Folks, one of my favorite parts about the NFL Calendar every year is the release of the schedule. I absolutely love planning out my weekends in the fall to be able to watch the best matchups. I have planned vacations around the schedule of big NFL games and big games for the Giants. I have missed weddings to watch the NFL.
So this year I wanted to do something I’ve never done. I wanted to put together an “ideal schedule” for the Giants.
What do I mean by this? I literally mean make a schedule that benefits the Giants the most. This could be through rest or through when you play certain teams.
So I’m going to have my best crack at what I feel is the ideal Giants schedule. It absolutely won’t work out this way in reality but I am here to try it.
Week 1: At Arizona Cardinals (4:25pm EST)
You may be wondering why I have the Giants starting out on the road and on the west coast but there’s a method to my madness. Kyler Murray is going to be out for the first part of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL and MCL. You want to face the Cardinals early.
Week 2: Vs Washington Commanders (1:00pm EST)
The Giants will look to start 2-0 vs the Sam Howell led Commanders in week 2 in the home opener. Sign me up for this.
Week 3: At New Orleans Saints (1:00pm EST)
The Giants travel to New Orleans while Derek Carr and his new offense is still gelling. You love to see it.
Week 4: Vs Seattle Seahawks (SNF)
The Seahawks were a good team last year and have a solid fanbase. This could be a nice draw for SNF and give the Giants a chance to go 4-0 if the cards fall the right way.
Week 5: At Buffalo Bills (MNF)
Let’s have the Giants get a tough game at Buffalo out of the way before Buffalo freezes over in the winter. This will be a difficult game and I could absolutely see it being prime time.
Week 6: Vs Los Angeles Rams (1:00pm EST)
After a short flight home from Buffalo, the Giants come back and take on the Rams at home.
Week 7: At Las Vegas Raiders (4:25pm EST)
This could very well feel like a home game for the Giants as I expect the fanbase to travel well for this one.
Week 8: At San Francisco 49ers (TNF)
Hear me out…while playing back to back road games on TNF isn’t ideal, this could work out well for the Giants. The team would be able to stay on the west coast after playing the Raiders and they would get the Thursday Night football game done and over with early on. Seems like a win/win to me.
Week 9: Bye
Scheduling the bye week after a TNF game gives the team a few extra days to recharge.
Week 10: Vs Dallas Cowboys (SNF)
Dallas at home after the bye? Sign me up.
Week 11: At Washington Commanders (1:00pm EST)
The Giants have struggled with Dallas in recent years so Washington can serve as a palette cleanser if things go south during the Cowboys game.
Week 12 11/26: Vs Green Bay Packers (4:25pm EST)
The Packers could be bad without Aaron Rodgers this year. This could mean that they have nothing to play for by this time of year and the Giants could steamroll them at home.
Week 13: At Philadelphia (MNF)
You know one of the Philadelphia games will be primetime. Let’s just get this out of the way. The Giants will search for their first win in Philadelphia since 2013.
Week 14: Vs New England (1:00pm)
The Patriots are far and away the worst team in their division this season and will hopefully have nothing to play for by now.
Week 15: At Dallas (4:25pm EST)
This is always a tough game and it’s bound to be in December. Getting it done before Christmas would be ideal so that we can enjoy Christmas and not have it ruined if things go south.
Week 16: Vs New York Jets (1:00pm EST, Christmas Eve)
Can you believe that this year will mark 12 seasons that have gone by since Victor Cruz’s epic 99 yard touchdown against the Jets? Let’s relive some of that magic.
Week 17: At Miami Dolphins (1:00pm EST)
The Dolphins will have a good team this year and this could be a very meaningful game. Getting the Giants to Miami in late December will be a win for them, though. It is a nice escape from the cold and it should ensure that they get their fix before getting on any boats come playoff time.
Week 18: Vs Philadelphia (Time TBD)
I’m man enough to admit that the Eagles are a better team than the Giants so I’m hoping that the Eagles will have everything wrapped up by the time this game rolls around and the Giants can beat up on their backups.