The New York Giants officially released their 2020 regular season schedule on Thursday evening, and they will open up their 16-game slate against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
Other highlight matchups include Monday Night Football against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, as well as
Here’s a look at our way-too-early game-by-game predictions:
Week 1: Giants 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 23
The Steelers will see the return of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to open the season, but after missing much of last year due to injury and then having the offseason dramatically shortened due to the coronavirus, he’s going to be a little rusty. Likewise, the Giants will struggle out of the gate due to massive turnover, a new coaching staff, a new system and the lack of an offseason. However, this is one of the most winnable games on their schedule and they will eek it out.
Week 2: Giants 30, Chicago Bears 20
The Bears are in a complete rebuilding mode at this point and have a long way to go before finding themselves. Who will start at quarterback? Can their running game improve? Can the defense become more consistent? There’s a lot of work to be done in Chicago, so even on the road, the Giants have a strong chance of walking away with one of their few 2020 W’s. I think they get it done, and it may not be as close as the above score would suggest.
Week 3: San Francisco 49ers 27, Giants 17
The 49ers were one of the NFL’s hottest teams in 2019 and they’ve only gotten better this offseason. Trekking across the country to take on the Giants plays into New York’s favor, but it won’t be enough to save Big Blue from another defeat, this one coming at the hands of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo & Co. San Francisco’s improving defense will also give Daniel Jones and the Giants offense fits, so this has the potential to be among their lowest scoring outputs of the entire season.
Week 4: Los Angeles Rams 33, Giants 20
The Rams fell off a bit in 2019, but expect their firepower to return in 2020. Why? Just call it a gut feeling. If that’s not your cup of tea, go ahead and hammer me for it. With that being said, the Rams will get a big win over New York in Los Angeles and the Giants’ defense will be exposed as a work in progress. This may actually be one of the uglier games for the Giants throughout the 2020 season. West Coast trips are killer
Week 5: Dallas Cowboys 32, Giants 27
In what will be Jason Garrett’s return to Dallas, the Giants pick up a tough loss despite a valiant effort by the team to get their new offensive coordinator a “revenge” win. In the end however, the Cowboys’ offense will be too much for the Giants defense, while Daniel Jones & Co. fail to keep up late. But like most Giants-Cowboys games, it will be competitive until the very end. Sadly, like so many Giants games in recent years, the dominoes will just not fall in their favor.
Week 6: Giants 26, Washington Redskins 20
The Giants don’t have many solid NFC East matchups, but they should be considered favorites every time they face the Redskins. Like the Giants, Washington is facing a rebuild, have a new coaching staff, have new schemes and systems, and are dealing with the difficulties of the absence of a true offseason. This should allow Joe Judge and his staff to maintain the slight competitive edge the Giants have had over Washington in recent years.
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles 33, Giants 23
The Giants can’t beat the Eagles. They certainly can’t beat them on the road. Analysis for this game, whether it’s now or several months from now, is irrelevant. Until the Giants can prove they can hang with the Eagles, they will not be given the benefit of the doubt – especially when playing in Philly. That green thorn in the Giants’ side will persist for at least one more season.
Week 8: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37, Giants 30
The Buccaneers will welcome quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowsi into the fold, and with all the other firepower on offense, things could be electric for Tampa Bay. They could have one of the most dangerous offenses in all of football in 2020, and the Giants will get to experience that at MetLife Stadium. However, this game has the feel of a potential shootout and will likely come down to the fourth quarter, which is a familiar theme for Brady when facing the Giants. This time however, he walks away victorious.
Week 9: Giants 25, Redskins 14
Like the Giants, the Redskins are very much in rebuilding mode. However, unlike the Giants, they seem to be struggling to get things in order. And while 2019 is only a mild indicator of what 2020 could bring, Washington seems quite a bit behind the Giants and other teams in terms of development. What else really needs to be said? The Giants and Skins are basically on an even playing field at this point, and the Giants are simply better. Big Blue picks up the road win here
Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Giants 19
The Eagles own the Giants. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but that’s just the reality of the current situation. Whether the game is played at home or away seems to make no difference, and at this point it may be a mental thing for the Giants. Perhaps Joe Judge and the new staff can do away with that issue, but we certainly can’t bank on that. Until the Giants prove they can hang with the Eagles, no betting man is going to place money on blue. Certainly not yours truly.
Week 11: BYE
An ideal time for a break.
Week 12: Giants 31, Cincinnati Bengals 18
The Giants will get a firsthand look at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, quarterback Joe Burrow, which is easily one of the highlights on the schedule. However, don’t expect Burrow to come out guns blazing, lighting the NFL world on fire. He is still relatively inexperienced despite his record setting season at LSU in 2019, and with no offseason to speak of, it’s going to be rough waters for he and the Bengals during the first quarter of the season.
Week 13: Seattle Seahawks 32, Giants 20
Another brutal West Coast trip for the Giants, this time going into one of the most intimidating environments in the NFL. Daniel Jones may have a little experience with Philadelphia, but playing in Seattle is an entirely different animal. Add in another mobile quarterback with a good arm – Russell Wilson – and it spells disaster for first-year head coach Joe Judge and his team. If nothing else, this will be a good learning experience for the young Giants.
Week 14: Arizona Cardinals 27, Giants 21
The Cardinals have loaded up this offseason and will come back much more dangerous in Kyler Murray’s second season, but this game is likely to play out similarly to the 2019 matchup nonetheless. The Giants have beefed up a bit themselves, but in the end, the development of Murray and the Cardinals team as a whole seem to be a step or two ahead of their Giants counterparts. Accordingly, Arizona will pick up a win at MetLife Stadium, but don’t expect the Giants to just roll over. This will be a close one.
Week 15: Cleveland Browns 30, Giants 24
Whether you like Odell Beckham Jr. or hate him, there is no doubt he’s going to light up the night when the Giants and Browns meet for the first time since “the trade.” He will likely be more motivated than ever before, and this will likely be the highlight moment for Cleveland in 2020. Expect them to play well above their baseline in an attempt to rally around OBJ, but do not expect the doors to be blown off the Giants. They will hang around, but OBJ & Co. eventually get it done.
Week 16: Baltimore Ravens 34, Giants 23
The Lamar Jackson-led Ravens are one of the true up-and-coming teams in the NFL and they may hit a serious stride early on in 2020. They are high-powered, explosive and their defense is improving. The Giants traditionally struggle against mobile quarterbacks and Jackson is perhaps the best in years. The Super Bowl contenders are likely to walk all over the young and developing Giants, but this game will still provide a glimpse into the future of the NFL (young talent littered all over both rosters).
Week 17: Dallas Cowboys 28, Giants 27
Like the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys have experienced some good success against the Giants in recent years, but then again, who hasn’t? In their battle at MetLife Stadium in 2020, the two will trade blows and big plays, but in the end, Jerry Jones and his team will walk away with a much-needed NFC East win over their Big Blue foes.
