After a strong 2022 for the New York Giants in Brian Daboll's first campaign as head coach, the team is now looking to build off their playoff season and reach the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 2008.
It will not be an easy task, with experts saying the Giants have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL. On top of that, there's plenty of questions surrounding both quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
The Giants have been busy this offseason to improve the roster and fans are excited. However, there's still concern that 2022 was a fluke. With that said, here's our look at five 'worst-case scenarios' for the G-Men with the new campaign around the corner:
5. Saquon Barkley actually sits out the 2023 season
With Barkley leaving the door open that he'll sit out the 2022 campaign, Big Blue supporters are quite worried right now. This would be a major blow for the offense, as he is by far the team's best player on the offensive side of the ball. The hope is that an extention can get finalized before the July 17 deadline.
At his youth camp in Jersey City this past week, Barkley said that he's looking for respect. He also didn't seem too happy with the fact that countless stories have been leaked - and they didn't come from his camp.
Barkley is coming off the best season of his career, posting 1,312 rushing yards for the G-Men. Joe Schoen and Daboll obviously want to get something done with No. 26, but they want to make sure it's at the right price. The Giants don't want to overpay for a running back, something that historically never works out too well.
4. Daniel Jones doesn't live up to the hype of his new contract
The Giants chose to pay Jones his big contract over prioritizing Barkley and now the question is if he can live up to the $160 million contract the team signed him to back in March. But perhaps the biggest question is can he build off the strong 2022 campaign he had? If he struggles, the impatient New York Giant fans and the New York media market will be ready to blast him.
It was a really good year for Jones by his standards, as he really took a positive step forward. Despite only throwing for 15 touchdowns on the year, Danny Dimes did more than enough to help NY win some close games last fall. Not only that, but he powered the team to some thrilling upset wins, both on the road and at MetLife Stadium.
Jones has yet to find consistency in the NFL as after his strong rookie year, he regressed big time in 2020 and 2021, posting 11 passing touchdowns and 10 TDs, respectively. Entering the '23 campaign, countless eyes will be on Jones to step up and show that he was worth his payday. If he doesn't, it could be a long year for NY.
3. Injuries continue to be an issue for Darren Waller
The Giants surprised everyone around the NFL this offseason as they traded for former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. Waller is a player with plenty of potential, as people haven't forgotten about his back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Raiders.
However, injuries have resurfaced for Waller the last couple of years, in particular this past season as he only had 388 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his limited action. The Giants are quite excited about Waller's impact with NY moving forward, but we can't forget that he's missed 17 games in the last two years.
When healthy, no one can argue that Waller is one of the top tight ends in the game. He and Jones have already developed strong chemistry at OTAs and minicamp. However, if he gets hurt midway through the season or is forced to miss games on a consistent level, it'd be a major issue for the offense.
2. Sterling Shepard has a hard time staying on the field
Sterling Shepard is a fan favorite and is the longest-tenured Giant on this team entering 2023. However, Shepard is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in the Week 3 loss to the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. It marked the second-straight year that Shepard suffered a season-ending injury.
Even though he's had limited action over the last few years when healthy, Shepard can still play ball at a high level and he's also been a top target for Jones. Shepard can still run some really good routes and he provides a veteran presence on this Giants offense that this team needs. With that said, we can't forget about his inability to stay healthy of late.
Last season, the Giants ended up being fine without Shepard in their final 14 games in the regular season and in their playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings, but having a healthy 'Shep' on this offense will certainly make a big difference for Jones. If he once again deals with injuries, it'll simply be heartbreaking to see for the veteran wideout.
1. The Giants fall short in close games
Winning close games was a specialty for the Giants last season. As a matter of fact, they went 8-4 in games decided by less than a TD. That's right, all but one of their victories was decided by touchdown or less.
In previous years, fans were far too used to seeing the G-Men fall short in close games. During their long playoff drought, the Giants couldn't find ways to win games late. It was incredibly frustrating for the fanbase to watch each week. That changed in 2022, but will that continue to be the case for this team moving forward?
This team cannot rely on missed field goals, late-game turnovers and fourth quarter comebacks - instead, the Giants need to learn how to close out games and hold onto leads and not let them slip away. Outside of the win against the Colts late in the year, the Giants didn't post any dominant victories. Each win felt like a nail-biter.
Looking ahead to this fall, NY must avoid slow starts and keep the pedal to the metal. If they don't, then it could make the difference in Daboll's men making the playoffs.
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