[1] The Giants had an 8–6 record and finished in third place in the National Football Conference East Division, three games behind the Washington Redskins.

[2][3] The Giants had two first-round selections in the 1972 NFL draft, and chose Eldridge Small and Larry Jacobson with the 17th and 24th overall picks, respectively.

[4] Before the season, New York traded their starting quarterback, Fran Tarkenton, to the Minnesota Vikings for a package of players and draft picks that included quarterback Norm Snead, who led the league in pass completion average in 1972.

Two losses ended their postseason chances, but New York beat the Dallas Cowboys in the final game of the season to finish with eight wins.

Halfback Ron Johnson scored nine touchdowns on running plays to top the NFL, and his 1,182 rushing yards broke his own Giants' single-season record.