Last year, the New York Giants were a team that needed some divine intervention to become competitive. They got very little help from the football gods. Some of their best players were lost early on in the season, and they lost games in ways few have ever thought possible.
What didn’t help was the killer schedule the league handed them, the most difficult in the NFL last year. Their opponents had a .574 combined winning percentage.
This year, things could be different. Their schedule isn’t as daunting (17th overall), and they have made some major alterations to their front office, coaching staff, and roster, which should help them get back into contention.
In the mind of FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, the Giants are one of the seven “winners” in this week’s NFL schedule release.
When a new coach is trying to change a losing culture, he needs to get off to a fast start. And the schedule gives John Harbaugh a chance to do just that. From Weeks 3 to 6, the Giants play the Titans, Cardinals, Commanders and Saints — four teams that had a combined .250 winning percentage last season, and all of those games except for the one against Washington will be played at home. They have a huge shot at a rare fast start, especially if they can knock off the Cowboys at home in Week 1 (ignore their daunting trip to L.A. to face the Rams in Week 2). The NFL really teed the start of the Harbaugh era up nicely.
The schedule starts with a national TV game against Dallas at home on Sunday night. The Cowboys have won 17 of the last 20 meetings, going back to 2017, but the Giants won the last one, which came in a meaningless game in the season finale last season.
The Giants will travel to SoFi Stadium in Week 2 to play the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. The Rams are the early favorites to win the Super Bowl this season.
After that, the schedule levels off. They play just seven games versus teams that qualified for the postseason in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants named winners of 2026 NFL schedule release
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
