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The 2021 season is without a doubt one of the most important seasons in the history of the New York Giants franchise. After four consecutive double-digit loss seasons, the franchise is looking to regain credibility by making the playoffs.
Fortunately for the Giants and their fans, general manager Dave Gettleman has made several key additions such as Kenny Golladay, Adoree’ Jackson, and rookie Kadarius Toney that will help put an end to the losing ways.
The offensive line remains a question mark, but should be improved based on the experience they gained last year.
Not only are the Giants poised to have their first winning season since 2016, but here are five bold predictions for Big Blue this season.
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5. The Giants will win their first game in Philadelphia since 2013
For whatever reason, playing in Philadelphia has been a house of horrors for the Giants. They suffered a heart-breaking 22-21 loss in Week 7 last season when victory appeared to be well within their grasp.
Whereas the Giants seem to be a team on the rise, the Eagles at least appear to be in a rebuild with Jalen Hurts at quarterback and a new head coach in Nick Sirianni. When these two teams meet in Week 16 in Philly, the G-Men will find a way to win their first game in Philly in eight years.
Click here to find out how the Giants and Eagles stack up in our NFL power rankings
4. They’ll have a top 5 defense
The defense made tremendous strides last season under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham going from 25th in total defense in 2019, to 12th this past year.
With the players having been in Graham’s system for a year and having the benefit of a full offseason schedule, the defense should be even better than it was a season ago.
The secondary is one of the best in the league, featuring lockdown cornerback James Bradberry and a three-safety lineup of Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan, and Xavier McKinney. This year the defense will continue to climb up the ranks and will finish in the top five in yards allowed and points.
See how highly the New York Giants rate in our latest NFL defense rankings
3. Azeez Ojulari will break the franchise rookie sack record
Ojulari was seen as one of the best pass-rushers in this year’s draft, so for the Giants to be able to get him at 50th overall appears to be one of the best value picks.
In 2018, B.J. Hill set the Giants’ franchise rookie record for sacks in a season with 5.5 (Lawrence Taylor unofficially had 9.5 sacks in 1982).
Ojulari is expected to make an immediate impact for Big Blue, as he’ll see significant playing time once the season begins. Thanks to his pass-rushing ability and the fact that the NFL has expanded to a 17 game schedule, Ojulari will break Hill’s rookie record.
2. Saquon Barkley will win Comeback Player of the Year
One of the reasons the Giants offense struggled so mightily last season, was because Saquon Barkley’s season came to an end in the second quarter of their Week 2 matchup against the Bears.
While some are expecting the Giants to slowly work Barkley back into the offense at the start of the season, it will only be a matter of time before he becomes the workhorse of the offense again.
Not only is he a tremendous runner, but Barkley is also an exceptional pass catcher coming out of the backfield. Look for him to have around 2,000 all-purpose yards and to be named the Comeback Player Of The Year.
1. New York Giants will win the NFC East
Since the last time the Giants won the NFC East in 2011, every other team in the division has been NFC East champions three times. But this season, the Giants will capture their first division title in a decade.
The Cowboys may have a more explosive offense, and Washington might have the best defensive front seven in the entire NFL. However, the Giants are the most balanced team in the division.
Last season, the Giants went 4-2 in divisional games, and were playing the best football of any of their rivals late in the year. Expect them to, once again, get the better of their division foes and capture their first NFC East crown in a decade.
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