The New York Giants 2021 schedule is finally here. With the eighth-lowest strength of schedule in the NFL, New York has a great opportunity to improve on its 6-10 record from last year. Nevertheless, the Giants schedule features many tough games. Here’s a look at each of Big Blue’s matchups in 2021, ranked by their difficulty.
New York Giants Schedule Breakdown
1. Week 8 at Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off their second straight Super Bowl appearance, and somehow the team may have improved. Kansas City’s trade for Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and its signing of guard Joe Thuney make this offense even scarier. Patrick Mahomes shows almost no weaknesses and still has an elite receiving core. This game would be hard enough for the Giants to win at home, but facing Arrowhead Stadium’s deafening crowd makes this one even more difficult. Simply put, a win in Kansas City would be a massive upset.
2. Week 11 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the first Super Bowl champion since 1979 to return all 22 of its starters, so the team shows no sign of slowing down. It’ll be especially difficult for the Giants to contain the Buccaneers pass-rushing attack. Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaquil Barrett, and Devin White will be a major challenge for New York’s developing offensive line. The Giants will also need to stop Tom Brady’s high-octane offense. Big Blue was able to take the Buccaneers down to the wire in their 25-23 Week 8 loss last year, but it’s a big ask for the Giants to do it again.
3. Week 6 vs Los Angeles Rams
After trading for Matthew Stafford this off-season, the Los Angeles Rams struggles on offense shouldn’t be as much of an issue. On the defensive side, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are game-breaking superstars. While the Giants offense wasn’t able to get going against Los Angeles in their 17-9 loss last year, it kept Donald and Ramsey in check for the most part. It will be difficult for the Giants to do that again, but it might be the only way they can win this game.
4. Week 4 at New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees is gone, but the New Orleans Saints still boast an immensely talented roster. Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, and a great offensive line make the New Orleans offense dangerous. The defense features both young stars such as Marshon Lattimore as well as excellent veterans like Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis. This game would be much easier for the Giants to win at home. The Superdome’s electric atmosphere has propelled the Saints to a 25-7 record at home since 2017. The Giants need to expose New Orleans’ hole at quarterback and prevent the Saints stars from making big plays to win this one.
5. Week 16 at Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants have not won in Philadelphia since 2013. Regardless of whether the teams below are more talented than the Philadelphia Eagles, that alone makes this game challenging. It will be especially intriguing to watch rookie wideout Devonta Smith, who the Giants would have likely drafted had Philadelphia not traded up, face off against the New York secondary. Both teams should be right in the thick of the playoff race, so this late-season tilt could decide the NFC East. Picking up a divisional win on the road would go a long way towards securing a playoff berth.
6. Week 13 at Miami Dolphins
Head coach Brian Flores has helped develop the Miami Dolphins into one of the league’s most promising young teams. The Dolphins secondary, led by Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, should limit Kenny Golladay from taking over the game. The key for the Giants here is to take advantage of the young Dolphins offensive line. If the defense can pressure Tua Tagovailoa, it can force him into making critical mistakes. Ultimately, this should be an intriguing matchup between two up-and-coming teams.
7. Week 14 at Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers offense is scary; there’s no way to get around that fact now. With the additions of Rashawn Slater and Corey Linsley this off-season, rising star Justin Herbert will have more time to make game-changing plays. And the defense is filled with talented players such as Joey Bosa and Derwin James. This should be a tough but winnable game on the Giants schedule.
8. Week 18 vs Washington Football Team
This game could be the most important game on the Giants schedule. It might even decide the NFC East. Like the Giants, the Washington Football Team has built a promising young defense and should be fighting for a playoff berth. Both games between these divisional rivals last year were decided by one score, and this one should be no different.
9. Week 5 at Dallas Cowboys
Although the Dallas Cowboys were depleted with injuries last year, they should be back at full strength. The return of Dak Prescott and Tyron Smith should give a big boost to the Dallas offense. The defense, however, is still riddled with holes. Daniel Jones will need to take advantage of those weaknesses for the Giants to win their first game at JerryWorld since 2016.
10. Week 17 at Bears
It will be interesting to see who the Chicago Bears will start at quarterback when they host the Giants in January. If Chicago starts Andy Dalton, Matt Nagy’s stagnant offense will almost entirely depend on Allen Robinson. While the Bears have a tough defense featuring Khalil Mack, the Giants could easily win this game by forcing Dalton to overly rely on Robinson and turn the ball over. But assuming Justin Fields takes over the starting job by Week 17, Chicago will have a multi-dimensional offensive attack. Frigid temperatures might make this game difficult for Big Blue as well. This game will slide a few spots down the list if Dalton is the starter, though.
11. Week 2 at Washington Football Team
An early-season, primetime win against the defending NFC East champions would give the Giants a ton of confidence. But Washington’s young stars will make that difficult. Chase Young can expose New York’s weakness at tackle, and Terry McLaurin torched the New York secondary for 115 yards and a touchdown when these teams last played. The Giants have won five straight against Washington though, so this is a winnable game.
12. Week 15 vs Dallas Cowboys
Since the Cowboys will likely have to adjust to cold weather for this late-season game, this game against Dallas should be the easier one to win. But as previously mentioned, the Cowboys will not be a pushover assuming they stay healthy. Dallas’s potent passing attack should be a great test for the revamped Giants secondary in a game that could have massive playoff implications.
13. Week 1 vs Denver Broncos
Like Chicago, this quarterback situation isn’t totally clear. Although the Denver Broncos could trade for Aaron Rodgers, Drew Lock is the incumbent starter. If Lock starts in Week 1, the Giants have a great shot at opening their season with a home victory. The Broncos defense should be very good, but Leonard Williams and Co. can prey on Denver’s young offensive line.
[pickup_prop id=”7091″]
14. Week 12 vs Philadelphia Eagles
Giants fans and players have not forgotten the Eagles controversial decision to pull Jalen Hurts in their Week 17 loss against Washington, which knocked New York out of the playoffs. This will be their first game against Philly since last season, and it will likely be in front of a raucous MetLife Stadium crowd. Should the New York receiving corps can expose the weaknesses in the Eagles secondary, the Giants will have a great shot at winning this important midseason matchup.
15. Week 9 vs Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders offense can explode at any time. Josh Jacobs leads an effective rushing attack, and Darren Waller is a football unicorn who presents a nightmarish matchup for New York. But Derek Carr does not have another dangerous weapon to rely on. The Las Vegas secondary is porous, so the Giants offense should put up points in a hurry. At a glance, this is a great chance for the Giants to rebound from what should be a tough road game in Kansas City.
16. Week 7 vs Carolina Panthers
Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robby Anderson headline a quietly dangerous Carolina Panthers offense. Yet there are still questions on the defensive side for the Panthers. Jeremy Chinn, Derrick Brown, and Brian Burns are promising, but Carolina lacks the secondary depth to shut down New York’s receivers. This is a golden opportunity on the Giants schedule for Daniel Jones to break out and establish midseason momentum.
17. Week 3 vs Atlanta Falcons
New team, same story; the Atlanta Falcons have an electric offense that’s often offset by its weak secondary. The strong Giants defense might not shut down Atlanta, but it can slow them down. If Patrick Graham’s unit can do that, the Giants offense should propel New York to a win.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
