There’s good and bad news for the New York Giants' upcoming 2024 season won-loss totals.
Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated, who recently laid out his record predictions for all 32 NFL teams, has the Giants exceeding the number of wins (6.5) as set by Vegas oddsmakers–that’s the good news.
The bad news? The Giants will still fall under .500 and will fall short of the playoffs,
Orr has the Giants finishing with an 8-9 record, stating that he believes 8-9 would be a step in the right direction for a team still rebuilding.
He added, “Do I expect [quarterback] Daniel Jones to start all these games? No. Do I expect it to look beautiful? I do not."
On paper and based on what was shown during training camp and the preseason, the Giants do seem improved in some areas. The investments made in adding veterans to the starting offensive line have yielded encouraging results, though the jury is still out on the backup depth.
The pass rush, sporting outside linebacker Brian Burns, has also looked promising, though questions remain in the defensive secondary, which finally welcomed back veteran Adoree’ Jackson to a unit that struggled in the summer.
The receiving corps, as led by rookie Malik Nabers, looks poised and ready for a big season, but there are still question marks as to whether quarterback Daniel Jones can recapture his 2022 form when he took the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Besides the pros and cons of the roster itself, the Giants have a difficult stretch in their schedule beginning in Week 3 when they head to Cleveland. Over that six-game stretch, the Giants will face four teams that made the playoffs last season, including the Browns, Cowboys, Eagles, and Steelers.
If the Giants are to have a chance at reaching eight wins, it needs to start in their division. Last season, the Giants finished 3-3 in the NFC East, their best record since 2020 when, despite finishing 6-10 that season, the Giants logged a 4-2 record against their division opponents.
The Cowboys have historically had the Giants number, going 13-1 against them since 2017, including winning their last six games.
Regarding the Eagles, the Giants finally snapped an eight-game losing streak dating back to 2017 with back-to-back wins, both at MetLife Stadium. Since then, the Giants have gone 1-5 against the Eagles (including postseason).
Washington has been a friendlier opponent to the Giants. Dating back to 2018, New York has won eight out of 11 games against the Commanders. This year, they have a new coaching staff and a new quarterback in reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
Given all the factors, Orr has a suggestion for Giants fans.
"I think that if I were a Giants fan, I would try to look at the next two seasons as one continuous season," Orr said. "By that, I mean, give these players at wide receiver, cornerback, and offensive line a chance to develop, and in 2025, when Dallas is still digging itself out of cap hell, and the Eagles are possibly starting over at either head coach or quarterback, there will be a foundation here."
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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