The fortunes of the New York Giants have completely turned after one season. They started the 2022-23 season strong, matching their win total from last year after only five games. Early on, the Giants look like legitimate contenders, and seem good value for anyone who bet on the NFL preseason and picked the Giants at +11800.
Saquon Barkley’s resurgence is key to the Giants’ early success. He is back to Pro Bowl form after suffering an ACL injury two seasons ago. Aside from him, the Giants also have quarterback Daniel Jones, emerging wide receiver Richie James, and tight end Daniel Bellinger. Offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal have been solid for New York.
Meanwhile, their defense has Azeez Ojulari up front and Kayvon Thibodeaux at linebacker. The Giants also have Tae Crowder, Adoree’ Jackson, and Xavier McKinney.
New head coach Brian Daboll brought that winning mentality he acquired as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator. But while the Giants will enter the postseason, winning the division might be challenging because the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys are also playing well. That said, the Giants should make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
The Giants won four of their first five games in 2022, including victories over the Tennessee Titans and the Green Bay Packers. Both teams were top seeds in last season’s playoffs. They succeeded with close games because all four victories were within one possession.
The Giants have also matched their win totals in 2019 and 2021. It remains to be seen, though, if the team can carry this momentum to a deep playoff run. The 2022 Giants may add to their Super Bowl collection if everything goes well.
The Giants have a proud tradition dating back to their establishment in 1925. They are one of the five teams that joined the league that year and the only one left existing. The team has four NFL Championships and four Super Bowl victories. However, their last title came in 2011, and the franchise has fallen on hard times since. Still, they are one of the most successful teams in NFL history, with 16 division titles and 32 playoff appearances.
The Giants play their home games at Metlife Stadium which was opened in 2010 and formerly known as New Meadowlands Stadium. They share the stadium’s ownership with the New York Jets, which can accommodate up to 82,500 people. The atmosphere is electric during games, and Giants fans dial up the noise when the opposing team is on offense. They sincerely appreciate the game by knowing its history and helping their team win in their own way.
The Giants have an intra-city rivalry with the Jets called the Metlife Bowl. While they often have off-season practices together, they meet in an NFL regular season game only once in four years. Aside from the Jets, the Giants also have a rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers after meeting in eight postseason games, including two NFC title games. Their overall series is tied at 21 apiece.
They also consider the Chicago Bears their rivals, especially during the pre-Super Bowl era. They’ve faced each other in six NFL championship games, with the Bears winning four. The Bears lead the all-time series, 36-24-2, but the Giants have more Super Bowl titles.
The Giants also have a rivalry with the New England Patriots after preventing them from winning two more Super Bowls. New York’s win in Super Bowl XLII prevented New England from having a perfect season.
Aside from those teams, the Giants consider other NFC East teams as rivals. While the Cowboys lead the all-time series, the Giants have won their only playoff matchup. Meanwhile, their rivalry with the Washington Commanders dates back to 1932. The Giants lead the overall series, 105-70-4, but the Commanders won their last two meetings.
Finally, the Giants’ rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is one of the NFL’s best. It dates back to 1933, and they have split their four postseason matches. While the Giants dominated the early part of their rivalry, the Eagles started to catch up in the 1980s. Philadelphia has a 90-88-2 lead in their overall series with the Giants.