The New York Giants are facing their first bout of adversity in the 2022 season in the last few weeks. After getting off to a 7-2 start they have lost their last two games to the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, setting up what will be a dogfight for a playoff spot in the NFC.
Injuries have played a part in their recent struggles as they have been without multiple key starters the last few games. Against the Cowboys, they were without three of their regular starters in the secondary as cornerbacks Adoreeâ Jackson and Fabian Moreau joined safety Xavier McKinney on the sidelines.
In addition to those injuries, the offensive line was down three of their regular starters and star left tackle Andrew Thomas was dealing with an illness. Luckily for the Giants, they could be getting some reinforcements back in the lineup this week.
While Jackson, guard Shane Lemieux and guard Josh Ezudu arenât practicing and donât look likely to get on the field this week, there are some positives on the injury report. Offensive guard Ben Bredeson, right tackle Evan Neal, center Jon Feliciano, tight end Daniel Bellinger, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, safety Tony Jefferson and Moreau all have a chance to get back on the field.
All of those key pieces returning to the field couldnât be coming at a better time for the Giants. They are facing a gauntlet for the remainder of the season that begins with this weekendâs matchup with the Washington Commanders.
According to NFL on CBS, the Giants have the hardest remaining strength of schedule in the NFL. Their opponents in the final six weeks of the season have a combined winning percentage of .688. Rounding out the top five are the Chicago Bears (.625), Commanders (.600), Cincinnati Bengals (.591) and the New York Jets (.591).
That is what happens when four out of your last six games are divisional matchups against the Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles. The only team that the Giants are playing the rest of the season that currently has a losing record is the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, who are 4-7-1. The sixth game is against the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings, putting New York on a difficult path to finish up the 2022 season.
