Giants' Win-Loss Predictions for 2022 NFL Season
The 2022 season is likely to be a transitional year for the New York Giants. Brian Daboll took over as head coach early this offseason—with Joe Schoen as general manager—but many of the core roster pieces remain.
However, the futures of players such as quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley are far from certain. Both are entering the final year of their rookie contracts, and the offense around them has been inconsistent during training camp.
Daboll isn't too concerned, though.
"We're evaluating players right now," the coach said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. "We're working through a lot of different schemes. That's not much different than the last 22 years I’ve been around."
While Daboll was coaching for a title contender with the Buffalo Bills last season, he's kicking off the start of what will likely be a multi-year rebuild in New York. A big part of this season will be about deciding whether Jones, Barkley and other Giants veterans will remain a part of it.
Fans, of course, will want to see progress in the win column too, especially after five straight seasons below .500. How many wins can New York compile in 2022? That's what we're here to examine.
Giants' 2022 Schedule
Week 1: at Tennessee Titans
Week 2: Carolina Panthers
Week 3: Dallas Cowboys
Week 4: Chicago Bears
Week 5: at Green Bay Packers
Week 6: Baltimore Ravens
Week 7: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 9: Bye
Week 10: Houston Texans
Week 11: Detroit Lions
Week 12: at Dallas Cowboys
Week 13: Washington Commanders
Week 14: Philadelphia Eagles
Week 15: at Washington Commanders
Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 17: Indianapolis Colts
Week 18: at Philadelphia Eagles
Analysis and Expectations
Expectations for the Giants aren't particularly high, which isn't surprising given the franchise's recent history. In addition to New York's track record, injuries are a concern.
More than a dozen players were ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals due to injury.
"Not good when you have to thread the injury tweets," Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweeted.
Even a title contender can have its season sunk by injuries, and New York is not that. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Giants are 130-1 to win the Super Bowl. New York is one of nine teams with 100-1 or longer odds to win a championship this season.
Unsurprisingly, the Giants are also considered long shots to win the NFC East. At 8-1, New York has the longest odds in the division. The Dallas Cowboys are the favorites at +140 (bet $100 to win $140), while the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders are +160 and +500, respectively.
Not everyone is out on the Giants as NFC East competitors, though. New York did receive one vote by Bleacher Report's panel of NFL experts, which was tasked with predicting division winners in July.
Still, the general perception is that the Giants will be an also-ran in 2022. This is reflected by Vegas oddsmakers, who have set the team's over/under for wins at seven.
A deep postseason run may not be a realistic goal for New York this season, but snapping the streak of consecutive losing seasons would be a sign of progress.
Predictions
For all of the uncertainty surrounding the Giants, there are some reasons for optimism. The first is that star running back Saquon Barkley finally appears healthy after two injury-plagued campaigns.
"Barkley looks healthier and better this summer than he has in years," ESPN's Jordan Raanan wrote.
We've seen that the 25-year-old can be special when healthy. He topped 2,000 scrimmage yards and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2018. If he can be that same dynamic dual-threat again, New York will have a chance to surprise some people.
The other thing to consider is the ease of New York's schedule. The Giants have the fourth-easiest schedule in terms of opposing 2021 win percentage (.465).
While there are no "easy" victories for a team coming off a four-win campaign, New York shouldn't be a heavy underdog often. Only six games—against the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and the Cowboys and Eagles twice apiece—will come versus 2021 playoff teams.
If New York can steal a game or two from this slate, doubling last year's win total won't be out of the question. Games against the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans will be far more forgiving.
The challenge for Daboll will be getting more out of players like Jones, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney than New York did in 2021. The other challenge, of course, will be getting and staying healthy.
If the Giants can avoid numerous significant injuries and show a little growth, they'll have a real chance to finish above .500 for the first time since 2016. But the prediction here is that they fall just short.
Win-Loss Prediction: 8-9
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