What, you expected the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants to have it easy when the 2012 NFL Schedule was released? Well, you should have known better. Based on team records in 2011, the Giants have the most difficult schedule in the league as their opponents combined for a .547 winning percentage last season.
Things to note about the schedule.
- The Giants have five prime-time games, including a Wednesday game, a Thursday game and one appearance (vs. the Washington Redskins) on Monday Night Football.
- The Giants don't get their bye until Week 11.
- After the bye, the Giants finish home against Green Bay, at Washington, home against New Orleans, at Atlanta, at Baltimore and home against Philadelphia. That's a brutal stretch, meaning the Giants can't afford any early-season slip-ups.
- The game against Tampa Bay will be noteworthy because of the return of former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, now head coach of the Buccaneers, to New Jersey.
- The Giants have two difficult short-week games. The Thursday night meeting in Carolina vs. Cam Newton and the Panthers in Week 3, and the Week 14 home game against New Orleans. That game follows a Monday-nighter vs. Washington.
The games I am most looking forward to? The opener against Dallas and the Sunday night game vs. Green Bay. The Giants and Packers meet for the third straight season.
Week 1: Cowboys at Giants, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Week 2: Buccaneers at Giants, Sunday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 3: Giants at Panthers, Thursday, Sept. 20, 8:20 p.m. (NFL Network)
Week 4: Giants at Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 30, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 5: Browns at Giants, Sunday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 6: Giants at 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:15 (FOX)
Week 7: Redskins at Giants, Sunday, Oct. 21, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 8: Giants at Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 28, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9: Steelers vs. Giants, Sunday, Nov. 4, 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Week 10: Giants at Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 11 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 11: BYE, Nov. 18
Week 12: Packers vs. Giants, Sunday, Nov. 25, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 13: Giants at Redskins, Monday, Dec. 3, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 14: Saints vs. Giants, Sunday, Dec. 9, 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Week 15: Giants at Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 16 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 16: Giants at Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 23, 1 p.m., (FOX)
Week 17: Giants vs. Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 30, 1 p.m., (FOX)