Giants full 2023 schedule with predictions from Daily News’ Pat Leonard
The Giants have a 3-22 record against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in the past six seasons, including a combined 0-5 last year. Their success or failure starts and ends there.
So it’s appropriate that a 2023 season with higher expectations starts there, too:
Week 1. Sunday Night Football. Dak Prescott. Daniel Jones. Cowboys and Giants. MetLife Stadium. Under the lights.
Rekindling a Week 1 tradition that saw the NFC East rivals clash six times in eight years from 2012-19, with Dallas winning five. The Giants are hosting for the first time since 2012.
The schedule makes clear, though, that the NFL has dubbed Brian Daboll’s Giants as ready for prime time in the early going coming off a year one playoff berth.
John Mara’s club will face a Sunday Night, Thursday Night and Monday Night Football gauntlet in three of the regular season’s first four weeks. They’re scheduled for four prime time games in the season’s first six weeks and five total, which would be the most since 2016.
Can the Giants get it done under the bright lights? Here are the Daily News’ way-too-early 2023 regular season predictions for how Daboll’s team will fare after preseason primers at the Detroit Lions and against the Carolina Panthers and Jets:
Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Sept. 10, 8:20 p.m., NBC, (Sunday Night Football)
There’s a lot of pressure on Mike McCarthy calling Dallas’ offensive plays. Ezekiel Elliott is gone. But it’s hard to ignore Prescott’s 10-2 career record against the Giants.
Prediction: Cowboys 31, Giants 24.
Record: 0-1
Week 2: at Arizona Cardinals
Sept. 17, 4:05 p.m., FOX
Colt McCoy revenge game? If the Giants lose to McCoy and the kind-of-tanking Cardinals, they’ll have a lot worse problems in 2023 than a bad record.
Prediction: Giants 27, Cardinals 13.
Record: 1-1
Week 3: at San Francisco 49ers
Sept. 21, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video (Thursday Night Football)
If there’s a time to catch the Niners, it’s early. Maybe Brock Purdy (elbow) won’t be healthy and Wink Martindale’s defense can blitz Sam Darnold into oblivion. Or maybe that won’t matter.
Prediction: 49ers 23, Giants 16.
Record: 1-2
Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Oct. 2, 8:15 p.m., ESPN (Monday Night Football)
Geno Smith will keep that chip on his shoulder even after beating the Giants convincingly in Seattle last season. His message for the New York fans will trump the Giants’ long rest.
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Giants 24.
Record: 1-3
Week 5: at Miami Dolphins
Oct. 8, 1 p.m., FOX
The Giants’ secondary will have to face Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on a short week after taking on D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Prediction: Dolphins 28, Giants 27.
Record: 1-4
Week 6: at Buffalo Bills
Oct. 15, 8:20 p.m., NBC (Sunday Night Football)
Daboll and GM Joe Schoen will want this game in the worst way. Everything points to a loss in a harsh environment, but the Daboll-Sean McDermott history changes the equation.
Prediction: Giants 20, Bills 17.
Record: 2-4
Week 7: vs. Washington Commanders
Oct. 22, 1 p.m., CBS
I will take Daboll and Daniel Jones over Ron Rivera and Sam Howell every day that ends in ‘Y.’
Prediction: Giants 23, Commanders 17.
Record: 3-4
Week 8: vs. Jets
Oct. 29, 1 p.m., CBS
The Giants don’t fear Aaron Rodgers. They just beat his Packers last year in London. This Jets team will be better than that Green Bay team, though. Interesting that this isn’t in prime time.
Prediction: Jets 30, Giants 20.
Record: 3-5
Week 9: at Las Vegas Raiders
Nov. 5, 4:25 p.m., FOX
Giants TE Darren Waller and Vegas DC Pat Graham will both be out to get the better of their old clubs. Covering Davante Adams and stopping Maxx Crosby won’t be easy.
Prediction: Raiders 24, Giants 16.
Record: 3-6
Week 10: at Dallas Cowboys
Nov. 12, 4:25 p.m., FOX
If panic sets in after a slow Cowboys start, the Giants could use a road win here as an important springboard back into the race. Unfortunately, they haven’t won at Dallas since 2016.
Prediction: Cowboys 28, Giants 13.
Record: 3-7
Week 11: at Washington Commanders
Nov. 19, 1 p.m., FOX
What a Giant blessing that Washington is in this division.
Prediction: Giants 28, Commanders 10.
Record: 4-7
Week 12: vs. New England Patriots
Nov. 26, 1 p.m., FOX
Joe Judge revenge game? Bill Belichick never hates winning in New Jersey.
Prediction: Patriots 20, Giants 17.
Record: 4-8
Week 13: Bye
Week 14: vs. Green Bay Packers
Dec. 11, 8:15 p.m., ABC (Monday Night Football)
This game will get flexed out of Monday night if the Giants’ season goes the way we’re predicting. If it doesn’t get moved, that’s great news for Schoen and Daboll.
Prediction: Giants 34, Packers 13.
Record: 5-8
Week 15: at New Orleans Saints
Dec. 17, 1 p.m., FOX
Jones has led the Giants to a win in the Superdome before, and he does it again to save some face.
Prediction: Giants 23, Saints 20 (OT).
Record: 6-8
Week 16: at Philadelphia Eagles (Christmas Day)
Dec. 25, 4:30 p.m., FOX
It’s nice that the Giants don’t have to face the Eagles until Christmas. Who knows what injuries or random developments could help even the playing field before then? They hope.
Prediction: Eagles 34, Giants 26.
Record: 6-9
Week 17: vs. L.A. Rams
Dec. 31, 1 p.m., FOX
Like the Cardinals game in Week 2, there’s no excuse to lose this one.
Prediction: Giants 20, Rams 10.
Record: 7-9
Week 18: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
(TBD)
It would be nice to win four of five to close out the year, but Jalen Hurts and the Super Bowl-hopeful Eagles have other ideas.
Prediction: Eagles 41, Giants 28.
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Final record prediction: 7-10
The Giants went 3-6-1 in their final 10 games last season and now are tasked with one of the NFL’s most difficult schedules in 2023. If they stay healthy, they could score some upsets and maybe improve on last year’s 9-7-1 record. But that requires everything to go right.
