What to expect from the New York Giants in 2020 is really anyone’s guess. The team has a solid, young core, but they’re also ushering in an entirely new era that includes a brand new coaching staff and first-time head coach.
The uncertainty surrounding the team has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, which has kept players out of and away from all East Rutherford facilities since mid-March.
Some have offered bold predictions for the Giants, even going as far as to predict they reach the playoffs, while others anticipate another ugly season.
Rather than making a single prediction of his own, Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus recently broke down the best- and worst-case scenarios facing the Giants in 2020.
In the shallow water, Linsey has second-year quarterback Daniel Jones struggling and the Giants finishing with just four wins.
10th percentile outcome: 4-12
How they get there: Daniel Jones’ tendency to produce negative plays and mistakes doesn’t improve. He’s coming off a rookie season where he was one of just four quarterbacks with over 30 turnover-worthy plays and one of only nine quarterbacks to take at least 40 sacks on the year. Yes, the offensive line played a role, but so did Jones’ internal clock and obliviousness to bodies flying around him. A lack of improvement in that area, paired with a non-existent pass rush and depth concerns at cornerback, could lead to a team in rough shape in 2020.
Even at their high-water mark, Linsey doesn’t expect the Giants to reach double-digit wins, instead finishing the season with a 9-7 record.
90th percentile outcome: 9-7
How they get there: Jones keeps the high-end plays and the ability to create with his legs, and he also cuts down on the mistakes. That leads to a much-improved offense that may not have a true top option in the receiving game but offers plenty of solid contributors in Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, Darius Slayton, Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley.
Defensively, the Giants can create enough of an interior pass rush with Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence to keep quarterbacks uncomfortable, while the additions of James Bradberry, Blake Martinez and Xavier McKinney give some structure to the linebacking corps and secondary.
This seems like a fair, balanced and realistic high-low prediction for the Giants. They’re on the cusp of completely turning things around, but there’s bound to be another season of inconsistency before things really take off.
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