Giants news, 5/16: Takeaways from 2026 schedule, wide receiver review, more

Peter Schrager continues to believe in the 2026 Giants

New York Giants schedule 2026: Takeaways, predictions | ESPN.com

Biggest takeaway: The Giants are relevant again. Not only are they in primetime in Week 1, when they host the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football,” but they have four total primetime games this season. New York plays on the road for “Monday Night Football” Week 2 against the Rams, will be on “Thursday Night Football” against the Commanders and has another Monday night game later in the season against the Lions. There are high expectations now for Big Blue with Harbaugh and second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.

New York Giants 2026 schedule: Harbaugh’s group gets a likely date with Daniel Jones | The Athletic

Toughest stretch: Weeks 13-18. There are some tough opponents after the Week 8 bye, and three of the last five games are on the road. I’m looking at Weeks 13-18 specifically, but you could probably throw in Weeks 11 and 12 if you’re feeling especially concerned. The Giants haven’t had much to play for down the stretch in recent years. If they manage to stay competitive this year, the second half of the schedule won’t be easy, with a trip to Seattle to face the defending Super Bowl champions. There’s also a visit to Dallas, where they haven’t won in a decade, and a trip to Detroit to play a competitive and tough Lions team.

2026 New York Giants Game-by-Game Predictions after NFL Schedule Release | Bleacher Report

Final Record: 9-8. A three-game skid to close the season wouldn’t be ideal, but it’s hard to find too much fault with the Giants’ first winning season since 2022. A nine-win campaign would leave New York on the fringe of wild-card contention, and if the G-Men could eke out one more victory, the playoffs could legitimately be in play.

Ranking every 2026 NFL “Sunday Night Football” matchup | PFF

12. Giants at Cowboys (Week 1) It’s tough to dislike an old-fashioned rivalry to open the season, especially one breaking in a new era. But both teams must prove themselves, unlike lots of others on this list. The Giants endured a disastrous 2025, placing 27th in overall PFF grade and no better than 22nd in success rate on either side of the ball. It’s true that optimism is palpable after the hire of John Harbaugh as well as drafting both Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa. However, New York is relying on seeing more from Jaxson Dart (64.2 PFF passing grade) and must overcome the loss of Dexter Lawrence.

The elephant in the room here is that the Cowboys have crushed the Giants of late, claiming nine of the last 10 matchups. Harbaugh will look to change the tide, but that also drops this game’s standing. There were probably better choices for Week 1, such as Bills-Texans.

New York Giants must improve in primetime games in 2026 | USAToday.com

New York is just 3-19 in primetime contests over the last seven seasons, having been largely ineffective under the spotlight. That trend could begin to change this season, however, as the Giants are scheduled for back-to-back primetime matchups in Weeks 1 and 2.

New York’s three primetime victories since 2019 have come against the Chicago Bears (2020), Washington Commanders (2022), and Green Bay Packers (2023). This season, New York will face the Cowboys, Rams, Commanders, and Detroit Lions in primetime and will need to go at least 2-2 in order to remain competitive and show some improvement.

It takes a village

One good thing and one bad thing every NFL team will face in 2026 season | CBSSports.com

One good thing for the Giants: The Giants definitely have a chance to get off to a hot start in John Harbaugh’s first year on the job. Starting in Week 3, the Giants will get to play four straight games against teams that won six games or less last season and three of those games are at home (Titans, Cardinals, at Commanders, Saints). If the Giants can earn three or more wins in that stretch, it would certainly give them some confidence going forward. The Giants also have the benefit of playing three different games against teams that will be coming back from an international game (Rams, Commanders, Texans). With those teams returning from a long trip, that could be seen as a slight advantage for the Giants.

One bad thing for the Giants: The NFL schedule makers didn’t do the Giants any favors at the end of the season. The Giants will close out the year by playing two of their final three games on the road (at Lions in Week 16, at Cowboys in Week 17) and the one home game in that span is against the Eagles in Week 18. If the Giants are in the hunt of a playoff spot, that stretch could dash their postseason hopes.

Around the league

Season opener timing may benefit Cowboys against Giants | Blogging the Boys

Eagles among “winners” of the 2026 NFL schedule release | Bleeding Green Nation

Pros, cons, small details of Washington Commanders 2026 schedule | Hogs Haven

Andy Reid: Chiefs’ schedule no hint on Patrick Mahomes’ health; QB ‘making progress’ on knee injury | NFL.com

Colts DC Lou Anarumo: No doubt Laiatu Latu has 10 sacks this season | Pro Football Talk

Deion: Shedeur Sanders ‘went through hell’ during NFL Draft process, rookie season with Browns | Yahoo Sports

NFL 2026 holiday schedule: Packed holiday schedule includes Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day | The Athletic

NFL pushes back on criticism of streaming games | ESPN.com

Albert Breer Details How the NFL Built the 2026 Schedule | SI.com

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