The NY Giants finished 2021 with their 4-13 record and the pressure is on the playmakers to help turn things around. Such a low number of wins in 2021 is not something fans want to get used to. Believe it or not, the Giants are tied with the cross-town rival Jets for the worst record in the past five years, as they’ve both gone 22-59.
It goes without saying, but plenty of the struggles have come due to the play of quarterback Daniel Jones. With general manager Joe Schoen declining his fifth-year option, that puts an overwhelming amount of urgency on the upcoming season for the QB. In this piece, we take a look at four games where Jones must step up and deliver.
Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans
A Week 1 win would be an exciting way to kick off the season and it would bring to an end the five-year streak of New York recording a loss to open the year. The last Week 1 win came in 2016, a thriller which saw Victor Cruz (torn patellar tendon in October of 2014) score the game-winning touchdown.
With the Titans trading star wide receiver AJ Brown and featuring an aging quarterback in Ryan Tannehill – who now has Malik Willis behind him – Tennessee surely isn’t the same squad from years before.
Tennessee is still no joke, however, as they still have a superstar running back in Derrick Henry, who is feared across the league. On top of him, Robert Woods has made his way from the Super Bowl champion LA Rams to the Titans. Plus, the team also drafted wideout Treylon Burks in the first round. This will be a close battle and it will be on Jones to try and help the team get over the top.
Week 4 against the Chicago Bears
The last time the Giants beat the Bears was in 2018, recording three consecutive losses to them since. The Giants will want to end that streak and they’ll have the opportunity to do just that this season in Week 4.
Jones has faced the Bears twice in his career, posting an 0-2 record. The former first-rounder wasn’t able to suit up for the 29-3 loss to Chicago last season because of his season-ending neck injury.
On top of that, the Giants would look poor losing at home to Justin Fields, especially after he underwhelmed last season. Remember that Chicago traded with New York to move up to No. 11 and select Fields. New York then went with Kadarius Toney at No. 20, and also was able to grab Evan Neal in this year’s draft as part of things.
Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have received the No. 1 pick in back-to-back years, taking Trevor Lawrence and Travon Walker, respectively. The Giants have lost the last two games against the Jaguars in 2014 and 2018, although they had much better teams back then. In 2018, Jacksonville made it to the AFC Championship Game. This is a possible trap contest for the Giants and Jones if they overlook the talent of this squad.
This seems like one of the easier games on the schedule, and it should be one the Giants win, but the Jaguars just spent over $160 million in guaranteed money on free agents. As for New York, they didn’t make any splash signings and were forced to cut cornerback James Bradberry to create cap space.
Again, this is a more than winnable game for the Giants and it will be on Jones to get things done. A loss against Jacksonville would be tough and the fanbase would surely be disappointed, especially with this one being at MetLife Stadium too.
Week 11 against the Detroit Lions
This is another game that will be competitive as both teams are on the rise. The Lions have a very overlooked roster, starting on their offensive line. However, they’ve made big additions via the draft in recent years. This year, they went with pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan at No. 2 overall. Many experts thought he’d go No. 1.
Hutchinson will surely be giving Jones a hard time when the Lions do arrive to East Rutherford. Also, keep an eye on Jameson Williams, who the Lions traded up to pick at No. 12, jumping multiple teams for the stud prospect. The Lions will try to stun the Giants in this one, as it will be a key contest for New York.
This won’t be an easy matchup and it’s surely a game New York can’t afford to lose, at home, if they want to be in a position to compete in the NFC East. For Jones, he’ll need to have a strong performance in this point of the season too if he wants to return to the team in 2023.