The New York Giants have plenty of work ahead to be competitive after a pair of lousy seasons, but the team’s 2019 schedule offers glimpses of hope.
It’s understandable fans, journalists, observers and even oddsmakers are all pessimistic regarding the 2019 New York Giants. Following a pair of disappointing and downright awful seasons in which Big Blue won only eight of 32 contests, the Giants sent superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, a trade New York may win in time, but one that still irks pockets of supporters more than a month after the fact.
Giants fans looking for anything positive before the 2019 NFL Draft received some good news Wednesday evening with the league’s official schedule release. Last spring, the club’s opening half of the campaign painted a bleak picture, as it immediately appeared unlikely New York would notch a .500 record ahead of the bye.
Of course, things went even worse than expected/feared. After a muffed punt guaranteed New York a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener, the Dallas Cowboys made light work of their division rivals. A five-game losing streak followed New York’s lone victory of that portion of the schedule, a run that included a defeat via a 63-yard field goal and a thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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As of the start of last September, New York’s initial stretch of opponents seemed brutal for any side. The Jaguars barely missed playing in the Super Bowl the previous winter. Dallas, the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers were all expected to contend. The Eagles were defending Super Bowl champs, and the Atlanta Falcons possessed what was advertised to be one of the most high-powered offenses in the league.
Obviously, we only know so much about all 32 clubs today, as plenty can and will occur through the final seconds of the preseason. Starters will succumb to injuries, some before participating in a single snap of meaningful football. Rookies will cement themselves as mainstays, while others will stumble out of the gates en route to losing reps.
Things change quickly in the NFL. After all, how many believed last Easter the Cleveland Browns would be mentioned as a championship-caliber side before the first night of this year’s draft?
With all of that said, New York’s 2019 schedule isn’t quite as nightmare-inducing at first glance.
The Giants and Cowboys are used to kicking seasons off versus each other. Neither the Buffalo Bills nor Tampa Bay Buccaneers are world-beaters, and the Bucs are beginning anew with Bruce Arians as head coach for what could be Jameis Winston’s last chance to earn a long-term contract from the organization. The Washington Redskins may not have QB1 on the roster ahead of the draft.
Sure, those matchups with the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots are rough. They’re followed by games against the restarting Arizona Cardinals, a team that may feature a rookie quarterback this fall, and a Detroit Lions team that underwhelmed under head coach Matt Patricia last season. Finally, the Cowboys and New York Jets will await the Giants before Big Blue’s bye.
All things considered, that’s not an awful stretch for any club, even one that’s lived in the bottom half of the overall league standings since January 2017. The end of the season is daunting in that it includes a pair of showdowns with the Eagles, another game versus Washington and contests against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Hosting the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 should offer a reprieve, as the Florida outlet may or may not tank the upcoming campaign in an attempt to build for the 2020s.
Will Carson Wentz be healthy come Christmastime? What does Aaron Rodgers have left in the tank as a signal-caller and locker-room presence? Are the Chicago Bears destined to experience a letdown following that heartbreaking postseason loss to the Eagles? There are no sure things in pro football. Father Time may finally come calling for Tom Brady before the final week of the calendar year.
Getting results in each of their winnable games is vital if the Giants are to even sniff a playoff appearance. Fortunately, a handful of such contests occur between Week 1 and the middle of November. For the second straight season, New York’s fate will be determined before its bye.