The first place Giants (5-4) started the second half of their season the right way, with a 32-18 road win in Tampa Bay (3-5). Eli Manning threw for two more touchdowns, and the return of Jason Pierre-Paul sparked a Giants defense that held the Bucs' offense to just one touchdown. After two straight weeks on the road, the Giants return to MetLife Stadium this Sunday for a matchup with the undefeated Patriots (8-0).
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Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Eagles (4-4) handed the Cowboys (2-6) their sixth consecutive loss, 33-27 in overtime. The Eagles host the Dolphins (3-5) this week, while the Cowboys visit the Bucs. Washington (3-5) fell to the Patriots in Foxboro this past Sunday. They square off with the Saints (4-5) in Week 10.
With Week 9 of the NFL regular season in the books, Giants.com takes a look at power rankings coming in from outlets across the country:
NYG: 13
Movement: Up 2
NFC East: No. 12 Eagles, No. 13 Giants, No. 20 Washington, No. 22 Cowboys
NFL Top 5: Patriots, Bengals, Panthers, Broncos, Packers
Comments: Big Blue stays ahead of the pack in the NFC East race. While simple logic states the Eagles' win in Big D was not a wonderful development, careful reasoning says it was. If the Cowboys had won, they would have been 1.5 games back, with Tony Romo returning in a couple of weeks. Sam Bradford played well for the Eagles on Sunday night, but both teams being healthy, Dallas is the better ballclub. Big Blue, with Jason Pierre-Paul back and another meeting with Philly on the schedule (in New Jersey), is on track to win the division.
NYG: 10
Movement: Up 4
NFC East: No. 10 Giants, No. 12 Eagles, No. 23 Washington, No. 29 Cowboys
NFL Top 5: Patriots, Bengals, Panthers, Broncos, Vikings
Comments: Jason Pierre-Paul wasn't great in his season debut. But he looked capable of helping, at least, and he should get better as he settles back in.
NYG: 16
Movement: Up 1
NFC East: No. 15 Eagles, No. 16 Giants, No. 21 Washington, No. 22 Cowboys
NFL Top 5: Patriots, Bengals, Panthers, Broncos, Cardinals
Comments: Tampa Bay dropped back 36 times. The Giants didn't have one sack. The sooner Jason Pierre-Paul knocks off that rust and makes an impact, the better. They can't win the NFC East with zero pass rush. Can they?
NYG: 16
Movement: None
NFC East: No. 14 Eagles, No. 16 Giants, No. 22 Washington, No. 27 Cowboys
NFL Top 5: Patriots, Bengals, Panthers, Broncos, Packers
Comments: Glass half full - DE Jason Pierre-Paul played 73% of defensive snaps in his 2015 debut. Glass half empty - two tackles.
NYG: 15
Movement: Up 2
NFC East: No. 14 Eagles, No. 15 Giants, No. 20 Cowboys, No. 21 Washington
NFL Top 5: Patriots, Bengals, Panthers, Cardinals, Packers
Comments: To ensure a win over the Patriots, they should paint Super Bowl logos on the field.
[**
FOX SPORTS** ](http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/power-rankings)
NYG: 11
Movement: Up 4
NFC East: No. 11 Giants, No. 15 Eagles, No. 24 Washington, No. 26 Cowboys
NFL Top 5: Patriots, Panthers, Bengals, Cardinals, Broncos
Comments: On a pitch count, Jason Pierre-Paul looked good against the Bucs. The Giants need the old JPP back now that defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and linebacker Jon Beason are on injured reserve.
NYG: 15
Movement: Down 1
NFC East: No. 15 Giants, No. 16 Eagles, No. 23 Cowboys, No. 26 Washington
NFL Top 5: Patriots, Bengals, Panthers, Broncos, Packers
Comments: The Giants lead the NFL in takeaways (21), turnover margin (plus-12) and defensive touchdowns (four), and now they have their best pass-rusher back. Can they shock the Patriots in Week 10?
Giants.com hands outs their game balls after the Giants top the Bucs
![LB Jasper BrinkleyStarting at middle linebacker in place of Jon Beason (injured reserve), Brinkley led the Giants with seven tackles (five solo) and recorded both a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on separate turnovers for the Giants.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/giants/hexdsmqtndc14te9hhzn.jpg)
LB Jasper BrinkleyStarting at middle linebacker in place of Jon Beason (injured reserve), Brinkley led the Giants with seven tackles (five solo) and recorded both a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on separate turnovers for the Giants.
![DE Jason Pierre-PaulPlaying for the first time since suffering serious hand injuries in a July 4 fireworks accident, the two-time Pro Bowler returned to record two solo tackles and a pair of quarterback hits while seeing extensive action.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/giants/qux0xyy6whzqpwgg6pxg.jpg)
DE Jason Pierre-PaulPlaying for the first time since suffering serious hand injuries in a July 4 fireworks accident, the two-time Pro Bowler returned to record two solo tackles and a pair of quarterback hits while seeing extensive action.
![QB Eli ManningWith the win, Eli Manning broke Phil Simms' record of most regular-season victories (95) in franchise history for a starting quarterback.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/giants/c4e8imgrpb2he0wrnrvu.jpg)
QB Eli ManningWith the win, Eli Manning broke Phil Simms' record of most regular-season victories (95) in franchise history for a starting quarterback.
![WR Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham led the Giants with nine receptions for 105 yards in the winning effort. It was his second-straight game with at least 100 receiving yards and fourth of the season.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/giants/veikxzwhdpciqwfp9a25.jpg)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham led the Giants with nine receptions for 105 yards in the winning effort. It was his second-straight game with at least 100 receiving yards and fourth of the season.
![Kicker Josh BrownBrown made all four of his field goal attempts, including a 44-yarder that put the Giants ahead by eight points with 23 seconds remaining in the game.](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/giants/kcdsmic05du4pipv9syv.jpg)
Kicker Josh BrownBrown made all four of his field goal attempts, including a 44-yarder that put the Giants ahead by eight points with 23 seconds remaining in the game.