New York Giants: A Breakdown of the 2009-10 Schedule

Looking over the schedule for the Giants, it’s clear to see how it breaks down into quarters or stretches, some being more difficult than others.

Stretch 1

Week 1—vs. Redskins

Week 2—@ Cowboys

Week 3—@ Buccaneers

Week 4—@ Chiefs

Week 5—vs. Raiders

A couple of main points on this first stretch.  The Giants open with two games against division rivals. Both are winnable, and both are games the Giants need to win if they are going to have a dominant season. 

Sending a message to the Redskins and Cowboys, as well as the Eagles who will surely be paying attention, is crucial, as is piling up early season wins while putting division rivals in the hole.  Another facet to these five games is that none of the opponents made the postseason last year, with the Chiefs and Raiders sporting only seven wins between the two of them. 

These are games the Giants have to win in order to keep the pressure on the rest of the division and assert their dominance within the NFC.  It is also important to note that the Giants have three consecutive road games, a rarity in the NFL, but the opponents are not imposing.  While it is difficult for a team to play three road games I have confidence the Giants will be prepared and play hard.  It also means that six of the remaining 11 games will be at home.

Ideal record for Stretch 1: no worse than 4-1, and the loss shouldn’t come to a division rival.  Going 5-0 would be greatly beneficial, but no team is perfect.

Stretch 2

Week 6—@ Saints

Week 7—vs. Cardinals

Week 8—@ Eagles

Week 9—vs. Chargers

Week 10—BYE

None of the teams in the second stretch had a losing record and three of them appeared in the playoffs, including the defending NFC champion Cardinals. 

That being said, none of these teams were especially dominant last season, and the Giants need to have confidence in the fact that they defeated the Cardinals rather handily in 2008.  The Chargers and Saints were uninspired last season, both posting 8-8 records while the Eagles (9-6-1) snuck into the playoffs after a number of unlikely scenarios came to fruition. 

All of these teams are beatable and lead into a convenient bye week located near the middle of the season as opposed to seasons past where the Giants perennially got shafted with an early bye.  The Eagles pose the greatest threat here, although the Chargers are equally dangerous.

Ideal record for Stretch 2:  3-1.  This would put the Giants into the bye at 7-2 or 8-1, to get rested up for a very difficult remainder of the season.  Going 2-2 would not kill the Giants season, but again, wins over division opponents are at a premium, as are winning games against mediocre teams like the Saints.  You know that Eli will be up for playing the Chargers and Phillip Rivers. 

Stretch 3

Week 11—vs. Falcons

Week 12—@ Broncos

The Broncos are expected to be a team that struggles to find an identity, with a below average Kyle Orton at the helm and a new coaching staff. This is a team the Giants should run over and not look back.  Denver had one of the NFL’s worst defenses last season in most statistical categories. 

The Falcons pose a problem. Matt Ryan is an ascending quarterback on an ascending team.  If the Giants can put pressure on him, he should make mistakes.  Despite the many accolades, Ryan was only 4-4 away from home.  Giants Stadium can be intimidating for a young passer.  Just ask Eli Manning.

Ideal Record for Stretch 3: 2-0.  Both games are winnable against teams the Giants should beat.  The remaining 5 weeks are brutal so putting as many wins under their belt becomes imperative.  The Giants need to be at least 8-3 at this point if not better.  Anything worse might spell disaster.

Stretch 4

Week 13—vs. Cowboys

Week 14—vs. Eagles

Week 15—@ Redskins

This is by far the most difficult stretch to date. 

All three games are against division opponents late in the season when wins will be at a premium. 

The Giants get two of the three games at home which can help, especially against the tougher Cowboys and Eagles.  It seems that every season there is a stretch where the Giants are forced to play all three division opponents in the span of three to five weeks, and it ends up determining the outcome of the season.  These games should dictate who wins the NFC East, who gets a home playoff game, and possibly who gets a first round bye.

Ideal Record for Stretch 4: 2-1.  If the Giants plan to win the division and make the playoffs they should go no worse than 4-2 within the division.  Getting swept over this stretch would spell disaster, and although going 1-2 would not kill the Giants, the outlook would not be so rosy.  The Giants need to have 10 wins wrapped up by this point.  An 11-3 record at this point would make the final stretch less climactic.  Anything better is just gravy.

Stretch 5

Week 16—vs. Panthers

Week 17—@ Vikings

Both teams made the playoffs last season but were early exits.  The Panthers expect to be the same team they were last season, running the ball and playing good defense, very similar to the Giants.  The Giants were able to sneak one out in overtime last season without Plaxico Burress.  I see no reason why the outcome this year won’t be similar, especially with Eli having almost a full season’s experience at the helm without Burress and Toomer. 

The Vikings made the playoffs by beating the Giants in the season finale last year, against New York's second stringers.  This year could have a very similar outcome.  If the Giants are forced to play their starters they should win without too much trouble, even if a certain No. 4 is playing QB for Minnesota.

Ideal Record for Stretch 5: 1-1.  The Giants will probably not need to win both games to make the playoffs.  I would LOVE to see the Vikings get pounded by the G-Men, especially if a playoff spot is on the line for either team. 

A 12-4 record should put the Giants in strong consideration for the division, and possibly a bye.  Any stumble in the plan I’ve laid out and we may have to fight our way to the top as a wild card.