After going on a wild spending spree, the New York Giants may be one of the most improved teams in the NFL. The Giants’ defense, which ranked dead last in the league, received a major overhaul. Superstar caliber defensive players like Janoris Jenkins, Olivier Vernon, and Damon Harrison were added to the roster. With an offense that ranked eighth in the NFL, could a more balanced team bring the New York Giants out of mediocrity? Here’s a look at how the Giants’ 2016 season may end up.
Week 1 at Dallas Cowboys
The New York Giants haven’t won their first game of the season since 2010. That losing streak will end right here. A revitalized defense will find a way to pressure Tony Romo. Steve Spagnuolo can finally work with a talented bunch of players and will manage to rattle Romo. With Ezekiel Elliott still learning the ropes, the Cowboys’ will be forced to lean on the pass. A late interception thrown by Romo will propel the Giants to victory.
Win 1-0
Week 2 vs. New Orleans Saints
The Giants’ track record against the Saints isn’t all that great. Last season, Eli Manning and Drew Brees combined for a whopping 14 touchdown passes in their game. Manning clearly played his part, but the Giants’ defense failed to close out the game. Brees may still be playing on a high level, but the Giants are going to finish the job this time around.
Win 2-0
Week 3 vs. Washington Redskins
Kirk Cousins and the Redskins may be the reigning NFC East champions, but that doesn’t mean much. The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat winner in years. Odell Beckham and the Giants’ offense will be motivated to make an example of Josh Norman and the Redskins’ defense. If the Giants put up big numbers on the Carolina Panthers’ defense last season, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to trump Norman once again. The Giants will squeak out a win in a very tight game against their divisional rival.
Win 3-0
Week 4 at Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings will bring the Giants back down to earth after their strongest start in years. Teddy Bridgewater will struggle against the Giants’ revamped defense and that’s why he will turn to Adrian Peterson to take the pressure off. All of the Giants’ issues can’t be fixed in one season even with the edition of run-stuffer Damon Harrison. Giants lose a heartbreaking game.
Loss 3-1
Week 5 at Green Bay Packers
Even though the New York Giants have had the Packers’ number over the last few years, this team is going to be too good to stop. Aaron Rodgers has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal and is matching up with a defense that may still need to find itself. The Packers have a ridiculous winning record when they play at home. The Giants will let this one slip past them in a shootout and lose to the better team.
Loss 3-2.
Week 6 vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens haven’t improved that much this past offseason. The 2016 Ravens won’t be much different from last year’s team. One could argue that the Ravens had a few major injuries, but that doesn’t make up for the awful season they had. When healthy they could do a lot of damage and their defense may prove to be too much for the Giants to handle. After a brutal road trip, the Giants will drop another game at home.
Loss 3-3
Week 7 at Los Angeles Rams
There isn’t much to say about this contest. The Rams have a rookie quarterback and a star running back. Odds are they lean on their running game. The New York Giants’ defense will be able to hold down the fort against Todd Gurley and take advantage of an inexperienced quarterback in London.
Win 4-3
Week 8 Bye
Hopefully, the Giants won’t have too many injuries at this point in the season. Big Blue will get a well-deserved break after a victory in London.
Week 9 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have a new head coach and Sam Bradford still under center. If Bradford is injured by week 9, which is a strong possibility, the Eagles will have Carson Wentz under center. The Giants will take advantage of either quarterback. Ryan Matthews will be the featured running back in the Eagles’ backfield. His career as a starter isn’t that impressive. Big Blue should really pull through with a victory at home.
Win 5-3
Week 10 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are always a good team. It won’t be any different this year. They a fearsome pass rush and a dual threat offense. Things could get even more ugly if the Giants’ offensive line is unhealthy. The Giants’ starting offensive line would struggle against the Bengals and their lack of depth at the position could make things worse at this point in the season.
Loss 5-4
Week 11 vs. Chicago Bears
The Bears are still rebuilding and Jay Cutler isn’t the answer at quarterback. Their years of struggling will continue until they finally move in a new direction. The Giants will rebound from a bad loss against the Bengals with a win against the Bears.
Win 6-4
Week 12 at Cleveland Browns
The Giants will meet their former foe, Robert Griffin under center. The Giants defense will pummel him like they did when he was with the Redskins. The Browns will definitely not be in a playoff position at this point in the season. The Giants will handily defeat the Browns in the race for a playoff birth.
Win 7-4
Week 13 at Pittsburgh Steelers
The New York Giants’ road trip will continue with a stop in Heinz Field. The Steelers, like the Bengals, are always contenders. Both teams will be in a race for first place in the AFC North. The Steelers just have more talent than the Giants. With their backs against the wall, they will be very difficult to defeat.
Loss 7-5
Week 14 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Romo and the Cowboys will get their revenge on the New York Giants. The bitter rivals will probably be fighting for first place in the NFC East, which is never a surprise. It’s very hard to sweep a divisional rival, let alone the Dallas Cowboys. Ezekiel Elliott will have found his groove by now and he will probably be one of the better running backs in the league. The Giants’ won’t be able to survive the Cowboys attack through the air and on the ground.
Loss 7-6
Week 15 vs. Detroit Lions
The Giants’ record playing the NFC North won’t be all that bad this season if they defeat the Lions. The Lions never amounted to much with Calvin Johnson on their team. Now that they have to go without him and will be in even worse shape. This game is a hand out for Big Blue at a very important time in the season.
Win 8-6
Week 16 at Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants will be faced with a “win and you’re in” scenario and will have no choice but to defeat the Eagles on the road. The Giants historically finish their season strong. This time will be no different. The Giants will sweep the Eagles who are still trying to get things under control. Big Blue has another convincing win.
Win 9-6
Week 17 at Washington Redskins
As stated before, it is very hard for any team to sweep their divisional rival. Kirk Cousins and Josh Norman will be looking for some payback. The Giants will be on the road and NFC East games are always up for grabs. The New York Giants will finish their season with a loss on the road.
Loss
Season record 9-7
[Photo by Al Bello/ Getty Images]
