This Matchup Tabbed as "Standalone" Game for Giants

This one opponent on the New York Giants' schedule could be a sneaky candidate for a primetime slot.

New York Giants helmet / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Giants' 2024 campaign was extremely rough, and the primetime stages did not go their way either. The Giants lost their three standalone games by five, ten, and eight points, respectively, but their performances barely indicated the final scores.

Despite the organization's noticeable roster improvements in the initial phases of the offseason, many would find it hard to predict the NFL handing the big market franchise more than one token game under the primetime lights. 

But there is one sneaky matchup on the Giants’ slate that Pro Football Network believes has the makings of an intriguing national face-off. That opponent is the Denver Broncos, a road trip for the Giants, and a game that could land on a primetime stage.

Sep 17, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Russell Wilson (3) in the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Why the Broncos? Under head coach Sean Payton, Denver has been an ascending team that made it back to the postseason behind rookie quarterback Bo Nix, an accomplishment sure to bring Denver more attention.  

But another storyline that would no doubt be of interest to watch on a national stage is the face-off between new Giants starting quarterback Russell Wilson and the team which, after trading for him and giving him a mega contract, dumped him two years into the five-year, $242.588 million contract they signed him to after acquiring him via trade from Seattle. 

Wilson’s two seasons in Denver (2022 and 2023) didn’t quite come close to being the success he had enjoyed in Seattle, where he was part of a Super Bowl championship. The Broncos went 5-12 and 8-9 over 30 games with Wilson leading the huddle in that span. 

While Wilson threw for over 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns each year of his tenure in the Mile High City, the Denver offense never fully gelled behind a mediocre offensive line, and his turnover woes ratcheted up. The Broncos finished -56 or worse in point differential and decided it was time for a change, releasing Wilson ahead of the 2024 season. 

Stepping back into an old stadium with a new team and a potentially explosive offense around him, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Wilson has a chip on his shoulder to prove to Payton and the Broncos that he can still lead a winning huddle and sling the football downfield. In that environment, the pigskin could find a bit of extra juice under it, and some will want to see if Wilson and the Giants use that to their advantage. 

The matchup would also give the country a chance to witness the Giants’ revamped defense, which features a very promising-looking pass rush that would be a good test of Nix’s still-budding resolve with pressure in his face. 

Like the Broncos, the Giants will have one of the better units on paper entering the season, and much emphasis will be placed on the front lines that now have four solid rushers. 

In the middle, the Giants will return nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, who was already building a career-high stat line with nine sacks before a Week 13 season-ending injury last year.

Lawrence will welcome rookie Darius Alexander, who displays solid power and speed to get to the ball in both pass and run situations, and veteran Chauncey Golston, among others, to the defensive front, which last year lacked the depth to be a solid unit. 

Another new face to the pass rush is linebacker Abdul Carter, the No. 3 pick in the draft, who will team up with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux and serve as the plug-and-play type pass rusher whose looks could create confusion and chaos for a young arm like Nix who is still getting his feet wet when it comes to reading complex NFL defenses. 

The Broncos’ defense finished seventh overall last year. Those numbers included the sixth-lowest passing touchdowns allowed (22) and the second-lowest yards per attempt (5.6), meaning their pass rush and secondary will come ready to duel with the latest threats on the Giants’ offense. 

Still, the Giants have been coming around with their crew under Shane Bowen and will look to be the reason New York wins more games in 2025. They finished 13th in team pass-rush win rate, which kept many of their losing contests close, but the issue will be what the other side of the ball does to help the cause. 

All these factors make for a sneaky primetime affair to watch out for when the new schedule comes out Wednesday.

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