The New York Giants will look to start the Pat Shurmur era with a winning season as they kick off their 94th NFL season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

EAST RUTHERFORD—The New York Giants 94th season in the NFL will begin on Sunday as they host the reigning AFC South Division Champions the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Making things interesting is that the team was put together by former Giants two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Tom Coughlin, who serves as the Jaguars Vice President of Football Operations.

The Jaguars will be the first of six teams the Giants will face this season that made the playoffs a season ago.

Following the worst season in the history of the franchise that saw the team finish 3-13, the Giants cleaned house in the front office, coaching staff and locker room.

Co-owner and CEO John Mara is confident that new general manager Dave Gettleman and new head coach Pat Shurmur can bring credibility to the franchise. But it won’t be easy as the Giants schedule is tied for the eighth-toughest in the league.

Here is the preview for the Giants 2018 season:

Additions / Losses

Key Losses

• Jason Pierre-Paul, DE
• Orleans Darkwa, RB
• Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB
• Darian Thompson, FS
• Justin Pugh, G
• Weston Richburg, C
• Jonathan Casillas, LB
• Brett Jones, C
• Brad Wing, P

The Giants will enter the 2018 season without several players that have been key contributors to the franchise for years.

The biggest loss was JPP who was the team’s best pass rusher and the lone defensive starter from the Super Bowl 46 champion team. The team trade JPP in March to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a third round (69th overall) and a fourth-round pick (108th overall). The void of JPP has fans analyst wondering where the Giants pass rush will come from this season.

Although they missed significant time last season, Pugh and Richburg were the team’s two best offensive linemen for years. Jones filled in admirably at center in Richburg’s absence, but the team traded Jones to the Vikings at the end of August.

DRC was the team’s most versatile as he had the ability to play on the outside and at nickel corner. The team will also be without their leading rusher from a season ago in Darkwa, but the Giants have all of the confidence in the world that Saquon Barkley will be a huge upgrade from Darkwa.

Key Additions

• Saquon Barkley, RB
• Will Hernandez, LG
• Nate Solder, LT
• Cody Latimer, WR/KR
• B.J. Hill, DE
• Lorenzo Carter, OLB
• Alec Ogletree, ILB
• Kareem Martin, OLB
• Curtis Riley, FS
• Michael Thomas, S
• Riley Dixon, P
• Kyle Lauletta, QB
• B.W. Webb, CB

The biggest addition to the team is, without a doubt, Saquon Barkley who will give the Giants an every-down back that they haven’t had since Tiki Barber.

To pave the way for Barkley and to protect Eli Manning, the Giants signed left tackle Nate Solder to a four year $62 million deal, and drafted guard Will Hernandez in the second round.

The addition of Latimer will add size and physicality to the Giants receiving corps and will serve as the team’s primary kickoff returner.

One of the draft picks the Giants got in return for trading JPP is B.J. Hill who has been the defensive star of training camp, and Damon Harrison said that he’s the most athletic lineman on the team.

The Giants signed free agent Kareem Martin because of his familiarity with Bettcher’s system from his time with the Arizona Cardinals. The Giants took Carter in the third round because they believe he can one day be the team’s edge pass rusher to replace JPP. The Giants trade for Ogletree who gives them a playmaker at inside linebacker that can move sideline to sideline.

Riley will get the first shot at being the team’s starting free safety, but he’ll be pushed by Thomas who is also a special team’s ace.

Giants feel the hang time on Riley Dixon’s punts will be an upgrade over Brad Wing and help the team dictate field position.

With the Giants waiving Davis Webb after the preseason, Kyle Lauletta is now poised to be Eli Manning’s eventual successor. Of course, the Giants hope that Lauletta won’t see the field this season unless it’s in a mop-up role, because if something were to happen to Manning, the season is over.

B.W. Webb has been impressive throughout training camp and won the job of nickel corner. The Giants will need a big year from him if they’re to make the playoffs.

5 Burning Questions

1. How Much Better Is The O-Line?

We know the Giants offensive line will be better than it was a season ago with the free agent signing of left tackle Nate Solder and selecting left guard Will Hernandez in the second round of the draft.

Solder will help restore confidence in Manning that he can take five and seven step drop backs and not have to worry about being hit from behind. His presence will also help bring back the play action pass which has been non-existent in the Giants offensive attack in years.

While Solder is a huge upgrade over Flowers at left tackle, Solder might be the fourth best tackle in the division behind the Cowboys Tyron Smith, the Eagles Jason Peters, and the Redskins Trent Williams

Jon Halapio looks like he can be a solid center, but there are still concerns on the right side of the line with guard Patrick Omameh and tackle Ereck Flowers.

So the question is how much better is the Giants offensive line when there are concerns with 40 percent of the line?

From what we’ve seen in the preseason, the line is better in pass protection than run blocking.

If the Giants offensive line can be a top 15 offensive line, the potential for the Giants offense is unlimited. If they’re still in the 20’s it will plague them when they face the better defenses in the league. We’ll find out Week 1 against the Jaguars how much better the offensive line is.

2. Can Eli Be Elite Again?

The main reason why the Giants didn’t draft a quarterback with the second pick, is because they still believe their 37-year-old franchise quarterback Eli Manning still has something left in his tank. The question is how much does he have left?

Last season you have to give Manning a pass for throwing under 4,000 yards as his receiving corps was depleted, and he was without his two best offensive linemen for most of the season.

With an improved offensive line and the best set of skill position players he’s ever had in Odell Beckham Jr., Evan Engram, Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard, there’s no reason Manning should not be a top 10 quarterback if he still has something left in his tank.

Expect Manning to perform close to his 2015 form when he threw for 4,436 yards 35 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions.

3. Can Saquon Barkley Live Up To The Hype?

No rookie is entering the 2018 season with as much hype surrounding them than Saquon Barkley. The second overall pick in the draft is a favorite by many to win Offensive Rookie Of The Year, and one of the reasons the Giants are expected to contend for a wildcard. His expectations rose even further after he rushed for 39 yards the first time he touched the ball in the preseason game against the Browns.

But can he live up to those lofty expectations after just carrying the ball four times in the preseason?

Based on what’s expected of him if he should have 1,500 all-purpose yards. That might be too much to ask for considering the right side of the offensive line. 

4. Will The Defense Struggle Early In The 3-4 Transformation?

For the first time in over 20 years, the Giants will play in a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher. Anytime a team makes this drastic of a change in their defensive philosophy, it can take one and sometimes two years to get the personnel to fit the new scheme. The Giants will try to make this work in Bettcher’s first season.

The defense will be strong against the run, but against the pass, they’ll go through growing pains defending the pass as their linebackers get accustomed to covering running backs and tight ends, and with their best pass rusher Olivier Vernon unable to play in the season opener due to a high ankle sprain.

Expect the defense to struggle early when they face high powered offenses but will get better as the season progresses.

5. How Much Of An Upgrade Is Pat Shurmur Over Ben McAdoo?

The Ben McAdoo tenure as Giants head coach was a disaster. He lost the locker room last season and looked unfit to lead a team. Worst of all he ended Manning’s consecutive game streak by benching him for Geno Smith.

Giants ownership finally had enough of McAdoo’s antics and relieved him of his duties in December. The Giants then hired Pat Shurmur in January and the reaction, for the most part, was lukewarm.

Shurmur has a reputation of being an offensive guru, but his record as a head coach coming into this season is 10-23. Albeit all but one of those games was when he was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns a franchise where even the great Bill Belichick has failed.

But still, it’s unknown at this time of how much of an upgrade Shurmur is from McAdoo. One good thing that Shurmur has admitted was that he’s learned from his mistakes from his time with the Browns and won’t make the same mistake again. One of those mistakes was not having an offensive coordinator, so one of the first things he did when he became Giants head coach was to hire Mike Shula as offensive coordinator. The Giants are hopeful that Shurmur’s in-game strategies alone will lead to a couple of victories.

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

1. Eagles 11-5
2. Giants 9-7
3. Cowboys 7-9
4. 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.

Staff Picks

Robby Sabo, Founder

NFC East:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
2. New York Giants (7-9)
3. Washington Redskins (7-9)
4. Dallas Cowboys (5-11)
Playoff Results (If any): N/A
NFL Individual Awards (If any): N/A
Team MVP: Damon Harrison
Team OFF POY: Odell Beckham Jr.
Team DEF POY: Landon Collins
Team ROY: Saquon Barkley

What automatically bumps the New York Giants up from a lowly season to a mediocre one is simple: the O-line was epically awful a year ago. Old-school general manager Dave Gettleman came in and realized a no-nonsense approach was needed in fixing it. It did it (to the best of his ability).

The Saquon Barkley hype has gone past the point of nuts. While he won’t completely disappoint, the hype is just impossible to match. What’ll eventually let this team down is its defense, as Olivier Vernon isn’t enough to get the conventional pass rush rolling on his own.

Paul Esden, Jets Columnist

NFC East:
1. Washington Redskins (11-5)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
3. New York Giants (8-8)
4. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
Playoff Results (If any): N/A
NFL Individual Awards (If any):
Team MVP: Saquon Barkley
Team OFF POY: Odell Beckham Jr.
Team DEF POY: Landon Collins
Team ROY: Saquon Barkley

If you went into the future and came back and told me the New York Giants either went to the playoffs, won four games, or went .500 I would’ve believed anything you said. The range of ceiling to floor on this team is perhaps the widest in the entire league. Ultimately they have ridiculous amounts of talent on both sides of the ball and that will keep them competitive through most of the year. I know the Washington Redskins pick will sound crazy to people, but I believe in the talent and I have a soft spot for Alex Smith and this will be uber competitive as well.

Louis Sklenarik, Staff Writer

NFC East:
1. Eagles 12-4
2. Redskins 8-8
3. Giants 7-9
4. Cowboys 6-10
Playoff Results (If any): Miss
NFL Individual Awards (If any): N/A
Team MVP: Odell Beckham Jr.
Team OFF POY: Odell Beckham Jr.
Team DEF POY: Damon Harrison
Team ROY: Saquon Barkley

Frank Curto, Rangers Writer

NFC East:
1. Philadelphia 12-4
2. Giants 11-5
3. Dallas 10-6
4. Washington 8-8
Playoff Results (If any):
NFL Individual Awards (If any):
Team MVP: Saquon Barkley
Team OFF POY: Odell Beckham, Jr.

Ricky Keeler, St. John’s/Mets Writer

NFC East:
1. Eagles
2. Cowboys
3. Giants
4. Redskins
Playoff Results (If any):
NFL Individual Awards (If any): Saquon Barkley – Offensive ROY
Team MVP: Odell Beckham Jr.
Team OFF POY: Odell Beckham Jr.
Team DEF POY: Landon Collins
Team ROY: Barkley

Michael Lagares, Jets Podcast Host

NFC East:
1. Eagles 11-5
2. Dallas 9-7
3. Giants 8-8
4. Washington 7-9
Playoff Results (If any): Eagles lose in Div rd to Minnesota
NFL Individual Awards (If any):
Team MVP: Saquon Barkley
Team OFF POY: Saquon Barkley
Team DEF POY: O Vernon
Team ROY: Saquon Barkley