We've all done it by now. We've taken a look the NY Giants 2023 schedule, dissected it and picked exactly how their record is going to play out. The Giants have one of the hardest schedules in the league when you look at the overall winning percentages of teams from last season, but there are some games that NY, in theory, should have no issues in.
Although these games should improve the Giants record, they could easily end up in losses if the G-Men aren't careful. Let's take a look at some of the biggest trap games the boys in blue could face this year:
5. NY Giants vs. New England Patriots in Week 12
We're definitely in an interesting spot where we can call the greatest coach of all time's team a trap game, but that's just the world we live in. Bill Belichick and his New England patriots come to town at the end of November and it will be a tough one if the Giants don't remain focused.
On paper, this Giants team has a superior roster to the Patriots. With the exception of Matthew Judon, you could make the argument the Giants are better at every position. The Giants are currently favored at -1.5 but this game becomes a trap not just because of that spread, but because of what this game is after.
The Giants play the Patriots following their matchup with the Washington Commanders, which is a game that could be pivotal in terms of divisional standings. There is a real possibility the Giants give it their all for a division win and believe they can coast past what looks to be an inferior Patriots roster. Of course, Belichick is a genius, so this game isn't as "trappy" as others on this list.
4. NY Giants vs. Green Bay Packers in Week 14
The fifth and final primetime game for the Giants is one they need to take seriously for their own benefit. They won't fall victim to this trap because the Monday Night Football lights are too bright, but because the Green Bay Packers may not have their full attention.
Contrary to the last slide, the G-Men may exhaust themselves trying to out-scheme the GOAT and think they have a game against an unproven quarterback in Jordan Love in the bag. This Packers matchup falls between the Patriots game and a road trip to New Orleans.
Big Blue could very well make the mistake trying to head south as quickly as possible and forget to execute against a team they should be able to beat. The saving grace here is the primetime slot. Who would want to embarrass themselves in front of a national audience? And, given Daniel Jones' history in primetime games, he'll probably be looking to get every win he can in these slots.
3. NY Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams in Week 17
It'd be hard to take a recent Super Bowl winning team for granted, but it's not something out of the realm of possibility for the Giants in 2023. The Los Angeles Rams are not the same team that won the Super Bowl just two years ago, and it's not really even close.
They lost Jalen Ramsey to Miami, who knows if Matthew Stafford will be fully healthy at this point in the year and their head coach Sean McVay might be halfway out the door. So, this should be an easy win for the Giants, right?
Not exactly. This Rams matchup is sandwiched between the two Eagles games. Depending on how the season shakes out, those two matchups against Philadelphia will have the Giants attention. And, if there is a healthy Stafford, he'll have one of the best receivers in the league in Cooper Kupp at the ready.
Not to mention, the Rams still employ one of the greatest defensive players ever, Aaron Donald. The Giants are favored to win, and not only should they win the game but they should do so in convicing fashion. However, if they aren't careful, this game will end in disappointing fashion.
2. NY Giants vs. Washington Commanders in Week 7
Yes, the first matchup against this particular divisional foe is a trap game. For one, who knows how the Commanders will look. With an unproven Sam Howell under center, this offense may not exactly have the juice. Really, the Commanders roster top to bottom is pretty solid all things considered.
But, that's why they call the quarterback the most important position in sports. The G-Men could be thinking too highly of themselves and that their defense could easily make life hard for a young quarterback, but it may not be the case.
Another part of this matchup that could lead to the Giants looking past it is it is right in the middle of the Battle for New York. The Giants play the Bills on Sunday night the week before and play the Jets the week after.
You wouldn't think a coach like Brian Daboll would let his team's mind wander to any week but the present, but it could easily happen here. The Giants could suffer a crucial divisional loss if they aren't careful.
1. NY Giants at Arizona Cardinals in Week 2
There is no debate with this one. This is the definition of a trap game. It's not a secret, but the Arizona Cardinals are going to be bad this year. They'll be without Kyler Murray for some period of time and recently released DeAndre Hopkins. They will most likely face the Giants with a backup quarterback and without a true No. 1 receiver.
This has all the makings of the Giants cruising to a blowout win. However, as we know and has been made abundantly clear in this article, the Giants have to play the game first and not be too casual. If they do that and stay focused, the blowout will happen. But, if they lose their focus, it'll be one of the biggest upsets of the year.
Losing focus for the Cardinals game may be more than a probability. It may almost be a certainty and that's what's scary. The Cardinals are the Giants second game of the year. This means it's right after the primetime opener against the Cowboys. A game where, if the Giants win, they may celebrate a little too much and not be ready for Arizona.
The main concern with where this matchup is on the calendar is what follows. After Arizona, the Giants play the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. A short week following a should be easy victory? This could very well end up being a disaster for the Giants. Hopefully though, they live in the present and take care of business one week at a time.