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NY Post
New York Post
10 Sep 2023


NextImg:Five bold Giants predictions for 2023 NFL season: Turn tables on rivals en route to playoffs

The Giants tasted the playoffs last season and are hungry for more.

Gone are the recent days when it counted as bold to predict that the Giants would not finish last in the division, or an embattled head coach would make it to Year 3 without getting fired.

Head coach Brian Daboll won’t break from his boring one-day-at-a-time stance under any circumstances, but that won’t stop The Post from making its annual five bold predictions:

After going 0-5 (including the playoffs) against their two chief rivals last season, the Giants turn the tables.

How bold is this prediction?

The Giants are 3-20 combined in their last 23 games against those two opponents, with all three wins coming during Joe Judge’s two years at the helm.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts helped lead the team to a Super Bowl berth during the 2022 season.
Getty Images

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will face the Giants in their 2023 season opener.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will face the Giants in their 2023 season opener.
Getty Images

The Giants last swept the Eagles in 2007 and last swept the Cowboys in 2016.

The two games against the Cowboys are Weeks 1 and 12, while the two games against the Eagles are Weeks 16 (Christmas) and 18.

The surest path back to the playoffs for the first back-to-back appearances since 2007-08 is finishing top-two in the NFC East — and winning division games is the ticket.

No more excuses for Jones, who signed a four-year, $160 million contract that raised expectations beyond just being a ball-security game-manager.

Jones combined for 22 touchdowns (15 passing, seven rushing) last season, which was the most since his 26 as a turnover-prone rookie in 2019.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones looks to pass in a preseason game on Aug. 18, 2023.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones looks to pass in a preseason game on Aug. 18, 2023.
Getty Images

He also stayed healthy for a full season for the first time, making the first 16 starts before sitting with the rest of the starters during the meaningless regular-season finale.  

A healthy Jones, plus an improved cast of playmakers, plus his second year under offensive coordinator Mike Kafka should allow him to take the next step.

Beckham averaged 1,293 receiving yards over his four seasons, with at least 12 games played for the Giants.

His production was taken for granted by the time he went for 1,052 in 12 games in 2018 — the last season before he was traded to the Browns.

In four seasons since then, the Giants’ receiving yardage leaders are: Darius Slayton (740), Slayton (751), Kenny Golladay (521) and Slayton (724), respectively.

Giants tight end Darren Waller (12) makes a reception during a preseason game in August 2023.

Giants tight end Darren Waller (12) makes a reception during a preseason game in August 2023.
Robert Sabo for NY Post

The only Giants’ tight end to top 1,000 yards in a season was Mark Bavaro in 1986.

But Waller was uncoverable during training camp.

The key is staying healthy, which he hasn’t been able to do (17 games missed) since totaling 1,196 yards in 2020.

The Giants seem flush with receivers at the moment. But Waller, Sterling Shepard, Parris Campbell and Wan’Dale Robinson all have injury histories, and Cole Beasley (practice squad) already is on injured reserve.

If the Buccaneers get off to the slow start expected after Tom Brady’s retirement and a reset seems inevitable for 2024, then they will become ripe sellers.

The Giants should call about Chris Godwin, who is 27 years old, signed for a $20 million walk-year salary in 2024 and has the slot/perimeter versatility that the Giants covet.

Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans could be a potential trade target for the Giants.

Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans could be a potential trade target for the Giants.
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The Giants could possibly go after Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin.

The Giants could possibly go after Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin.
Getty Images

If the Buccaneers say no, Mike Evans should be available after he failed to reach an agreement on an extension with Tampa Bay by his agent-set deadline on Friday.

Schoen has shown a propensity for wheeling and dealing draft picks.

The price for a half-season rental of Evans, 30, shouldn’t be prohibitive, and the Giants could do a lot worse than a receiver with nine straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his career.

Not all bold predictions are meant to be encouraging.

The Giants are taking a huge gamble by starting rookies Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins on the outside and moving veteran Adoree Jackson into the slot — especially with first-year starter Jason Pinnock at safety.

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is willing to live with two rookies because “you have to play the best guys.”

Giants cornerbacks Tre Hawkins (37) and Deonte Banks (25) at practice on Sept. 6, 2023.

Giants cornerbacks Tre Hawkins (37) and Deonte Banks (25) at practice on Sept. 6, 2023.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Easy to say in training camp, harder to do in the regular season if “rookie mistakes” – hey, they are called that for a reason – lead to big plays allowed in close games.

Darnay Holmes and Cor’Dale Flott – who were competing to start before sixth-round pick Hawkins emerged — are waiting in the wings for a second chance, with Jackson’s flexibility allowing for different forms of tweaking.

Or maybe this is the position that Schoen targets in a midseason trade.

The loss of veteran starters Fabian Moreau (cornerback) and Julian Love (safety) was underplayed entering the season.