It's a big year for Big Blue.
The 2022 NFL season is crucial for several Giants, none more so than quarterback Daniel Jones. The 2019 NFL Draft's No. 6 overall selection had his fifth-year option declined in April, meaning 2022 is a make-or-break season for the passer.
Jones has an uphill climb to keep his job beyond this year, too, with a new regime taking inventory of every positive play — and every negative one — of his throughout the year.
New general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are tasked with the heavy burden of having to clean up Dave Gettleman's mess in East Rutherford. Gettleman left the team with a difficult cap situation, an unenviable depth chart and several unknowns up and down the roster make for a melting pot of issues that the Giants typically aren't dealing with.
So, really, Giants fans — it's a big year. Hopefully the schedule works out in a favorable way.
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New York Giants schedule 2022
The Giants' 2022 schedule is below:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 11 | at Tennessee Titans | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 2 | Sept. 18 | vs. Carolina Panthers | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 3 | Sept. 26 | vs. Dallas Cowboys (Monday) | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 4 | Oct. 2 | vs. Chicago Bears | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 5 | Oct. 9 | vs. Packers (London) | 9:30 a.m. ET | NFLN |
| 6 | Oct. 16 | vs. Baltimore Ravens | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 23 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 8 | Oct. 30 | at Seattle Seahawks | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 9 | Nov. 6 | BYE | — | — |
| 10 | Nov. 13 | vs. Houston Texans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 11 | Nov. 20 | vs. Detroit Lions | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | at Dallas Cowboys (Thanksgiving) | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 13 | Dec. 4 | vs. Washington Commanders | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 14 | Dec. 11 | vs. Philadelphia Eagles | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 15 | Dec. 18 | at Washington Commanders | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | at Minnesota Vikings (Saturday) | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 17 | Jan. 1 | vs. Indianapolis Colts | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 18 | Jan. 7/8 | at Philadelphia Eagles | TBD | TBD |
The Giants play just four teams that were in the 2021 NFL playoffs in 2022: the Titans, Cowboys, Eagles, and Packers.
This year, they play a ton of playoff hopefuls, however: Nine of their 17 scheduled opponents could be playing meaningful December football, and a number of others (the Lions, Jaguars) could be thorn-in-your-side opponents if they continue improving.
Giants strength of schedule
The Giants have one of the easier paths to walk in 2022: They're at 29th in strength of schedule for the upcoming season, with opponents' 2021 winning percentage sitting at .465.
New York will have to deal with an improving division around them, with the Eagles and Cowboys both turning in strong offseasons, and Washington looking for a bounce-back year.
Toughest tests: The Giants play a tough slate of road games: Outside of the typically tough NFC East opponents, they fly to the West Coast to play Seahawks, north to play the Packers and to the 2021 No. 1 seed Titans. The Giants defense over-performed in 2021, though, and adding top defender and potentially defensive rookie of the year Kayvon Thibodeaux could benefit their pass rush.
Biggest breaks: The Giants are fortunate to play the two weakest NFC North division foes at home this year. They get the Bears and the Lions in home games, which as well as the lowly Panthers and the Texans.
Bottom line: The Giants are, arguably, the biggest unknown of the 2022 season, but a softer schedule and a new offense built and guided by new coach and Brian Daboll means they could surprise a lot of teams in 2022. They face a fair amount of soft competition and QB question marks to bolster their schedule.
Record prediction: 10-7