This upcoming season is different than other seasons. The season in a questionable state and for once the New York Giants will not open up in Jerry World Week 1. The 2020 New York Giants are an improved team with the whole new coaching staff, but the younger players will have to make an improvement.
It may be too early to predict the season for the Giants, but since the schedule came out, let’s take an early jab at the season schedule.
Record Predictions for the 2020 New York Giants
Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Giants (MNF)
The Giants have a less tough opponent compared to the other years opening in Dallas. They face the Steelers not only at home but on Monday Night Football with a new broadcast booth. The Giants are suspected to be early underdogs heading into the game, but there are things to consider.
The Steelers are a good team, but Mike Tomlin and his crew always start off the season slow. Big Ben Roethlisberger will be playing his first full game since taking on the New England Patriots in Week 1 last year.
However, the Steelers have been dominant on Monday Night Football and still had an 8-8 record with Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph starting last season. It will take time for the Giants’ offensive line to mold together. One of the first tests will be against Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, and Stephon Tuitt.
Andrew Thomas could have an immediate impact and this game can be close compared to years past. However, I believe the Giants will take their first loss on Monday Night. Pressure will be too much for this new staff and the second-year players.
Week 2: at Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have not changed much in the past year. Other than signing 30-year-old pass rusher Robert Quinn, the Bears defense looks quite the same minus Prince Amukamara and Nick Williams.
The last time the Giants faced the Bears in Chicago, the Giants lost 19-14. The Bears had basically the same team, while the Giants had a rookie secondary that Chicago walked all over. Mitchell Trubisky is not likely the starter because the team traded for veteran Nick Foles. The pass rush of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn and the interior rush of Akiem Hicks will post a challenge to this new offensive line.
The Giants added James Bradberry and rookie Xavier McKinney as play-makers to a young secondary and if Sam Beal and Corey Ballentine improve, the Giants have the team (on paper) to beat the Bears. My early Week 2 prediction is the Giants win against the Bears.
Week 3: vs San Francisco 49ers
Besides the Ravens in Week 16, this is the Giants’ toughest game yet, whether it is home or away.
Though the 49ers traded DeForest Buckner, they still replaced him with Javon Kinlaw and still have Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa with Richard Sherman and Jimmie Ward in the secondary.
This is a very different and much-improved team compared to 2018 when the Giants won against Nick Mullens. This time Jimmy Garoppolo is the quarterback with weapons like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Raheem Mostert.
For a team that is rebuilding and still configuring their roster, this will be a very tough matchup. I predict the Giants take the loss in this one.
Week 4: at Los Angeles Rams
This will be the first game the Giants play in the brand new SoFi Stadium. The Rams will move to a new stadium but really have not made a lot of changes. This team has been degrading ever since their loss in XLII vs New England. They gave up their top guard and center and faced severe offensive line issues.
They lost Brandin Cooks but still have Cooper Kupp and added former Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey last season. The primary narrative was that this team was talented but underachieved last year.
The Giants have improved their roster and it is not as bad as it was when they got crushed in 2017. Depending on the Rams’ momentum, the Rams can win. But I am calling the Giants to pull an upset.
Week 5: at Dallas Cowboys:
The New York Giants have started off in Jerry World for the last couple of years other than 2018. The Giants have not won there since 2016 and they don’t have the team close to 2018.
Dallas is going to be a tough opponent since they added CeeDee Lamb and Mike McCarthy as a new head coach. McCarthy can have the ability to outsmart a rookie head coach in Judge. Dallas wins this one.
Week 6: vs Washington Redskins:
The Redskins have added to their defensive line with Chase Young as the second overall pick. They added Ronald Darby and Kendall Fuller. However, their offense may struggle. Their momentum lands on the development of Dwayne Haskins. Besides the running back position and Terry McLaurin, there are not really any weapons to get excited about for Redskins fans.
I believe they will split the season series, but the Giants take the home game.
Week 7: at Philadelphia Eagles (TNF):
The Eagles added Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman to a blotched secondary and added former Steelers defensive lineman Javon Hargrave to line up against Fletcher Cox. They added Jalen Reagor and still have Alshon Jeffery and tight end Zach Ertz.
The New York Giants have not won on Thursday Night Football in a long time, going back to 2015 vs the Redskins. The last time the Eagles faced the Giants, they crushed them. To note this is also in Philadelphia. The Giants have not won in Philadelphia since 2013. The Eagles take this win from the Giants.
Week 8: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (MNF):
The Buccaneers are this year’s Cleveland Browns with all the hype they have They added monster tight end Rob Gronkowski and 6x Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady. That is beside the incumbent receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They added a tackle to replace Demar Dotson in Tristan Wirfs.
James Bradberry, Jabrill Peppers, and the defense will have their hands full and most likely won’t be able to shut down this whole offense, as this defense is still young and going through growing pains right now.
Tough job for the defense right now. The Giants lose to the Buccaneers on Monday Night.
Week 9: at Washington Redskins
The Redskins have the home-field advantage here and as I mentioned earlier, they will split the series with the Giants. Dwayne Haskins will be more progressed at this point in the season as well.
The Redskins will take this win from the Giants.
Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles vs Giants
The last time the Giants beat the Eagles was in 2016 at Metlife Stadium. Sure the Eagles have better talent, but the home-field advantage is on the Giants’ side and the younger players will be more developed by the time. We hope. The game will still be an uphill battle but I believe the Giants can pull this one out from behind.
Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals
This game will get competitive if the Giants don’t stay on task the entire game. The Bengals drafted Joe Burrow first overall in this year’s draft and going forward he will be the head of the franchise.
The offense on paper looks good with Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard in the backfield and C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Boyd, and A.J. Green as their targets. Some things come into question here though. Will Green be able to stay healthy?
The offensive line still does not look appetizing. Jonah Williams, coming off a torn labrum, will enter his first year facing NFL edge rushers. The interior of the line looks fine, but they also still have Giants’ cast-off Bobby Hart at the right tackle position, who is inconsistent.
The defense looks better on paper as well with the additions of Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander from Minnesota. Akeem Davis-Gaither is sure to make an impact. This is the defense’s second year under former Giants defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo. Veterans Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap could give the Giants a hard time, but will the linebacking corps and secondary group be able to hold up Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and Golden Tate?
The game will be very close on both sides for these restructured teams, but the Giants will come out on top.
Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
Let the record reflect that the New York Giants have not beat the Seattle Seahawks since David Diehl, Chris Snee, Shaun O’Hara, Rich Seubert, and Kareem McKenzie were the starting offensive linemen. This was before Russell Wilson, the Legion of Boom, and Pete Carroll came to town as well.
The noise at Century Link Field has been known for distracting players. The Seahawks have one of the better stadiums and home-field advantages in the league and maybe in pro sports.
The Giants are getting better as a team, but the Seahawks do have better talent and they continue to put out a good team every year that is playoff worth. The Giants will ultimately get distracted by the Seattle noise and lose to the Seahawks.
Week 14: vs Arizona Cardinals
This game will be more evenly matched than people think. The Cardinals won against the New York Giants in 2019 and sacked Daniel Jones eight times, causing multiple fumbles. The offensive line should be better at this point in the season, as should second-year man Daniel Jones.
The defense is a question mark for the Cardinals, though they did add Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons at eighth overall. Byron Murphy is going into his second year with Patrick Peterson still by his side, and as you know Chandler Jones will try to be a game-changing player and the offensive line will have to block him well.
The offensive line is a mixed bag. D.J. Humphries was signed to an extension this off-season and they re-signed former Steelers tackle Marcus Gilbert. He is coming off a season-ending knee injury and it is worthy to take note he is 32 years old. They drafted Houston tackle Josh Jones, but he will take time to develop.
Nonetheless, you will still have Kyler Murray escaping the pocket as a running threat when the pressure is on. If the Giants’ defense does not get it straight, Murray and Kenyan Drake will run all over this young defense.
With less talent last year, the Giants afforded to make it close when they lost only by six points. Similar to the Bears game, if the Giants get their act together, they can win. I believe the Giants take this as the last win of the season.
Week 15: vs Cleveland Browns
Giants fans are stunned that this game did not get primetime action and how late in the season this game will be. Giants fans are still mourning the trade of Odell Beckham Jr., as one of the reasons they dislike Dave Gettleman. Baker Mayfield has talked a lot of trash on Giants fans and Daniel Jones.
This will ultimately be poised as Odell’s revenge game at Metlife. With two backs like Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and receivers like OBJ and his pal Jarvis Landry, the Giants defense is going to have a hard time stopping these weapons. It is worthy to note that James Bradberry struggled against Odell Beckham Jr., the last time the two played.
It is also worth noting that Joe Schobert will be missed, as the secondary will be willing to help them out with the addition of Grant Delpit and the positive progressions of Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams.
This team is ready for the playoffs, as the Giants are not. The Browns have a stack of talent with a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski. With his look to keep the locker room under control, the Browns will ultimately win by two scores.
The Browns take the win here and OBJ has his revenge.
Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens
Not much explaining here. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were a few steps away from a Lombardi Trophy last season but were ultimately eliminated by the rushing attack of Derrick Henry.
However, the Ravens are better than the Browns, but both have better talent and are in a better situation than the Giants right now. Again, the Giants are not competing this year.
Baltimore takes the win.
Week 17: Dallas Cowboys vs Giants
Depending on the Cowboys’ season and playoff chances, they will either look to play or bench their starters. The only reason that the Giants could have beaten Dallas two years ago, was that Ezekiel Elliott and other players were benched. But Dak Prescott‘s touchdowns to Blake Jarwin kept them in the game and put them past the Giants 36-35.
The Giants have a better chance of winning and if the coaching is right, they will have a competitive home game. But for right now, it looks as if Dallas will steal this game from Big Blue at the end of the season.
The New York Giants will miss the playoffs and go 6-10 in 2020. Onto 2021…
