The season saw the Giants attempting to improve on a 9–7 record from 1981, a season in which they had made the playoffs for the first time since 1963 and also clinched their first winning record since 1972. However, the Giants stumbled out the gates early, starting 0–2 before the strike occurred. After the strike ended, the Giants won four of their last seven games, but missed the playoffs because of losing two tiebreakers against the Saints and the Lions (who both ended with identical 4–5 records). The Giants lost the tiebreakers based on best conference record. The Lions went 4–4 against NFC teams, while the Giants and Saints both went 3–5 against NFC teams. The Lions won the tiebreaker over the Saints, thus eliminating the Saints and Giants from playoff contention and putting the Lions into the playoffs as the final wild card spot in the NFC. This was the nineteenth season out of the last twenty that the Giants missed the playoffs.
^ abcdMinnesota (4–1), Atlanta (4–3), St. Louis (5–4), Tampa Bay (3–3) seeds were determined by best won-lost record in conference games.
^ abcDetroit finished ahead of New Orleans and the N.Y. Giants based on best conference record (4–4 to Saints’ 3–5 to Giants’ 3–5).
^ abcSan Francisco finished ahead of Chicago, and Chicago finished ahead of Philadelphia, based on conference record (49ers’ 2–3 to Bears’ 2–5 to Eagles’ 1–5).