Cowboys game captains for Week 1

Last September, ahead of the first game of his tenure as Giants general manager, Joe Schoen tried to temper expectations. No matter what the prognosticators were saying, it would take a few games to get a true sense of the Giants’ potential.

Schoen surely saw glimpses of the team’s composition in the season-opening win against the Titans and Week 5’s comeback victory against the Packers. The Giants went on to secure their first playoff berth since 2016, while Brian Daboll earned NFL Coach of the Year honors.

With the ante upped as Schoen and Daboll head into Year 2 together, Schoen is keeping the same measured approach. Whether it came to questions about closing the talent gap between NFC East rivals Philadelphia and Dallas, expectations for 2023, or anything that even smelled vaguely like asking him to make a prediction, Schoen instead uttered the phrase “we’ll see” numerous times through his news conference last week.

Daboll struck the same tune recently.

“I think Joe said, ‘We’ll see,’” Daboll said. “I agree with him. Again, until you get out there, you start playing the games, you find out what you have. I don’t go on too much other than evaluating the tape, because I don’t think there’s ever been the same team in the last 20 years that there was the year before. So, we’re different. The (Dallas) team we’re playing (in Week 1) is different. Obviously, there are some pieces that are still in both spots. The play caller is different on their side. There are so many different changes. Each year is such a unique challenge.”

As New York entered a new era last year, we posed the question, “What does a successful season look like for the Giants?” With a playoff win now under the regime’s belt, we wondered how that early success might impact expectations for the Giants. So we checked in with some analysts from across the league, including NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger, CBS’ Phil Simms and ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky.

“I’ve heard people tell me the Giants could be better this year, but they might not have a better record,” Baldinger said. “I don’t believe that. I think this team is ready to compete with Philadelphia, with Dallas.”

Baldinger stressed the Giants aren’t on Philly’s level yet because of their offensive line, but he highlighted the Giants’ defensive front, also acknowledging the rookie corners and rookie mistakes that might come early. But overall, the talent is better, they’re in Year 2 of the system, and his impressions on the offense are high.

“I think they expect a better year, to win more games,” Simms said. “Is their roster better? Absolutely.”

Here’s what else is on their radar:

Read more here.