The New York Giants schedule was released last week, which means we have four months to dissect, analyze and debate the outcomes of games and how the 2020 Giants will fare.
Big Blue drew one of the "softest" schedules based on 2019 winning percentage, but that should be taken with a grain of salt. The Giants have made several improvements and additions to their roster, as well as the teams they are scheduled to face in the upcoming season.
While there are plenty of variables between now and the start of the season – if the season even starts on time – that could occur and impact our view on the schedule, it is never too early to start looking ahead at the games and figuring out how the season could shake out.
Without further adieu, here is our way-too-early game-by-game prediction of the 2020 Giants season:
Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Giants open the season at home in primetime against a Steelers team that went 8-8 last season without Ben Roethlisberger. This game figures to be Big Ben's return at 38 and will give us a glimpse of just how much he has left in the tank.
Rust and age could help the Giants out as they try to contain Big Ben, but Pittsburgh boasts one of the scariest defenses in the NFL. Daniel Jones will have his hands full in this season opener, which could shape up to be a very ugly, low-scoring affair -- the type of game the Giants could steal from a superior team.
Prediction: WIN (1-0)
Week 2 @ Chicago Bears
The Giants hit the road to play the Bears at Soldier Field against what is very likely to be a Nick Foles-led Bears team. Chicago had a questionable offseason, taking yet another tight end with its first selection in the NFL Draft instead of opting for more urgent needs. The Giants were narrowly beaten in Chicago last season, but this year they have a more complete team and new coaching staff that should see better results.
Prediction: WIN (2-0)
Week 3 vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Niners may be heading east on the road, but the defending NFC champs are coming off an excellent offseason and may even be stronger than they were last year. This one could have the fans heading for the exits early.
Prediction: LOSS (2-1)
Week 4 @ Los Angeles Rams
The Giants head to Hollywood to take on a Rams team that struggled with consistency last season after appearing in the Super Bowl. They may not have Todd Gurley anymore, but Sean McVay still should not be underestimated. It is tempting to pick the Giants to steal one on the road here, but we already have the Giants stealing one game early this season so best not to get greedy.
Prediction: LOSS (2-2)
Week 5 @ Dallas Cowboys
The Giants head to "Jerry World" where they have not had much success in recent years, winning just once there since 2013. Dak Prescott got a new weapon this offseason in CeeDee Lamb, and the Cowboys QB always plays better at home than on the road. The Giants may have a new head coach and new identity, but it is going to be the same story in Dallas.
Prediction: LOSS (2-3)
Week 6 vs. Washington Redskins
After back-to-back road games, the Giants return home to face another NFC East rival in the Redskins. This will not be the same Washington team that gave the Giants two of their four wins last season. Ron Rivera brings a new attitude, and Chase Young could have a Nick Bosa-like impact on the Redskins defense.
Still, in a close game between two second-year quarterbacks in Jones and Dwayne Haskins, the edge should still go to Jones at home and the Giants end their losing skid.
Prediction: WIN (3-3)
Week 7 @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants are going to have a quick turnaround from Week 6 against Washington as they head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles on Thursday Night Football. The Eagles are the defending NFC East champs and are arguably the favorites to repeat winning the division in 2020. A short week on the road at Lincoln Financial Field feels like a recipe for disaster for the Giants.
Prediction: LOSS (3-4)
Week 8 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Giants get some extra rest and time to prep against Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and the new-look Tampa Bay Bucs on Monday Night Football. Joe Judge may not a trick or two in taking down Brady, and the thought of the Giants beating him one last time sure is fun, but this Tampa offense is probably too much for the Giants defense to handle.
Prediction: LOSS (3-5)
Week 9 @ Washington Redskins
Only three weeks will have passed since the last two times they have met, and as mentioned earlier, this will surely be a different Redskins team from years past. While the Giants get the best of the Redskins the first go-around, we'll give the second tilt to Washington at home.
Prediction: LOSS (3-6)
Week 10 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants have not beaten the Eagles since Week 9 of the 2016 season. They have played the Eagles tough at times over the last few years, but have always ended up with the short end of the stick. At some point, the Giants' fortunes against the Eagles have to turn, right?
Prediction: WIN (4-6)
Week 11: BYE
Week 12 @ Cincinnati Bengals
This has the makings to be the classic trap game. The Giants will be coming off a bye and feeling confident as they head to Cincinnati to play a Bengals team that should show some promise behind Joe Burrow, but still be pretty bad. On paper, the Giants should win this game, but things do not always play out as they should on paper.
Prediction: LOSS (4-7)
Week 13 @ Seattle Seahawks
Seattle on the road is never an easy place to play, and this Giants team is probably not yet ready to pull off that kind of an upset.
Prediction: LOSS (4-8)
Week 14 vs. Arizona Cardinals
The addition of DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals offense makes them one of the sleeper teams in 2020. With Hopkins in the receiving corps, Kyler Murray should be able to take that next step to make him one of the top tier quarterbacks in the league.
This game could be the ultimate test for Joe Judge. Losing this game could send the Giants into a tailspin the remainder of the season and the end right back where they started. This season needs to be different for the Giants and they need to show some more guts than they have in years past.
Prediction: WIN (5-8)
Week 15 vs Cleveland Browns
Circle this one on your calendar, folks. Odell Beckham Jr. returns to play his former team at Metlife Stadium. It does not matter if playoffs are at stake for either team, this game will have plenty of hype surrounding it. Beckham could be entering a hostile environment – the kind he would embrace and carry a chip on his shoulder. Of course, in the only big game of Beckham's career he failed to show up, and most of this Giants team has almost no connection to Beckham and his presence should not faze them.
Prediction: WIN (6-8)
Week 16 @ Baltimore Ravens
On the road, against Lamar Jackson, in a game that will likely include the Ravens trying to clinch the division or home-field advantage? Yeah, it's pretty obvious what will happen here.
Prediction: LOSS (6-9)
Week 17 vs. Dallas Cowboys
This game could mean everything for the Cowboys, or it could mean nothing. It is what makes Week 17 so difficult to predict, especially in a way-too-early predictions piece. With the NFC East expected to be a two-team race between Dallas and Philly, let's go under the impression that this game means the world to the Cowboys. While it would be fun to pick the Giants playing spoiler, the Cowboys could very well be playing for their playoff lives.
Prediction: LOSS (6-10)
Final Record: 6-10
This would obviously welcome more frustration to a fan base that is losing patience. The Giants have been to the playoffs once since winning the Super Bowl in the 2011 season. A glass half-full look where EVERYTHING goes right for the Giants still probably, at best, puts them at 9-7 and a borderline playoff team. But a lot would need to break their way for that to happen in 2020.
