So much for all the optimism
Pro Football Focus doesn’t expect much from the New York Giants this season — and if they’re right, it could spell the end of an era.
In their latest 2025 season projections, PFF listed the Giants with an over/under win total of 5.5, with the analytics site leaning toward the under. That would mark the third time in four years the team finished with six or fewer wins under general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.
Now entering their fourth season together, the pressure on Schoen and Daboll has never been higher. After last year’s 3-14 collapse, the worst in franchise history, the Giants overhauled key parts of the roster, most notably at quarterback. Russell Wilson is now under center, brought in as a veteran presence to stabilize a position that was a revolving door last season.
Wilson will have some help. Wide receiver Malik Nabers returns for his second year after a promising rookie campaign, and the defense features a mix of established names and high-upside youth. But even with upgrades in several areas, PFF isn’t convinced the Giants are ready to climb out of the NFC basement.
The schedule does them no favors. New York faces a slate of opponents that includes nine games against teams with winning records last year. That includes road trips to Kansas City, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, each hostile environments against perennial contenders. In fact, by several metrics, the Giants once again have one of the toughest schedules in the league.
There’s also the unknown factor: how much of the 2024 disaster was due to injury and instability, and how much was systemic? Daboll and Schoen have stood by their long-term vision, and ownership has remained patient, but another year in the league’s bottom tier could force difficult decisions.
For now, the team is focused on proving the projections wrong. Wilson has spoken openly about using this opportunity as a fresh start. The locker room has young leaders emerging. And the franchise still believes the foundation they’ve been building will eventually pay off.
But with national analysts setting the bar low and a brutal schedule ahead, the Giants are again positioned as underdogs heading into 2025