Ranking Every Game on Giants’ 2026 Schedule

The other possible Giants road game to be sent overseas (London). Washington has all-new coordinators aiming to get the team back on track, plus they’re hoping for a fully healthy Jayden Daniels back under center.

To their credit, general manager Adam Peters was very aggressive in rebuilding a roster that last year had many weaknesses exposed by injuries, but it remains to be seen how quickly all the new pieces gel.

No. 14: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars cornerback position will get a boost with the return of second-year player Travis Hunter from injury. Jourdan Lewis is also coming off a late-season foot injury.

If that cornerback group is healthy and raring to go, it could make for an interesting afternoon for the Giants’ new-look passing game, especially if Malyk Naber is back by the time these two teams meet.

No. 13: San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers added some speed on offense through free agency, but their draft class was less-than-stellar (on paper) and appears to be a book-or-bust group.

While the 49ers overall are still capable of pushing for a postseason berth, their roster has begun to age, which, when combined with some questions about the depth, could make for an interesting matchup if the Giants catch them at the right time.  

No 12: New Orleans Saints  

This game will pit two second-year quarterbacks against one another: Tyler Shough of the Saints and Jaxson Dart of the Giants.

Both quarterbacks got upgrades to their respective receiver groups: Dart with Malachi Fields via the draft, and veterans Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III via free agency; and Shough with Jordyn Tyson, Bryce Lance, and Barion Brown via the draft.

That this game is not a Giants road game–since 2003, the Giants are 2-6–takes just a smidge of the shine off this one.

No. 11: Washington Commanders

It’s a division game, and yes, the Giants have lost the last four and have something to prove after having their divisional rival’s number for years.

If New York decides to make this the game in which they honor the 1986 Super Bowl championship team, who beat Washington three times that season, including in the historic 1986 NFC championship game, that will give this one a little more juice.

No. 10: at Houston Texans

Will McDonald headlines a Texans defense that was ranked at the top of the league last season (277.2 yards per game), their run and pass defenses also ranking in the top ten (fourth and sixth, respectively.

That Texans defensive front promises to be a load to handle for the Giants' offensive line, whose rookie right guard (Francis Mauigoa) will get a good NFL-level education against defensive coordinator Matt Burke’s group.  

No. 9: Dallas Cowboys

The regular season opener is set for the first Sunday Night Football game of the new season.

Dallas sports a revamped safety that will be led by first-round pick Caleb Downs, who undoubtedly will want to make the Giants regret passing over him in the draft not once, but twice.  

Meanwhile, the Giants, who beat Dallas in last year’s regular-season finale, will look to make it two in a row over the Cowboys for the first time since the 2016 season.

No. 8: Cleveland Browns

Ordinarily, we wouldn’t rank a team that doesn't have a definitive answer at quarterback this high.

But what piques the interest here is that former John Harbaugh offensive coordinator Todd Monken is now the head coach in Cleveland. Monken, remember, was all set to join Harbaugh in New York, meaning he must have done some film work on the offense.

Depending on how deep he got into any such study, this game should present a nice battle of the football wits, given their familiarity with one another– that is, assuming the Browns decide on who their starting quarterback is going to be by then.  

No. 7: at Los Angeles Rams

The Rams might just be one of the most improved teams on the Giants’ schedule this season, their biggest improvement being the cornerback spot. That should make for a fun afternoon for the Giants' passing game, which will have to face Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson all afternoon.

No. 6: at Indianapolis Colts

Get ready for the Daniel Jones revenge game–assuming, of course, he’s cleared to return by the time the two teams meet.

If you thought Jones was bland out there on the field when he was with the Giants, it’s probably a safe bet to assume he’d be fired up enough to dish out a little punishment to his old team, even though the coaches who did him wrong are no longer there.  

No. 5: Tennessee Titans

Between the arrival of yet another young signal caller (Cam Ward) who is on the rise, plus the return of receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, tight end Daniel Bellinger, and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, it will be very interesting to see how well they hold up against Harbaugh’s bully ball.

It will also be interesting to see if former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who got to know Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart’s game inside and out, has any tricks up his sleeve that he can pass along to defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and head coach Robert Saleh to gain the upper hand.  

No. 4: Philadelphia Eagles

The Giants spanked the Eagles on Thursday Night Football, showing they had it in them despite injuries and questionable coaching. With the Eagles, the defending division champions, and the Giants vastly improved, it’s not crazy to think that New York has finally started to close the gap between itself and the Birds.  

No. 3: at Seattle Seahawks

Well, they are the defending Super Bowl champions, right?

More importantly, it’s a chance for Giants head coach John Harbaugh to match wits against another one of his former assistant coaches, Mike MacDonald, who was with him in Baltimore from 2014 to 2020 and again in 2022 and 2023 as their defensive coordinator before taking the Seahawks head coaching job.

No. 2: at Philadelphia

The last time the Giants won at Lincoln Financial Field (October 27, 2013), Eli Manning was the quarterback, Tom Coughlin was the head coach, and the Giants were two seasons removed from their most recent Super Bowl championship.

Will the 14th time finally be the charm?

No. 1: at Dallas

Speaking of unfriendly hosts, the Giants haven’t won at AT&T Stadium since Sept. 11, 2016, the year they went to the postseason for the first time since their 2011 championship season. In fact, after winning their first four games at the stadium when it opened in 2009, the Giants have gone 1-13 there.

Much like the road game at Philly. The Giants are long overdue to turn the tide back in their favor in their annual road games at NFC East opponents' stadiums.