2009 New York Giants Schedule

The 2009 NFL schedule was released on Tuesday. Just as in 2008, the New York Giants will open the regular season at home against the Washington Redskins and finish the year in Minnesota. Here is the official 2009 New York Giants schedule as posted on the official website of the New York Giants.

September 13: Redskins at Giants (4:15)
September 20: New York at Dallas (8:20)
September 27: New York at Tampa (1:00)
October 4: New York at Kansas City (1:00)
October 11: Oakland at Giants (1:00)
October 18: New York at New Orleans (1:00)
October 25: Arizona at Giants (8:20)
November 1: New York at Philadelphia (4:15)
November 8: San Diego at Giants (4:15)
November 15: BYE
November 22: Atlanta at Giants (1:00)
November 26 (Thursday): New York at Denver (8:20)
December 6: Dallas at Giants (4:15)
December 13: Philadelphia at Giants (8:20)
December 21 (Monday): New York at Washington (8:30)
December 27: Carolina at Giants (1:00)
January 3: New York at Minnesota (1:00)

A few things to consider roughly five months before the 2009 NFL season begins:

The Giants play three consecutive road games after the home and season opener against Washington. Winning in Dallas is never easy and the fact that the Giants-Cowboys contest will be on Sunday night should just fire up the Dallas faithful even more so than normal. It will be interesting to see how the warm weather in Tampa fatigues Big Blue, especially when the Giants travel to Kansas City the following week.

Big Blue gets three home games in December in 2008, including two straight in New York against Dallas and Philadelphia. After the two games against the Cowboys and Eagles, though, the Giants will travel to Washington for a Monday night showdown against the Redskins. Three divisional games in a row in December? The NFC East may very well be decided by Christmas.

I am not at all looking forward to that Thursday night game at Denver to end November. Even though the Broncos will be without an All-Pro quarterback (maybe), a night game in the Mile High air in what will most likely be (well) below freezing conditions is no easy task. One good thing, though, is that the Giants will have a week and a half to prepare for the Cowboys after facing the Broncos.

The Giants have to travel to Kansas City but they get to host San Diego. New York plays at Minnesota but Arizona has to play at the Meadowlands. The Giants trade a road game in New Orleans for a home game against the Panthers in late December. I’ll take it.

The Giants will play nine games before the off week. Personally, I like bye weeks to take place later in the season. New York will need the rest in November before the push to the playoffs. If the Giants can start the season 6-3, you have to like their chances of repeating as NFC East champs.

Don’t expect New York to start the regular season with a 6-0 record in 2009. This regular season will be about surviving the long road trip, getting to the bye week in good shape and taking advantage of the three December home games. Right now, I see no reason why the Giants cannot win at least ten games in 2009.