New York Giants 2024 schedule: Daniel Jones, Brian Daboll have shot at a much-needed fast start (2024)

Who were the biggest winners and losers of the NFL schedule release? Jeff Howe has you covered.

For football fans who love to plan, there’s no better day than the NFL schedule release day. While we may still be four months away from the 2024 season’s official kickoff, we’re one step closer to football Sundays.

There’s little doubt the New York Giants face a critical season after finishing a disappointing 6-11 last year. That season of turmoil led to a coaching staff overhaul, (more) quarterback unrest, major changes in free agency, a blockbuster tradeand a top-10 pick, so there’s no shortage of intrigue this upcoming year.

General manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll will be under even more scrutiny this season to show progress in their third years at the helm. That will be a big challenge considering the Giants’ opponents this year. Based on last year’s standings, the Giants are slated to face the sixth-toughest strength of schedule, so they’ll have their work cut out.

Week 1 keys to victory

While every team wants to win its first game, a Week 1 victory would go a long way in the minds of Giants fans in the wake of last year’s dismal opener — a 40-0 thrashing by Dallas — which foretold a rocky rest of the year. A season-opening win would be a strong sign of progress. And it should be gettable, too. Minnesota has an excellent roster, but questions at quarterback. The Giants will either see the well-traveled Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy in his NFL debut. The Giants passed on McCarthy in the draft; that could look smart or foolish depending on if or how well he plays.

Beyond the McCarthy question, the biggest area to watch in Week 1 will be the offensive line. After a decade of poor play, the offensive line reached disastrous lows last season, and it started in the opener. Quarterback Daniel Jones was sacked seven times, as the line allowed 20 pressures and 23 hurries. By year’s end, the Giants would end up conceding the second-most sacks (85) in NFL history. Jones injured his neck on one of those sacks, missing three games before returning and tearing his ACL.

The team’s 282 pressures allowed were the second-worst in the league. The horrid performance led to an overhaul of the room, starting with the firing of position coach Bobby Johnson and the hiring of Carmen Bricillo. The Giants also used valuable free agency capital to bring in proven veterans Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor, among others. If the line plays well against a solid Vikings pass rush headlined by Jonathan Greenard and first-round pick Dallas Turner, it will be another indicator that things are headed in the right direction.

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Must-watch game: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Week 7

Saquon Barkley’s homecoming. As much as the NFL is about Xs and Os, it’s also about the storylines and drama. And after thinking about the implications of Year 3 for this regime, there might be no bigger plot point than the Giants letting Barkley depart to the division-rival Eagles. Yes, Barkley did what was best for his career, and you can’t fault a player for that, but losing a fan-favorite to your hated rival was the nightmare scenario for Giants fans. And maybe even for Daboll and Schoen. They let him walk, and maybe that will end up being the right decision, but if Barkley goes berserk in Philadelphia and the Giants offense struggles to get off the ground again, it won’t be a good look for the coach and GM. Make no mistake, while there was already bad blood between these rivals, there’s a lot at stake this season. Get that popcorn ready.

Toughest stretch: Weeks 12-18

The Giants are facing a brutal post-bye schedule. After their Week 11 bye, the Giants will face four 2023 playoff teams: the Buccaneers (Week 12), Cowboys (Week 13), Ravens (Week 15) and Eagles (Week 18). Meanwhile, the Saints (Week 14) and Colts (Week 17) both finished 9-8. The only sub-.500 team from last year the Giants face in the final stretch is the Falcons (Week 16), but they should be vastly improved with the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Obviously, being a good team last year doesn’t guarantee they’ll be a good team again this year, but as things stand now, the Giants’ post-bye schedule looks tough. That means New York will need to start strong if it hopes to return to the playoffs.

A game that has gotten tougher: at Falcons, Week 16

The Falcons became one of the biggest stories of the draft with their first-round selection of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after having already signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in free agency. But it’s the Cousins signing that makes this a more intriguing matchup for the Giants. Previous iterations of the Falcons offense were loaded with playmakers, but uneven quarterback play often kept those players from making an impact. That shouldn’t be a problem with Cousins, assuming he’s fully recovered from his Achilles injury. The 35-year-old, who is entering his 13th season in the league, is one of the better distributors in the league and will have little issue getting the ball to the likes of Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson. Factor in the upgrade at head coach (from Arthur Smith to Raheem Morris), and the Atlanta trip looks a lot more challenging than it did a few months ago.

One game the Giants can’t afford to lose: at Commanders, Week 2

Even during the lean times, the Giants can usually count on beating the Commanders. That can’t be said about the Cowboys and especially not the Eagles. But over the past five years, the Giants own an 8-3-1 record against Washington. So as the Giants look to bounce back this season, wins over Washington need to remain the norm. That starts Week 2.

It won’t necessarily be easy, though. Washington has made a lot of improvements lately, from new ownership to a new coach (Dan Quinn) to the No. 2 pick in quarterback Jayden Daniels. But if the Giants are going to improve on last year’s results, they’ll need to find a way to maintain their dominance over the Commanders.

Best offense the Giants will face: Ravens, Week 15

The Ravens finished fourth in points per game (28.4) and offensive DVOA last year and are headlined by a two-time and reigning NFL MVP in quarterback Lamar Jackson. Baltimore upgraded its running back room by adding superstar Derrick Henry — a player new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen should be very familiar with given their shared Tennessee roots. While Baltimore’s offensive line could take a step back after some key losses in free agency, as long as Jackson is at the helm, the Ravens offense will always be tough to defend.

Best defense the Giants will face: Browns, Week 3

There’s a case to be made for the Ravens, but considering the pieces Baltimore lost this offseason (Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney, Geno Stone), the Browns get the edge. Cleveland finished second in defensive DVOA last year behind Baltimore, but the Browns bring back critical pieces this upcoming season. Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett is arguably the best pass rusher in the league. The Browns also boast Pro Bowl-caliber players in cornerback Denzel Ward, safety Grant Delpit and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, among other quality contributors. With defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz returning for another season, as well, this will be a tough group to score points against.

Predicted record: 8-9

As someone who hates being put on the spot with a prediction, trying to make one now without seeing this team in any preseason or even OTA action is tough. But you have to believe there will be some improvement. And if there isn’t, oh boy. As I mentioned earlier, a winnable front half of the schedule will be imperative for the Giants to start strong. They just couldn’t overcome the mountain of challenges last year, so stacking up some early wins this year could go a long way toward a bounce-back season.

Predicted NFC East finish: third

1. Eagles, 2. Cowboys, 3. Giants, 4. Commanders

Though Dallas won this division last year, I’m going with Philadelphia to reclaim the crown this season. Eagles GM Howie Roseman always does a great job upgrading his roster — even in the face of some key departures. The Cowboys, meanwhile, had a lackluster offseason, so it’s hard to get excited about their chances of repeating.

As for the Giants, I don’t see them contending for the division crown, but maybe if everything breaks right — a little like it did in 2022 — maybe they can stay in the hunt for a wild card.

(Photo of Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)

Charlotte Carroll covers the New York Giants for The Athletic. She previously covered the University of Connecticut basketball and the WNBA's Connecticut Sun for The Athletic and wrote for Sports Illustrated. She interned at The Denver Post and Field & Stream magazine. Follow Charlotte on Twitter @charlottecrrll