The New York Giants will kick off the 2024 season at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 pm at MetLife Stadium. Ahead of the Giants-Vikings game, we’ll be making our Giants Week 1 predictions.
Brian Daboll’s squad will be looking to right the ship after an incredibly disappointing 2023 season. Optimism was in the air heading into last year after the Giants fought their way to the postseason the year before, and quarterback Daniel Jones had started to show improvement.
Unfortunately, things came crashing down in the Meadowlands and the team struggled to a 6-11 record that gave them the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The front office used this pick to select Malik Nabers, a star wide receiver out of LSU.
The team is ready to put last year behind them and get this season started on the right foot. With that being said, let’s take a look at some bold predictions for the New York Football Giants in Week One.
Malik Nabers scores 3+ touchdowns
Malik Nabers will be one of the best wide receivers in football from the moment that he steps onto the NFL field in Week 1 of his rookie season. He has an elite combination of size, strength, speed, athleticism, sure hands and route-running ability. Nabers knows how to use deception to trick defenders and use the opposing players’ momentum against him. He knows how to beat man-to-man coverage and zone coverage.
He also has a knack for finding the end zone. Nabers is somebody who can score from anywhere on the field, and this makes him a threat to find the end zone multiple times in any game that he plays in. He has excellent play strength and leverages his physical ability to box out defenders in the end zone. He’s similar to a power forward in the NBA in how he uses his body to create space from defenders in the end zone and box out opposing players to secure passes. Nabers has strong hands to come down with the ball and rip it away from the fenders. Nabers should be a go-to target for Jones in the red zone, but he can do so much more than that.
Nabers is a guy who can catch a pass at the 50-yard line, make a move to get past his primary defender, turn on the afterburners and take the ball all the way to the end zone.
Jalin Hyatt has 100+ receiving yards
Jalin Hyatt is oozing with untapped potential, and he could be the key to the Giants’ offense this season. Opposing defenses are going to do everything in their power to limit Nabers and make life difficult for the talented rookie.
The Giants are going to need somebody who can make defenses pay for committing too many resources to cover Nabers, and Hyatt is that guy. The second-year receiver out of Tennessee has deceptive speed, elite route-running ability and above-average hands. He’s the kind of guy who could be a top-tier WR2, and even potentially a borderline WR1 if things break his way.
He’s a bit undersized, but NFL history is littered with examples of smaller players who found a way to contribute and produce for their teams at a high level. Hyatt can be that guy for the Giants. He has immense talent and several key traits that can help him differentiate himself.
Daniel Jones throws for 300+ yards and 3+ touchdowns with zero interceptions
This stat line would be impressive for any quarterback, but it’s especially bold to think that Daniel Jones would be capable of putting up a performance like this. He simply hasn’t shown the ability to this point in his career to do this consistently, but he has shown flashes of talent. If he can avoid his own worst habits, and protect the football, Jones could be a productive signal caller.
He typically throws interceptions when he tries to do too much and salvage a broken play. If Jones can limit his mistakes and focus on getting the ball to Nabers and Hyatt and letting them make magic happen, he could put up a Mahomes-like stat line.
Devin Singletary has 150+ rushing yards
This prediction could come true regardless of whether Jones has a good day or a bad day under center. If Jones struggles, we can expect Devin Singletary’s opportunities and production to skyrocket.
If Jones performs well, Brian Daboll will want to protect his quarterback from himself. This means utilizing the ground attack to put Jones in favorable situations.
Singletary is one of the better running backs in the league, and he’s certainly capable of producing when he’s given the opportunity to do so. If Jones plays well, expect Singletary to have somewhere around 23 to 25 carries. With the passing game putting the defense on their heels and defensive coordinators needing to adjust to start the aerial onslaught, Singletary could average six or more yards per carry.
If the passing game struggles, Singletary might see upwards of 35 touches. In this case, he would only need to average approximately four and a half yards per carry to reach 150.
Singletary is a physical back who likes to impose his will on defenses. He’s not afraid of contact and does a great job of falling forward to gain an extra yard or two and nearly every carry. If he gets the volume, he can do damage and put up a huge stat line this week.
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