Giants in 2023: Will they soar or sink?

3 reasons the Giants will contend

1. Saquon Barkley will be on a mission

Barkley’s pride isn’t an out-of-control pride. But he knows his worth. With the playmakers around him, will defenses still make their No. 1 priority mission to stop the Giants running back? For first time in Barkley’s career with the Giants, he has playmakers – plural – around him.

2. Inventive coaching from Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka

Offensive playmakers win games in this league and the Giants, for the first time in a long time, have a group of players who can win in various ways. The coach and OC will make the most of this.

3. Darren Waller stays healthy

That means he will be productive. He’s scored only five touchdowns in the last two seasons, playing in a total of 20 games after back-to-back 16-game campaigns. With the offensive firepower the Giants have added since last season, defenses will have to make choices, and doubling Waller could be costly. 

3 reasons why the Giants may disappoint this season

1. If the offensive line doesn’t hold up.

Andrew Thomas can anchor only one spot. Under offensive line coach Bobby Johnson’s tutelage, the unit has improved. Evan Neal should take a step forward. And if there are growing pains for rookie center John Michael Schmitz, the Giants will hope they can be fixed promptly.

2. The Eagles and Cowboys.

The Giants went 0-3 against Philadelphia last year, and in the two games the starters played, they were thrashed by a combined score of 86-29. They lost a pair of one-score games to Dallas. It’ll be tough sledding if the Giants can’t make inroads in the division.

3. If Darren Waller doesn’t stay healthy.

In only two of his seven seasons has he played in every game, and those were his breakout years. Judging by training camp, he’ll be as important as any skill player on the Giants. He’s a pass-catching unicorn. But can he stay on the field?

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.