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    Giants Kayvon Thibodeaux Wants to Lead by Example

    A Way Too Early Forecast of Giants' 2022 Season Record

    There may not be playoffs by the time the Giants' 2022 season is over, but Brandon Olsen believes that there will be more wins than there have been in the past.

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    New York Giants
    New York Giants

    The New York Giants have the fourth easiest schedule based on 2021 team records. The bye week comes smack in the middle of the season, arguably the best time to have a bye. Then the Giants end the season with five of their six divisional games coming after the bye.

    Given these favorable conditions, the Giants, if they can avoid the injury bug and show linear improvement, should be a much better team than they've been in recent years. But how much better will they be? Here is a VERY early game-by-game forecast. 

    Things to Know About Giants' 2022 Schedule of Opponents

    Week 1 @ Tennessee Titans

    Tennessee titans helmet

    The New York Giants have a rough game to start the season as they'll visit the Titans, who won the AFC South last season with a 12-5 record.

    The Titans built their success on running the ball and playing stout defense, having the sixth-best scoring defense in the NFL.

    Seventh overall pick Evan Neal will get a rough introduction to the NFL, assuming he starts at right tackle, as he's projected to line up across from Denico Autry and Harold Landry III, who combined for 21 sacks and 134 total pressures in 2021.

    Daniel Jones could be in for a long day given the Titans' ability to generate pass-rush and their long, athletic cornerbacks' ability to get in the space of New York Giants receivers.

    The New York Giants' defense looks as though it can match up well with the Titans offense. The addition of front-seven players like Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Ellis should help keep Derrick Henry somewhat in check. Getting a healthy Blake Martinez back should also help the Giants tremendously in run defense.

    In the passing game, the New York Giants should be able to generate a pass-rush with some consistency. The bigger concerns should be in coverage, as the Titans larger weapons, like Treylon Burks, could give the Giants smaller cornerbacks fits.

    In having Austin Hooper and athletic rookie tight end Chig Okonkwo, the Titans could cause problems over the middle of the field.

    This will likely be a knock-down, drag-out kind of game to start the year, but that style suits the Tennessee Titans more than the New York Giants right now.

    Titans 21 - Giants 10
    Record: 0-1

    Week 2: Carolina Panthers

    Nov 8, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Carolina Panthers helmet during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

    The Panthers have been one of the most underwhelming teams in the NFL in recent years, and they don’t look like they’ve done enough to change that. The Panthers had three starting quarterbacks last season, and none performed well.

    Defensively, the New York Giants could have a field day against the Panthers. Expect the Giants pass rush to hit home consistently as the Panthers offensive line, featuring three new starters including first-round rookie tackle Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu, will still be looking to jell.

    On paper, the New York Giants defenders match up well with the Carolina Panthers pass-catchers outside of Christian McCaffrey.

    The Panthers lost their most productive pass-rusher from last season in Haason Reddick. The Panthers also have athletes across the board but few proven products.

    Jones could challenge this Panthers secondary that has just one consistent cornerback in Donte Jackson.This could also be the game for the New York Giants rushing attack to break out against a shaky-looking Panthers linebacker unit.

    Final score: Giants 24 - Panthers 13
    Record: 1-1

    Week 3: Dallas Cowboys

    Jan 5, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Dallas Cowboys helmet prior to the NFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium.

    Offensively, the Giants should be able to find success throwing the ball against a Dallas defense with one top cornerback and multiple holes in their back seven. As long as Micah Parsons is on the team, the Cowboys pass-rush will always be a threat, but with the Giants now having two potential lockdown offensive tackles, Daniel Jones could have a much cleaner pocket.

    For the Giants' defense, the name of the game is the pass rush. The Cowboys offensive line is not the Cowboys offensive line of old. La’el Collins is gone, Connor Williams is gone, and projected starting right tackle Terence Steele was wildly inconsistent in pass protection last season.

    With Wink Martindale’s pressure scheme, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott could be in for a long night. Something always seems to happen when the Giants face the Cowboys that ultimately tips the scale in the wrong direction.

    Between that and the fact that the Giants haven't been successful historically in prime-time games, there's enough reason not to get one's hope up too much regarding a potential upset in a game the Giants are certain to be an underdog.

    Final score: Cowboys 35 - Giants 28
    Record: 1-2

    Week 4: Chicago Bears

    Nov 8, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Chicago Bears helmet is seen on the field before the Bears play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

    This is a Chicago Bears team that is just, well, bad. These teams made a trade in 2021 so that the Bears could draft their potential franchise quarterback, Justin Fields. Unfortunately, they’ve done practically nothing since to surround Fields with talent.

    The Giants match up well against the Bears on paper. The Bears offensive line was among the worst in the NFL last year, and the Giants have the personnel and scheme to cause havoc up front. The Giants have a relatively unproven group in the secondary, but the Bears have just one threatening pass-catcher in Darnell Mooney after losing Allen Robinson in free agency.

    The Bears also have a questionable front seven and suspect secondary. In short, this should be one of those games where people see if the New York Giants will be able to handle lesser opponents or will be caught playing down to the Bears level.

    Final score: Giants 24 - Bears 6
    Record: 2-2

    Week 5: at Green Bay Packers

    Jan 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; The helmet of Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers (71) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

    The Giants' Week 5 game against the Packers in London is arguably the toughest matchup on the schedule.

    Sure, the Packers don’t have Davante Adams anymore, but they still have four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers at the helm. The Packers reported roster-building concerns have been overblown, as this is still one of the best rosters in the NFL from top to bottom, and the Giants will have their hands full on just about every level.

    On offense, the Giants have to be able to run the ball because the Packers' secondary and pass rush, on paper, looks like the pass defense will be elite.

    Defensively, the Giants will give up points as this Packers offense can capitalize on any mistakes made by the opponents.

    Final score: Packers 31 - Giants 14
    Record: 2-3

    Week 6: Baltimore Ravens

    Dec 5, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Baltimore Ravens helmet sits on the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

    The Giants chose not to take a bye week after their London trip and will instead return home to host the very tough Baltimore Ravens team.

    One of the biggest advantages the Giants have is that defensive coordinator Wink Martindale held the same title with the Ravens and thus got to see the offense every day in practice to the point where he likely knows each player's weaknesses down to the smallest detail.

    The biggest concern for the Giants defense is that they might not have the personnel to properly scheme to stop Lamar Jackson, who is arguably the most dangerous quarterback in the league when he gets moving.

    On the offensive side of the ball, it’s hard to project exactly how the Giants can attack the Ravens defense because not only do the Ravens have a new defensive coordinator, but the personnel will look different from last season.

    In 2021, the Ravens were marred with injuries, but now, they’re healthy, and the starting safeties are brand new with Marcus Williams and first-round pick Kyle Hamilton.

    The Giants look like they can be a sound, run-defending team, but this will likely be a tough game for the Giants to win when you combine all of the factors.

    Final score: Ravens 17 - Giants 13
    Record: 2-4

    Week 7: at Jacksonville Jaguars

    Sep 19, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Detailed view of a Jacksonville Jaguars football helmet against the Denver Broncos at TIAA Bank Field.

    Following a tough four-game stretch, the Giants close out the first half of their schedule with two straight road games, the first of which comes against Jacksonville.

    The Jaguars are an interesting team. With Trevor Lawrence entering his second season in the NFL, he has new weapons in Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and former Giants tight end Evan Engram. Lawrence also has new linemen in front of him in former Washington guard Brandon Scherff and rookie center Luke Fortner.

    Expect this to be a game where Wink Martindale disguises where the pressure comes from. Last season, Lawrence struggled mightily when under pressure, completing just 38.4% of his passes with four touchdowns and seven interceptions.

    For the Giants offense, passing the ball might be the best way to approach the Jaguars game. As of now, the only Jaguars cornerback that has consistently proven his worth in coverage is Shaquill Griffin. Running the ball could prove difficult with all of the size and speed that the Jaguars have up front.

    Final score: Giants 24 - Jaguars 10
    Record: 3-4

    Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks

    Sep 17, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; A detailed view of a Seattle Seahawks helmet during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

    No team has been harder to gauge than the Seattle Seahawks. That said, it’s difficult to look at either Drew Lock and Geno Smith and think that they could lead an NFL team to success, given their respective histories.

    While the Seahawks added a lot of names on defense like Uchenna Nwosu, Shelby Harris, Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant, and Tariq Woolen, there are still concerns about the actual ability to put it all together. I would expect this to be another game where the arm of Daniel Jones is relied upon to win since the Seahawks don't have proven, consistent pass-rushers or cornerbacks.

    Keep an eye on the offensive tackles when the Seahawks are on offense. Their projected rookie starters, Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, will go against the Giants young pass-rushers in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari.

    Final score: Giants 35 - Seahawks 21
    Record: 4-4

     

    Week 9: Bye

    Nov 24, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; General overall view of the NFL shield logo at midfield at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Raiders 34-3.

    The New York Giants head into their bye week an even .500 with their toughest opponents out of the way in the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, and Baltimore Ravens. 

    Through the first half of the season, the Giants have played just one of their six divisional games, the division games are important to win if the Giants have any hope of sneaking into the postseason.

    Week 10: Houston Texans

    Jan 12, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Houston Texans helmet during the AFC Divisional Round playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

    Towards the end of the 2021 season, Texans starting quarterback Davis Mills caught fire, completing 68.42% of his passes for 1,258 yards, nine touchdowns, and just two interceptions. He’ll certainly look to continue that success in 2022 with improved protection and new weapons on the roster after the Texans added talent in the draft.

    The offense, however, isn’t the primary concern for the Texans. On paper, this Texans team lacks talent at the top and bottom of the depth chart. With no quality playmakers and the best defenders arguably being two of the top three Texans draft picks in Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre, Houston could be in for a long season.

    Both of these teams should be able to put up points in this game, but this Texans defense is as porous as it gets.

    Final Score: Giants 31 - Texans 21
    Record: 5-4

    Week 11: Detroit Lions

    Nov 14, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Detroit Lions helmet sits on the medical trunk during the third quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

    The Lions improved from top to bottom via the NFL draft and free agency and now have an offense ready to put up points. The additions of D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams help put quarterback Jared Goff in the best position to succeed.

    That being said, there are still some major concerns throughout this roster, mainly on the defensive side of the ball. If edge Aidan Hutchinson finds immediate success, then those could be partially addressed. But the linebackers for Detroit are average, the interior defensive line is suspect, and the secondary has rarely played together due to injuries and roster turnover.

    The Giants offense should be able to move the ball on the ground and in the air. Defensively, the Giants could struggle as the Lions now have one of the deeper pass-catching units in the NFL and could attack from all over the formation at all three levels--not good news for a Giants defensive secondary in particular, given the current questions about that group.

    Final Score: Giants 28 - Lions 24
    Record 6-4

    Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys

    Oct 3, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detailed view of a Dallas Cowboys football helmet against the Carolina Panthers at AT&T Stadium.

    The Cowboys haven’t won a game on Thanksgiving Day since 2018 when they beat the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys have struggled to get the job done on Thanksgiving Day despite constantly being favored.

    Not that the Giants have fared any better when drawing a Thanksgiving Day game on their calendar. New York is 7-5-3 on Thanksgiving, having played on the holiday just four times since 1938. They last played on Turkey Day on November 23, 2017, a 20-10 defeat in Washington. They also lost in Denver in 2009 and Dallas in 1992.

    And speaking of Dallas, the Giants will be looking to score their first win on the road against their division rivals since 2016. They have a chance.

    Final Score: Giants 24 - Cowboys 21
    Record: 7-4

    Week 15: at Washington Commanders

    Mar 17, 2022; Ashburn, VA, USA; The helmet of Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz sits on display for his introductory press conference at Inova Sports Performance Center Auditorium.

    The Giants and Commanders wrap up their season series in Washington just two weeks after their first meeting. Not much will have changed in either of these teams from their first matchup, barring a serious injury, so it’s fair to assume a similar result.

    This is still a Commanders team that has built more for the future than taking a strong win-now approach. That should be evident in their record this coming season.

    The Giants are also building to win for the future, but that’s something they have been building for a couple of seasons now, and the results could be showing this season.

    Final score: Giants 24 - Commanders 13
    Record: 9-5

    Week 14: Philadelphia Eagles

    Sep 26, 2019; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Philadelphia Eagles helmet sits on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

    Few teams got as much value in their 2022 draft selections as the Eagles. Adding A.J. Brown to the receiver room makes this offense lethal in the air and on the ground.

    This Giants defense looks solid all-around, but with the personnel that the Eagles have, they are going to be a difficult team to slow down, especially until the questions about the back end of the defense are settled.

    For the Giants offense, winning the battle upfront will be crucial, with the Eagles having an elite front seven. Working over the middle of the field might be the best strategy for the offense to find success throwing the ball.

    This Eagles team has been solidly built from top to bottom. If Nick Sirianni can get it together with them, they could win the division.

    Final score: Eagles 21 - Giants 14
    Record: 8-5

    Week 15: at Washington Commanders

    Mar 17, 2022; Ashburn, VA, USA; The helmet of Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz sits on display for his introductory press conference at Inova Sports Performance Center Auditorium.

    The Giants and Commanders wrap up their season series in Washington just two weeks after their first meeting. Not much will have changed in either of these teams from their first matchup, barring a serious injury, so it’s fair to assume a similar result.

    This is still a Commanders team that has built more for the future than taking a strong win-now approach. That should be evident in their record this coming season.

    The Giants are also building to win for the future, but that’s something they have been building for a couple of seasons now, and the results could be showing this season.

    Final score: Giants 24 - Commanders 13
    Record: 9-5

    Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings

    Nov 3, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

    The Minnesota Vikings might be one of the least exciting teams in the NFL, but they’ve built a team that is ready to compete. Luckily for the Giants, the Vikings will probably want to run the ball more often than not, and on paper, the Giants look well-equipped to stunt rushing attacks.

    When looking at the makeup of the Vikings though, they have the personnel to throw the ball if they want and that could cause some serious problems for this Giants secondary, as Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen could likely find success against whoever the Giants start in the secondary.

    The Giants should be able to find success against the Vikings secondary too, who are likely starting a rookie at cornerback in Andrew Booth Jr. and at safety in Lewis Cine. Running the ball will likely prove difficult given the personnel that the Vikings have up front but this is likely going to be another pass-happy game from the Giants.

    Final score: Vikings 35 - Giants 31
    Record: 9-6

     

    Week 17: Indianapolis Colts

    Dec 13, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Detailed view of an Indianapolis Colts helmet against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

    Another week, another Giants opponent that is likely going to want to run the ball. The Giants are even better equipped to handle the Colts rushing attack as there will be more focus on running up the middle as opposed to the wide zone style of the Vikings.

    For the Giants offense, this is going to be one of the tougher matchups they see this season. The Colts have little to no weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball so they're going to be a tough customer. Expect a low-scoring game in this one as the teams match up well with one another personnel-wise.

    Final score: Colts 17 - Giants 13
    Record: 9-7

     

    Week 18: at Philadelphia Eagles

    Dec 15, 2019; Landover, MD, USA; Philadelphia Eagles players helmets rest on the bench against the Washington Redskins in the first quarter at FedExField.

    What better way to end the regular season than in Philadedphia against the Eagles? If things fall into place for both sides, this game could ultimately decide who advances to the postseaosn and who goes home.

    On paper this is just an Eagles team with too many strengths for this Giants roster to handle consistently. The additions from this offseason make these two teams better in some areas, but this one could come down to who is healthiest and who catches fire at the end of the year.

    The Giants can keep it close and maybe sneak out a win but it’s not something that Giants fans should expect.

    Final score: Eagles 24 - Giants 17
    Record: 9-8

    Summary

    Giants 2022 schedule graphic

    All in all, a 9-8 record could get the Giants into the playoffs, especailly in a weak NFC East division, though that is a longshot. The Eagles made the playoffs last season with a 9-8 record but the expectation for the Eagles should be winning the division.

    A more realistic outlook for the Giants to overall improvement, from staying healthy, to cutting down on mistakes, to solid game plans and above all else, execution.

    The Giants, remember, didn't deteriorate overnight from their last Super Bowl champiosnhip. With that in mind, expecting them to go from "worst to first" is an unrealistic goal.

    But when ascertaining if the 2022 season was a success, if the Giants truly look like a better team by the end of the season than they did at the beginning, that's definitely something Schoen and Daboll can work with moving forward. 

      

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