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By the end of the 2021 season, the New York Giants were arguably the worst team in the NFL. Other teams had fewer wins. Other teams had less talent. But no team looked less competitive over the final month than Big Blue. Case in point, the Giants were outscored 106-26 over their final four games en route to capping their fifth straight year with a losing record.
It cost Joe Judge his job as head coach. It cost Dave Gettleman his job as general manager (although he technically “retired”). They were replaced by Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen, respectively. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was fired during the season, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham left afterward for the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Could the Giants pull off a worst-to-first miracle in 2022? Here are their odds of winning the Super Bowl, the NFC Championship and the NFC East, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Super Bowl odds: +8000
Every team needs some luck to win the Super Bowl. Putting that aside, there is a clear list of specific things that have to happen for the Giants to win the big game.
Have Daboll work his magic right away on QB Daniel Jones for a Josh Allen-like turnaround. Get a healthy season out of Saquon Barkley. Find a true No. 1 wideout. Fix a broken offensive line. Improve a subpar pass rush. Obtain multiple athletic linebackers. Add one more quality cornerback. Get all of those players to gel immediately with an entirely new coaching staff and scheme.
But that’s all, really.
Conference odds: +4000
Only the Lions (+7000) have worse odds to win the NFC. The good news is that the Giants are in the ostensibly easier conference. They don’t have to go through Allen or Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert during the playoffs in order to reach Super Bowl 57. Maybe Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson will be departing, too. However, history shows us that you do need at least a league-average quarterback in order to advance this far into the season. The Giants, uh, don’t have that. They are apparently going to give Jones another year to prove he belongs as a starter in this league. Maybe the fourth time’s a charm.
Division odds: +900
There’s no juggernaut in the NFC East. The Cowboys are clearly the best team (-160 to win the division), but their offense is a little overrated while their defense is talented but not impenetrable. If the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts doesn’t take a step forward as a passer and the Commanders are unable to find their own franchise quarterback, you could squint and see the Giants possibly challenging for the division crown for the first time since 2016. They haven’t won it in more than a decade.
Of course, it would help the Giants’ cause if they could actually win a game in Dallas or Philadelphia. They haven’t won in Jerry World since 2016. They haven’t won in Philly since 2013.
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