Who are the New York Giants’ toughest foes outside the NFC East in 2020?
What a crazy year 2020 has been so far and what an interesting upcoming NFL season it promises to be for the New York Giants and rookie head coach Joe Judge. It’s going to be challenging for all NFL squads to prepare for the 2020 campaign with no scheduled preseason contests and limited practice time due to COVID-19 protocols.
However, with that being said, Big Blue is still slated to kick off their year against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 14 in what is expected to be an empty MetLife Stadium. Sigh. Such is life in 2020.
Regardless, let’s take a look at the three hardest non-divisional games for the G-Men on their regular season slate.
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3. New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks, Dec. 6
Big Blue gets a break if no fans are allowed to attend due to COVID-19 because the patrons at CenturyLink Field are known as the “12th Man.” Still, a 3,000-mile journey to the West Coast is rough, especially against a squad that went 11-5 last year and beat the Eagles, 17-9, on the road in the NFC playoffs.
The Seahawks also added All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to their roster — he’s superb in the box helping stop the run, so Saquon Barkley could be in for a long day. The Giants defense will have their hands full trying to contain Russell Wilson and the dynamic receiving duo of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
2. New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers, Sept. 27
The Giants welcome the defending NFC champions to MetLife Stadium. This will be a monumental challenge for Judge and company.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, following a solid rookie campaign in 2019 (24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions), will be facing the ferocious pass rush, led by defensive end Nick Bosa (nine sacks last year) and DE Arik Armstead (10 sacks). New York’s beleaguered offensive line will certainly have its hands full.
1. New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens, Dec. 27
The G-Men will be facing 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, the scintillating signal-caller of the 14-2 Ravens of a year ago. The University of Louisville product set an NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback last year (1,206) and added a league-high 36 touchdown passes.
Whether he can duplicate those incredible numbers this coming season remains to be seen but he is the league’s most dynamic weapon. Toss in halfback Mark Ingram and up-and-coming receiving stars Marquise Brown (WR) and Mark Andrews (TE) and Big Blue will be facing their fiercest overall test of the 2020 season.