The New York Giants cut some of their best players. They made the most questionable selection in the first round of the draft. General manager Dave Gettleman might be doing more harm than good. But what if things get better for the New York Giants? Below are the reasons why I believe the Giants will win more games in 2019 than many expect.

2018 review

In 2018, the Giants went 5-11, tying with two other teams for the third-worst record in 2018. However, four teams had worse records for the season. Although four of their five wins were determined by a touchdown or less, so were eight of their losses. Furthermore, two wins and four losses were determined by a field goal or less. Games this close are dictated by a single play in the fourth quarter that can swing in either direction — a necessary first down to seal the game or a defensive stop to give your offense another chance. If these stats show anything, it’s that the Giants remained competitive throughout the majority of their games last season.

The team’s 2018 rookie class set the rebuild off to a productive start. Saquon Barkley is a foundational piece for the organization for years to come. Although the question of which draft pick was the better option — Barkley versus QB Sam Darnold — will be debated about for years, the Rookie of the Year lived up to the second overall pick billing. Meanwhile, guard Will Hernandez, defensive lineman B.J. Hill and linebacker Lorenzo Carter look to build off of their successful rookie campaigns.

Divisional Games

In every division, rivalry games are often a toss-up. Last season, the Giants went 1-5 versus divisional rivals. Four of the five losses were by a touchdown or less. Since 2012, the Giants have either split or swept the Redskins series every year. With the Redskins having two newcomers at quarterback in veteran Case Keenum and rookie Dwayne Haskins, the Week 4 home matchup seems entirely winnable. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys present harder challenges but the Giants should at least contend for an extra win or two within the divisional games.

“Culture Change”

Thanks to general manager Dave Gettleman’s “culture change”, the Giants will look like an entirely different team than last year. Three of last year’s six Pro Bowlers remain on the roster — two were selected from special teams. Furthermore, only two starters remain from the 2016 playoff team just three seasons ago. How can a team remove three Pro Bowlers and expect to improve as a result? The Giants hope team chemistry answers the question.

It should be noted that in the two games that the Giants lost by a single point to end the season, both Odell Beckham Jr. and Landon Collins didn’t play due to injury. Granted, sometimes less isn’t more, but witnessing the team win games in trying times should give fans hope that they can win (a few) games without having superstars.

2019 Newcomers

The 2019 rookie class is expected to bring a needed boost to the defense. Gettleman was able to draft at least two defensive starters in DT Dexter Lawrence and CB Deandre Baker in the first round, with CB Julian Love and LB Oshane Ximines contending for starting roles early in the season. Gettleman also improved the offensive line by trading for Guard Kevin Zeitler and signing tackle Mike Remmers.

This improvement is essential to hold off the defensive lines of the NFC East. Whether it’s Eli Manning or Daniel Jones playing behind center, no quarterback can perform consistently behind a porous line. These upgrades will be the defining factor in the success of the offense.

2019 Opponents

One of the perks of being a last-place team includes playing against other last-place teams. Due to the fourth-place seeding in the NFC East last season, the Giants are granted two winnable games against the Cardinals and Buccaneers. Furthermore, the Giants catch a break with the Jets matchup, having it being played as a “road” game at their home stadium.

Big Blue plays seven games against teams with winning records in 2018, including four games against divisional rivals. While the challenging NFC North division awaits, so does the AFC East, one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. The home matchups against the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins will likely come down to single possessions.

Analysis

The New York Giants are at least another year away from becoming a legitimate contending team. However, just because they are a rebuilding team doesn’t mean they can’t provide headaches to opponents throughout the season. Considering no worst-place team has won more than three games since the San Diego Chargers in 2003, it’s hard to see the Giants being the worst in the NFL.

Prediction: After a 3-1 start, the New York Giants will struggle to maintain their momentum, ending with a 5-11 season.

Oscar Lora is a writer for PFN covering the New York Giants. You can follow him @OscarRLora on Twitter.