The New York Giants will be one of the most intriguing teams to watch heading into the 2023 season, as there’s been wide speculation on how the squad will fare.
It’s not a stretch to say the Giants were the most surprising team in the NFL last season as they ended their five-year playoff drought and upset the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
On paper, the team’s schedule is tougher than it was a season ago as they’re tied for the third-toughest strength of schedule in the NFL, and they have eight games against opponents who made the playoffs in 2022.
But general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll feel confident they made the necessary moves to once again make it to the playoffs in 2023.
In the NFL, every game is important. But often, a team’s fate is determined by a handful of matchups. Below, we take a look at five games that will make or break the Giants’ season.
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Week 1 – Dallas Cowboys
The Giants will kick off their 99th season in the NFL at home on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. The G-Men have lost their last four games to the Cowboys and are 6-8 versus the Cowboys on Sunday night, including 3-2 at home.
If there was ever a time New York needs to turn this rivalry in their favor, it’s now.
Dallas may not be at full strength to start the season, as they might be without Pro Bowl running back Tony Pollard as he recovers from ankle surgery. The last time the Giants beat a Dak Prescott-led team was back in 2016 when they swept the season series. If Big Blue can end their losing streak to Prescott and the Cowboys in Week 1, it will bode well for them going forward the rest of the season.
Week 3 @ San Francisco 49ers
The team is expected to stay on the west coast following their Week 2 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals as they have a quick turnaround having to face the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football.
It’s unknown at this time who will be under center for the 49ers as quarterback Brock Purdy recovers from his torn UCL that he injured in the NFC Championship game. Regardless of who’s playing quarterback, the 49ers are expected to be the favorite in this game.
It will be a tall task to defeat one of the best and most physical teams in the NFL with a short week to prepare. But as we saw last year, Brian Daboll has his roster prepared for all situations. If they can pull off an upset on the road against one of the elite teams in the league, it would be a huge statement to the rest of the league.
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Week 4 – Seattle Seahawks
With ten days in between games, Big Blue will be well-rested for their showdown against the Seahawks. Seattle won last year’s Week 8 matchup 27-13, and now Big Blue will look to get their revenge.
Adoree’ Jackson and first-round pick Deonte Banks will play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the game as the Seahawks have three dynamic playmakers at the wide receiver position in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba. There are several teams in the NFC vying for a playoff spot, and conference records could be the deciding factor on who reaches the postseason. This is why the Seahawks matchup is one of the most important games of the year for the Giants.
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Week 15 @ New Orleans Saints
Playing in Superdome is always one of the toughest venues to compete in. The Saints are hoping that newly acquired Derek Carr can help the team rebound from their 7-10 record from a season ago.
The Giants are 4-9 all-time at New Orleans, but they did win their last matchup back in Week 4 of the 2021 season when Daniel Jones threw for a career-high 402 yards and won in overtime 27-21 on a Saquon Barkley six-yard touchdown run. It will likely take another big performance from Jones and Barkley to eke another win in New Orleans.
Getting a win on the road in a tough environment will be huge for the team’s playoff chances.
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Week 18 – Philadelphia Eagles
The season finale will mark the second time New York will play the Eagles in three weeks, as they will also meet on Christmas Day in Philadelphia.
The Eagles lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen & Jonathan Gannon) to head coaching jobs, and they lost several key players in free agency. But they’re still expected to be one of the top teams in the league.
New York appears to have closed the gap between them and their division nemesis. Now the question is, have they improved enough to beat a team that defeated them three times last season? A playoff berth and possibly a division title could be at stake in this matchup, making this the ultimate make-or-break game of the season.
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