One day before the start of the NFL Draft 2010, and at least the Giants know who they will be playing as the NFL released the 2010 schedule last evening (anticlimatic for sure, but nice to know how the Giants will start the season of course).
9/12 Home vs. Panthers
9/19 Away vs. Colts
9/26 Home vs. Titans
10/3 Home vs. Bears
10/10 Away vs. Titans
10/17 Home vs. Lions
10/25 away vs. Cowboys
10/31 BYE
11/7 Away vs. Seahawks
11/14 Home vs. Cowboys
11/21 Aways vs. Eagles
11/28 Home vs. Jaguars
12/5 Home vs. Redskins
12/12 Away vs. Vikings
12/19 Home vs. Eagles
12/26 Away vs. Packers
1/2 Away vs. Redskins
Initial thoughts: The Giants do not play any division games until Week 7 against the Cowboys, not sure if this is good or bad really, but the second half of the schedule is packed with playoff deciding games against fellow NFC East teams; the Giants open the new Meadowlands Stadium against the Panthers, a team that flat out embarrased the G-men to close out the old Meadowlands, have to think the guys in the locker room will be ready for the opener. The 2nd Manning bowl will take place in Indy in week 2, a nice test for this rebuilt defense for sure. Perhaps it may help the G-men to round into form before tackling the NFC East during the latter part of the schedule, either way, the Giants have one of the stronger strengths of schedule (7th strongest) on paper heading into 2010.
While the Giants December schedule looks brutal (Vikings, Eagles, Packers, and Redskins; three road games in there), if you take a look at the Cowboys December run, you won’t feel s bad (Cowboys have Indy, Philly, Washington, and the Cardinals). In total, the Giants have 4 primetime games, two of which fall on Sunday evening, and a Monday nighter against the Boys, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Nice to see a true mid-season bye week (Tom Coughlin is smiling if just for a second).
On to the draft, where no news is good news on the Osi Watch. All is quiet, something tells me that unless the Giants are wowed with a deal that makes too much sense (high second round pick and a mid round pick, at a minimum), Osi will be going no where in 2010). Still, there is interest and Jerry is listening, even if the Giants are not “actively looking to trade Osi.” At this point, trust no one, almost everyone is tradeable for the right price, the Giants plans in Round 1 will go a long way in determining whether Osi remains in blue in 2010.
Nice to see Big Ben about to get a big suspension (rumored to be 4-6 games), Pittsburgh faces the Falcons, Titans, Bucs, and Ravens in the first 4 weeks, no easy task for likely starter Byron Leftwich, I can see the Steelers being happy coming out of there at 2-2, but that is no sure thing either.
Stay Blue!