New York Giants Mailbag: Strength of Schedule Myth and More

Want to get in on our weekly mailbag?You can do so here, or post your questions on X (formerly known as Twitter) to @Patricia_Traina, hashtag #askPTrain. Letters may be edited for clarity/length.

After seeing the Dallas vs. Philadelphia opener, do you think the Giants have bridged the NFC East gap more than most believe?
— Jordan Montgomery Burner (@JMontyBurner) September 5, 2025

Jordan, as I mentioned on the brand new Giants Squad Show, I think the Giants have bridged the gap with Dallas and are just a smidge behind Washington, but they still have a way to go before closing the gap with a loaded Eagles team.

I truly don't understand what Jerry Jones is doing in Dallas. I suppose I shouldn't question it, but I was not impressed with their showing on Thursday night.

One of my frustrations with the draft picks by the current management team has been that they seem to make promising starts but don't develop that promise. Is this a fair criticism? And how do you think they can improve player development? #askPTrain
— Adolygydd (@Adolygydd) September 5, 2025

I'm not sure if you had a specific player or players in mind, but I think the blame lies somewhere in the middle. In the case of Jain Hyatt, he was already far behind the eight ball coming from that Tennessee offense in which he ran a limited route tree.

In the case of Deonte Banks, I think part of the problem is maturity. In the case of Evan Neal, injuries were an issue as they delayed his transition to guard, which was supposed to start last summer.

I think these things are going to happen, but for every premium draft pick who turns out to be a bust, you have the Micah McFaddens, Darius Muasaus, and Marcus Mbows of the world to fawn over.

What kinds of vibes are you getting from the Giants for this season-opening game? #askPTrain
— Ed Helinski 🇺🇸🇵🇱 🌴 (@MrEd315) September 4, 2025

They're loose as a goose and ready to roll. They've been locked in and focused. Whether that transltes into a win remains to be seen, but I didn't get any negative vibes this week from the locker room.

Given the low success rate in drafting left tackles, what do teams do when evaluating prospects? -- Pat L.

New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas | Kevin Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pat, first off, the Giants haven't really had to draft a left tackle since 2020. Yes, Andrew Thomas has been injured, but they haven't pursued it aggressively after adding at that position. So I don't know that we can necessarily say they've hit a dry spell drafting of the position of late.

For what it's worth — and I'm not sure if this is how this particular regime does it — there are core traits and specific traits for each position that teams look for in various players, every player at different positions.

For a tackle, core traits include athleticism, footwork, balance, football IQ, strength, play strength, body control, and so forth.

If a player lacks in one area, then they must consider whether the deficiency is coachable or if it's a deal breaker.

A lot has been written about the Giants having the league’s toughest schedule based on their opponents’ records from last season. My reaction is, so what! Every year is different, with rosters and staff changing.

Nevertheless, you are smart and thorough, so I will ask the following question: Going back 5-10 years, does the data support using previous records as an accurate predictor of the strength of a team’s schedule in a new year? – Howard D.

Howard, I agree with you--the strength of schedule is ridiculously overrated. I haven't had time to do a deep dive into strength of schedule, but perhaps the following nuggets might answer your question.

Since 1990 – a streak of 35 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before. There were four new playoff teams last season – Denver, the Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota, and Washington.
In 26 of the past 29 seasons (1996-2024), at least one team has made the playoffs the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. The Chargers, Vikings, and Commanders each accomplished the feat last season.
In six consecutive seasons (2019-24) and in 21 of the past 23 seasons (2002-24), a team that chose in the top five of the NFL Draft has qualified for the postseason. Washington accomplished this feat last season after selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while the Los Angeles Chargers qualified for the postseason after choosing tackle Joe Alt with the No. 5 overall selection.

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