Giants open at Tennessee, play in London in Daboll’s first season
A new regime of coaches and executives who hailed from winning cultures has brought hope to the Giants. But if the early portion of the 2021 schedule is any indication, it could be another bumpy ride in East Rutherford.
That is reality when you’re essentially building from scratch again, but maybe the Giants surprise people this year, too. It’s impossible to know what’s going to happen when the NFL releases its schedule four months in advance as so many teams defy expectations from year to year.
On paper, though, the league did the Giants no favors for a franchise that wants to buck its trend of getting off to slow starts.
The Giants have started 0-2 in five straight seasons and in eight of the past nine years. The exception was 2016, which is also the last time New York made the playoffs.
It’s hard to envision a faster start in 2022 as the Giants open Sept. 11 at Tennessee, which four months ago was the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The home opener is Sept. 18 against Carolina, which is a very winnable game. But after that? You’re looking at maybe the toughest stretch of the season as Weeks 3-6 feature the Cowboys, Bears, Packers and Ravens.
All of those are home games except Green Bay. That Week 5 contest will be played at 9:30 a.m. ET in London on Oct. 9, so after the opener the Giants don’t have another true road game until Oct. 23 at Jacksonville.
That means the home games are frontloaded, and even though the second half of the schedule is weaker, three of the final four games are on the road. Then again, the Giants have an advantage with nine home games overall since the NFL is still going with a 17-game schedule.
The team has only one primetime game: Monday Night Football on Sept. 26 against the Cowboys. They also visit Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.
Here are way-to-early gameby-game predictions for the 2022 season.
Week 1, at Titans, 9/11, 4:25 p.m.
Tennessee’s offense fully revolves around elite rusher Derrick Henry after the team traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Eagles. No one knows yet what quarterback Daniel Jones will look like under coach Brian Daboll, but the Giants’ offense will be a work in progress.
PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 2, vs. Panthers, 9/18, 1 p.m.
The best game in the disastrous Joe Judge era was a 25-3 win against Carolina last October. Former Giants coach Ben McAdoo is the Panthers’ new offensive coordinator, and expect New York’s defense to perform well again. PREDICTION » WIN
Week 3, vs. Cowboys, 9/26, 8:15 p.m.
The Giants haven’t beaten quarterback Dak Prescott since his rookie season in 2016, and they’ve lost 10 straight primetime games. Nothing changes against a top NFC contender. PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 4, vs. Bears, 10/2, 1 p.m. Chicago has yet to get its money’s worth for trading up in the 2021 draft to acquire quarterback
Justin Fields by sending two draft picks to the Giants who became wide receiver Kadarius Toney and offensive lineman Evan Neal. PREDICTION » WIN
Week 5, vs. Packers (in London), 10/9, 9:30 a.m.
For all his off-field antics, quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still the two-time reigning MVP and the Packers’ offense will still be too much to overcome even wide receiver Davante Adams now in Las Vegas.
PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 6, vs. Ravens, 10/16, 1 p.m. New Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is plenty familiar with his former team, but assuming the Ravens are healthier this season, they should be a force in the AFC again. PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 7, at Jaguars, 10/23, 1 p.m. Beating a team that has had the No. 1 pick in two consecutive drafts should be a mandate, but this is a trap game. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence could be poised for a breakout sophomore season with former Eagles coach Doug Pederson.
PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 8, at Seahawks, 10/30, 4:25 p.m.
Whether it’s Drew Lock or Geno Smith replacing Russell Wilson at quarterback, Seattle
simply isn’t a scary place to play anymore.
PREDICTION » WIN
Week 10, vs. Texans, 11/13, 1 p.m.
Coming out of the bye week, the Giants are poised to have their best all-around performance of the season against another rebuilding team.
PREDICTION » WIN
Week 11, vs. Lions, 1½0, 1 p.m. Detroit didn’t win a road game last year but comes into this season with a sneaky good wide receiver corps, and the Giants’ secondary is a major question mark. PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 12, at Cowboys, 1½4, 4:30 p.m.
Same old, same old as running back Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys stuff their faces in a Thanksgiving blowout.
PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 13, vs. Washington, 12/4, 1 p.m.
With an extra three days to prepare after Thanksgiving, the Giants have the upper hand against the much-maligned quarterback Carson Wentz and continue their annual feasting of Washington. PREDICTION » WIN
Week 14, vs. Eagles, 12/11, 1 p.m. Philadelphia surprised many last season by making the playoffs as a Wild Card under rookie coach
Nick Sirianni. Expect that progress to continue as dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts develops and defies the critics. PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 15, at Washington, 12/17 or 12/18, TBD
Don’t count on a sweep in the division with Ron Rivera coaching to save his job.
PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 16, at Minnesota, 12/24, 1 p.m.
In one of the NFL’s most hostile road environments, a dangerous array of weapons for veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is simply too much.
PREDICTION » LOSS
Week 17, vs. Colts, 1/1, 1 p.m. Matt Ryan may be washed, but with a solid core around him, the former MVP quarterback gets Indianapolis over the hump and into the playoffs this season.
LOSS
Week 18, at Eagles, 1/7 or 1/8, TBD
As much as the Giants want to end the season on a high note, there will be too much at stake for the Eagles as far as playoff seeding. The first year under Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen ends at 5-12, but a foundation is laid for significant progress in 2023.
PREDICTION » LOSS
PREDICTION »