Let's be honest for a moment. Going into last season, you didn't think the Giants would go 9-7-1, make the postseason and actually win a playoff game, did you?
Me neither. In fact, if memory serves, I cautioned Giants fans to manage their expectations, believing that Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll would need time to climb out of the hole the previous administration had dug.
So much for managing expectations. Daboll and his staff did an incredible job. They "fixed" what was wrong with Daniel Jones, and the fifth year quarterback out of Duke responded by having his best season as a pro, passing for 3205 yards, 15 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He also rushed for 708 yards, 7 touchdowns and only 2 fumbles. His passer rating of 92.5 was the highest of his career, and was better than Dak Prescott, Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson and a certain Jets quarterback named Aaron Rodgers.
Saquon Barkley not only stayed healthy - a major accomplishment given his past - he had the second best season of his career, rushing for 1312 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 57 passes for 338 yards. Overall, Barkley accounted for 29 percent of the Giants total yards on offense.
On the other side of the ball defensive coordinator Wink Martindale transformed the Giants defense into a force to be reckoned with. They were 10th in the league in red-zone efficiency, and with the additions that Schoen brought in, there's reason to believe they will improve on that number.
And that's where we begin our preview of this year's Giants team.
On offense, Jones will have more weapons at his disposal than he had last season. Darren Waller, acquired from the Raiders, will team up with second year tight end Daniel Bellinger to give the Giants a genuine two tight end set for the first time since the Tom Coughlin era. At wide receiver, a full year of Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard (ACL), rookie phenom Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton should stretch opposing defenses a bit more than last year; and Barkley will continue to be what he's always been: a dual threat out of the backfield. There are no Lamar Chases or Tyreek Hills on this roster, but neither are there scrubs. Bottom line, Jones should have more than 15 touchdown passes this season.
On defense, Isaiah Simmons and Bobby Okereke are significant upgrades at inside linebacker; Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari and Dexter Lawrence should continue to improve; and rookies Deonte Banks and Trey Hawkins are expected to fortify a secondary that already has Adoree Jackson, Xavier McKinney and Darnay Holmes in it.
If there is one legitimate concern, it is depth, especially on the offensive line and at linebacker. But anybody that looks objectively at this roster and doesn't see a vast improvement over last season's simply isn't paying attention; or perhaps doesn't want to see it. The fact is Schoen had himself a helluva offseason.
So where will the Giants finish this year? Regrettably, about where they finished last year. The reality is that while the Giants are an improved team, Philadelphia and Dallas are still better. Though I do think the Jints will give the Cowpokes a run for their money for second place. A record of 10-7 and a wildcard spot is possible given the schedule and the talent on this team.
Below are my predictions for the 2023 NFL standings and postseason.
NFC East:
Eagles
Cowboys
Giants
Commanders
NFC North:
Lions
Vikings
Packers
Bears
NFC South:
Saints
Falcons
Buccaneers
Panthers
NFC West:
49ers *
Seahawks
Rams
Cardinals
AFC East:
Bills
Dolphins
Jets
Patriots
AFC North:
Bengals
Ravens
Steelers
Browns
AFC South:
Jaguars
Titans
Colts
Texans
AFC West:
Chiefs *
Chargers
Raiders
Broncos
* Number one seed
Italics: wildcards
Conference championships:
NFC: 49ers over the Eagles
AFC: Chiefs over the Bengals
Super Bowl:
Chiefs over the 49ers
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