Predictions/Awards
Game-By-Game Predictions
- Week 1: Jaguars WIN
- Week 2: @Cowboys WIN
- Week 3: @Texans LOSS
- Week 4: Saints WIN
- Week 5: @Panthers LOSS
- Week 6: Eagles LOSS
- Week 7: @ Falcons LOSS
- Week 8: Redskins LOSS
- Week 9: Bye
- Week 10: @49ers LOSS
- Week 11: Buccaneers WIN
- Week 12: @Eagles LOSS
- Week 13: Bears WIN
- Week 14: @ Redskins LOSS
- Week 15: Titans WIN
- Week 16: @ Colts WIN
- Week 17: Cowboys WIN
NFC East Standings
- Eagles 11-5
- Giants 9-7
- Cowboys 7-9
- Redskins 6-10
The main reason why the Giants have only made the playoffs once since winning Super Bowl 46 is that their record in the NFC East over the last six seasons is 15-21. Last season the Giants record in the division was an abysmal 1-5. That is simply unacceptable.
In those six seasons, every other team in the division has won the division title twice. Pat Shurmur knows if his team is going to contend for the playoffs, they must first change their fortune in the division.
Fortunately for the Giants, no team in the division has made more upgrades to their roster than them, while the rest of the division has regressed.
The Cowboys will still be a formidable opponent, but they won’t be nearly as good with the departures of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Dallas also has to deal with center Travis Frederick autoimmune disease which will cost him some if not all of the season.
The Redskins season took a hit when their second-round pick running back Derrius Guice was lost for the season with a torn ACL. They also have to deal with a change at quarterback as Alex Smith will be behind center as Kirk Cousins is now a Minnesota Viking.
The Eagles are still on paper the best team in the division. They strengthened their front seven with the addition of Michael and Haloti Ngata. But they have one major concern and that’s when Carson Wentz will return, and will he play up to the level he did in 2017 before he tore his ACL and LCL.
The last three division winners have gone from worst to first in the division, and while the Giants have made upgrades in personnel and the coaching staff, it won’t be enough to overtake the Eagles for the division crown. Expect the Giants to go no worse than 3-3 in the division, finish with a 9-7 record which might be good enough to sneak in the playoffs as a wild card.
Team/League Awards
- Team MVP: Eli Manning, QB
- Offensive POY: Odell Beckham Jr., WR
- Defensive POY: Landon Collins, SS
- Offensive ROY: Saquon Barkley, RB
- Defensive ROY: B.J. Hill, DE
- All-Pro: Odell Beckham JR., Landon Collins, Damon Harrison
- Pro Bowlers: Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham JR, Evan Engram, Landon Collins, Damon Harrison
- All-Rookie Team: Saquon Barkley, B.J. Hill
Final Thoughts
The Giants may not make it to the playoffs this season, but they’ll show that they’re headed in the right direction under the guidance of Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur.
The Giants schedule is brutal especially in a stretch from Week 4 through Week 7 where they’ll play four consecutive teams that made the playoffs a season ago (Saints, Panthers, Eagles, Falcons). With a new head coach and new defensive philosophy, expect the team to struggle during this stretch.
But the second half of the season is favorable and with the defense getting acclimated to Bettcher’s scheme, expect the Giants to make a strong push at the end of the season. Depending on how their conference record fares with other teams in the conference they might make the playoffs. If they don’t they’ll at least show that they’re on the path to an even bigger success in 2019. Expect Eli Manning to have a bounce-back year and shows the Giants they were right for not taking a quarterback with the second pick in the draft.
