach, where he also reports directly to team ownership rather than general manager Joe Schoen, seems to be widely accepted in New York. And it might just lead the Giants back to the promised land.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/john-harbaugh-effect-five-reasons-new-york-giants-are-different/)._