The New York Giants shocked the football world a season ago, finishing with a record of 9-7-1 while punching their ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The surprises continued during Super Wild Card Weekend when the Giants went on the road and took down the Minnesota Vikings, 31-24. It was their first playoff victory since Super Bowl XLVI.
But success in 2022 doesn’t automatically mean success in 2023. And that’s something head coach Brian Daboll has reminded his club.
It’s also something Will Brinson of CBS Sports touched on recently when listing seven teams who could miss the postseason after getting in last year.
This is not me saying the Giants WON’T make the playoffs, this is simply me saying the Giants have enough questions surrounding the roster and with the team where it would be insane not to include them. Daniel Jones was on the way out in New York before Brian Daboll’s arrival changed the trajectory of his career. Saquon Barkley remains away from the team unhappy with his contract after receiving the franchise tag; it’s not likely a huge problem but it’s not nothing given how important the running back is to this offense.
The Giants have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL just a year after having one of the easiest; they’re also heavily featured in primetime matchups and draw the 49ers on the road for their Thursday matchup.
New York went 7-3-1 in one-score games last year. The NFC is certainly wide open and with seven available spots, the Giants taking one of them wouldn’t be surprising at all given the culture being built by Daboll and the new regime. But the division is tough and any sort of regression from Danny Dimes could cause the Giants’ ascension to wobble.
There’s no doubt the Giants face a tougher path to the playoffs this season than last. Their schedule is brutal and there are still some positions that lack proper depth. However, projected progression shouldn’t be ignored.
Quarterback Daniel Jones could regress because anything is possible. But it’s more likely that he’ll continue to make strides in Mike Kafka’s offense and if there’s any improvement around him whatsoever, the team will be far more dangerous on a week-to-week basis.
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