Instant predictions for Giants’ 17-game schedule

The Giants get (arguably) the best team in the NFL in their second consecutive primetime game. I’m expecting the G-Men to give the Rams all they can handle, and new DBs coach Donald D’Alesio could give some insight into CBs Trent McDuffy and Jaylen Watson. However, the Giants can’t quite keep pace with Matt Stafford and the rest of the Rams’ offense.

Pick – Rams (1-1)

Week 3: Sept. 27— Giants vs. Tennessee Titans

The Titans catch the Giants on a short week made shorter by the late flight back from LA. The question is how much that will benefit them, and how well a completely rebuilt Titans squad gels by Week 3. I’m expecting this to be a tough game, and for Brian Daboll to help Robert Saleh scheme for Jaxson Dart, but the Giants rebound from Week 2 to outlast the Titans.

Pick – Giants (2-1)

Week 4: Oct. 4 — Giants vs. Arizona Cardinals

Two questions: Who’s playing quarterback for the Cardinals, and can the Giants stop Jeremiyah Love from taking over the game? Defending Love should be much easier than Sean McVay’s running schemes, particularly without a QB like Matt Stafford to worry about.

Pick – Giants (3-1)

Week 5: Oct. 11 — Giants at Washington Commanders

One question: Will Jayden Daniels be healthy? That really is THE question for this game, and I think we have to assume that he will be. Scary Terry might finally start to slow down this year, but the duo of Luke McCaffrey and Antonio Williams (2026 3rd, Clemson) could pick up the slack. I would also expect the Dan Quinn to have his rebuilt defense playing well by this point

Pick – Washington (3-2)

Week 6: Oct. 18 — Giants vs. New Orleans Saints

This is a low-key fascinating game based on the contrast in how the Saints and Giants have been discussed this off-season. The Saints have been lauded for how they’ve moved to support QB Tyler Shough with the selections of Jordyn Tyson and Bryce Lance. Dart, meanwhile, is being treated like a veteran quarterback who’s presence allows the team to invest elsewhere. The Saints could have one of the best offenses in the NFL this year, but this game looks different in the Meadowlands than if it was down in New Orleans.

Pick – Giants (4-2)

Week 7: Oct. 25 — Giants at Houston Texans

This game will likely pivot on which version of C.J. Stroud shows up. He turned into a pumpkin during the playoffs, but we can’t forget just how good his best is. The Giants have a chance if Bad C.J. shows up, but I’ll count this as a win if the Giants can put up a fight against what is probably the best-coached and most talented defense in the NFL.

Pick – Texans (4-3)

Week 8: Bye

Pick – Nap, maybe go out to catch a game. (4-3)

Week 9: Nov. 8 — Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

Can the Giants beat the Eagles in Philly? It’s definitely possible and will come down to how their offensive line plays with Stoutland U closed up. The Eagles could (will?) also be without A.J. Brown and his impact on defensive structure. Makai Lemon could be a real threat, but he doesn’t have the size or speed of Brown, and that could make running the ball much tougher. It’s also worth noting that John Harbaugh is 5-0 coming off of bye weeks over the last five seasons and he’s been stressing that the Giants are building to beat the Eagles.

Pick – Giants (5-3)

Week 10: Nov. 12 — Giants vs. Commanders (TNF)

The Giants show up to get their revenge in primetime at home. I think the Giants are the more talented team, and that will show itself in the rematch, especially on a short turnaround from the previous week.

Pick – Giants (6-3)

Week 11: Nov. 22 — Giants vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars didn’t really add anything to their starting offense and defense beyond comitting to make Travis Hunter a full-time corner. However, they did add quite a bit of depth this year and they were a 13-win team last year. They might take a modest step back in Liam Coen’s second season, but this is going to be a tough game for the Giants.

Pick – Jaguars (6-4)

Week 12: Nov. 29 — Giants at Indianapolis Colts

Just how much will Daniel Jones have after a neck injury (2021), torn ACL (2023), and now ruptured Achilles (2025)?

Even before Jones was hurt in 2025, he went into a tailspin once the Pittsburgh Steelers committed to taking away the play action and RPO plays upon which the Colts’ defense was built last year. Can the Giants replicate that if Jones is healthy? And would it even matter with all the talent on that Colts’ roster? The Giants keep up on offense, and their hyper-athletic linebackers do enough against Tyler Warren, Jonathan Taylor, and Jones.

Pick – Giants (7-4)

Week 13: Dec. 6 — Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are a tough team to figure right now. Their core is aging and they could be stumbling as the weather turns cold. However, if Mike Evans, Chris McCaffrey, George Kittle, and the rest of those guys are healthy, Kyle Shanahan’s EPA machine will keep humming right along.

This is a game to circle as a potential upset win if the Giants are competitive and closing out games at this point in the year. But I’m

Pick – 49ers (7-5)

Week 14: Dec. 13 — Giants at Seattle Seahawks

I can’t predict the Giants to go into the reigning Super Bowl Champions’ house and beat them. The Seahawks have too much and Mike MacDonald is too good. This might be a good game, but I don’t see the Giants coming back from Seattle with a victory.

Pick – Seahawks (7-6)

Week 15: Dec. 20 — Giants vs. Cleveland Browns

Once again: Who will be playing quarterback for the Browns? Will it be Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or Taylen Green? The Browns still have Myles Garrett and did a really good job with their draft this year, but they’ll go precisely as far as their quarterback can take them. I’m not sure that group can take them anywhere else but the highly-anticipated 2027 QB class.

Pick – Giants (8-6)

Week 16: Dec. 28 — Giants at Detroit Lions (MNF)

The schedule makers did the Giants a favor by giving them the 49ers, Seahawks, and Lions in December. Those are all mature teams and attrition could wear them down by this point. The Giants never trailed in regulation against the Lions last year, and that was without Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Cam Skattebo. I’m expecting the Giants to win one of these December games as an underdog, and this one might be the most likely.

Pick – Giants (9-6)

Week 17: Jan. 3 — Giants at Cowboys

It’s fair to expect that Dallas will figure out some new and interesting way to collapse late in the year. However I’m not going to expect their offense to fall off as long as Dak, CeeDee, and Pickens are healthy. Likewise, Christian Parker’s defense should be in a better place than they were in Week 1. And even if the Cowboys were mid-collapse, we should still expect them to stumble backwards into playing the Giants hard and splitting the season.

Pick – Cowboys (9-7)

Week 18: TBD — Giants vs. Eagles

I have my doubts as to how well the Eagles will hold together without Jeff Stoutland coaching the offensive and with A.J. Brown — eventually — departing. Asking Saquon Barkley to create more yards for himself and shoulder more of the load could lead to injuries by the second week of 2027. It’d be foolish to expect any game in the NFC East to be “easy” and the Giants could be trying to return to prominence just as the NFC East returns to being the NFC BEAST and the best division in football. But I’m going pick the Giants to finally sweep the Eagles.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this game is for a ticket to the playoffs and perhaps even the NFC East title itself… Or if that “TBD” winds up being a primetime game.

Pick – Giants (10-7)

Final thoughts

Is predicting a 10-7 record optimistic for a team that finished 4-13 the year before? Certainly, at least on the face of it. However, the Giants had double-digit leads as underdogs fivetimes last year, only to blow them late in the game. Had the Giants not blown those leads, we’d be talking about a team that went 9-7 with a rookie quarterback and without their best receiver and running back.

In that case, predicting that Jaxson Dart’s development, the return of Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, and the additions of Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, Colton Hood, and (most importantly) John Harbaugh would only amount to onemore win actually feels pretty conservative.

We’ll find out this year whether better coaching with more attention to detail and accountability from the top down will make the difference in closing games out when the Giants get the chance.

I’m going to repeat a prediction from last year: The Giants will be a team that opponents dread facing down the stretch. I think they’ll surprise folks who chalk them up as the same old hapless Giants early in the year, and be competitive with the NFL’s best once everything gels.