Analysis
7/26/23
6 min read
New York Giants 2023 Season Preview: Can Giants Recreate 2022 Success?
As teams head to training camp and the NFL season approaches, The 33rd Team asks its experts to preview every team's outlook for the 2023 season. In this installment, Eric Mangini takes a deep dive into the New York Giants.
>>READ: Giants Fantasy Football Preview
 Giants Team Preview
What To Know: Offense
The biggest storyline for the Giants' offense changed dramatically this week with Saquon Barkley signing his contract and attending camp. That's great news. They're no longer dealing with his potential holdout and everything that goes with it. But now they're facing different challenges.
One of the biggest challenges of giving guys new contracts — whether it be the long-term deal that Daniel Jones got or what Barkley just signed — is it comes with different personal expectations. What happens is players will force things to justify the new dollar amount they got. The Giants don't want that. They want Jones and Barkley to realize they're being paid for all the good things that they did. Jones and Barkley don't have to try to force it and make plays because that's how they'll get into problems.
>>READ: Giants' Fantasy Football Preview
It's hard for players to understand, especially in this league because they want to make sure the team is happy with who they are, and the outside perception is justified in terms of the new money they're getting. The challenge for the organization is they didn't get any better. Jones and Barkley are the same two players they were last season. They are just more expensive.
That's great. I'm happy for both of those players, and I'm happy for the Giants' fan base. But those two players haven't changed dramatically. They're the same guys but a lot more expensive than a year ago.
What To Know: Defense
The biggest storyline has got to be cornerback Deonte Banks, whom they drafted in the first round (24th overall) out of Maryland. He had a freakish combine.
He's going into a defense run by Wink Martindale, who either is at the top of the league in terms of pressure, which he was last season, or close to the top of the league every year. That will put Banks in a lot of situations where he's in man coverage with zero help. So, he's got to play against better competition as a rookie, and he'll have to do it with little help over the top.  That's challenging.
I coached one of the best young rookie cornerbacks ever, Darrelle Revis, who went on to become a Hall of Famer. There is a learning curve for those guys as they get used to the system, the calls, the communications, the level of competition and all of those difficult aspects.
Now, add the component of not very much zone defense and a high level of pressure. It's a big task for Banks, and how well and quickly he adjusts will play a huge role in the success of the defense overall.
Biggest Off-Field Storyline
It's got to be the schedule they inherited. It seemed like the league was mad at the Giants for the success they had last season when they put this together. They've got seven out of the first 10 games on the road, and they play three games in the first 11 days of the season, which is unprecedented.
I can't remember a team that's faced a schedule as challenging as this, especially this early in the season. So it's going to be interesting to see how coach Brian Daboll orchestrates the significant amount of travel they have along with the number of games they have in such a short time early in the season.
Every year, coaches try to put their guys in the best position to succeed, and they look at things they did the previous year or things they've experienced over the course of their careers. I don't know what Daboll looks at to get a gauge of how best to handle this because we haven't seen something as challenging as what they're facing early on.
Breakout Player Prediction
The best possible outcome for the Giants at the end of the season is that quarterback Daniel Jones proves he's worthy of his new four-year, $160 million contract. One of the best things he did last year was control the turnovers. That was one of his biggest issues. He did a great job with interceptions. He threw five, which was the fewest among quarterbacks with more than 10 starts. Oftentimes the starting point is not beating yourself, and he showed he could do that.
Now, a big contract brings big expectations, and that comes with pressure. Sometimes players will try to be something they're not. Hopefully, Jones grows from where he was last year and doesn't try to push to be something he's not. At the end of the season, they'll know if they have a guy they can win with every year. That would mean last season wasn't a one-off but an indicator of where Jones is going to go.
2023 Season Expectations
They're going to be a playoff contender, but it's going to be a hard road. They won't be sneaking up on anybody. Nobody's underestimating them. They also have the challenge of learning to deal with success, which is a skill, just like dealing with adversity.
The Giants are facing this unprecedented, difficult schedule to start the season. I love what Daboll has done, but it will be challenging for him to do it again. They didn't go out and get other marquee guys. Now, we've got to see whether or not they can live up to those same expectations and performances they had last season.
Other Previews
NFC North: GB | CHI | MINÂ | DET
AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE Â | NYJ
AFC North: PIT Â | CLE | BALÂ | CIN
AFC West: KC | LAC | LV | DENÂ
NFC West: SF | SEA | LAR | ARI
NFC South: TB | CAR | NO | ATLÂ
AFC South: JAX | TEN | HOU | IND
Eric Mangini is a former NFL Head Coach and won three Super Bowls as the defensive backs coach of the New England Patriots. In 2006, he became the then-youngest head coach in the NFL with the New York Jets.
