James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

7 reasons the Giants' 2016 schedule might not be so tough

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The other side of the coin

On Thursday, we posted a look at seven reasons why the Giants' 2016 schedule is tougher than some believe, and NJ.com's passionate Big Blue fan community had a lot of things to say.

Now, we provide the other side of the story. Click through the slideshow for seven reasons why the Giants' schedule may be easier than you think.

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Ed Mulholland | USA TODAY Sports

Starting on the offensive

The Cowboys will be shorthanded on defense in Week 1. The Saints' perpetually bad defense awaits in Week 2. If the Giants can keep their defense sound and score points the way they believe they can, a 2-0 start is in the cards - something they have not had in ages.

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Geoff Burke | USA TODAY Sports

Beckham Bowl at home

The Giants' Week 3 game against the Washington Redskins will be all about Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman, and understandably so. The hype will be Super Bowl-esque.

But it's also a crucial divisional game that could end up deciding a playoff berth, or berths. Both teams cannot lose sight of that. And the Giants will have a slight leg up in weathering the hoopla given they are playing the game in their backyard.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The slate lays out nicely

The Giants should like how their schedule lays out. The bye week comes almost at the exact halfway point (Week 7). They do not play on Thursday night until Week 16. If they desire, they don't have to get on an airplane for the final month of the season. The structure has its perks.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Home cooking

The Giants play four of their first seven games away from home, including three of four in October. But they will be at MetLife Stadium for much of the second half of the season, including a three-game homestand in November. The Giants play five of their first seven games after the bye week at home. It's a golden opportunity to build momentum and deliver a strong second half.

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Jim O'Connor | US PRESSWIRE

Northern lights

The Giants play the AFC and NFC North this season. That means games against the Bears, Browns, Lions and Ravens, teams that were a combined 21-43 in 2015 and have not improved all that considerably this offseason.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Controlling their fate

The games come on the road, but the Giants will have back-to-back divisional contests against the Eagles (Week 16) and Redskins (Week 17) to close out the year. That gives them the chance to pull away with a playoff berth, or make up ground right at the end of the season.

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James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

They're just better

New head coach. A rebuilt defense. The offseason spending spree. A potentially explosive offense. A less-than-inspiring division. Stars returning from injuries.

On paper, the Giants look like a legitimate playoff contender in 2016. Even Eli Manning is willing to admit that publicly. If everything comes together, there is no reason they can't win the games they are supposed to, hang tough in the matchups with the league's top clubs, and get back to the postseason.

It's a challenging schedule, but good teams meet the challenges.