Giants schedule 2020 takeaways: Tom Brady visits, Eagles test

We already knew the Giants, based on 2019 records, have the seventh-easiest 2020 schedule in the NFL, facing opponents with a winning percentage of .482. For what that’s worth. Now we know the order of the opponents, and it certainly doesn’t look very easy.

Here is the full slate:

Week 1

Steelers
Sept. 14, 7:15 p.m., ESPN

Well now, isn’t this a swell NFL head coaching debut for Joe Judge? A “Monday Night Football” home game against another storied NFL franchise. Is Ben Roethlisberger healthy and ready to play?

Week 2

at Chicago
Sept. 20, 1 p.m., CBS

The first road game takes the Giants to Soldier Field early in the season, meaning cold and wind should be minimal, even this close to Lake Michigan. Giants lost in Chicago last season in a lackluster offensive effort. Is it Nick Foles or Mitch Trubisky at quarterback for the Bears?

Week 3

49ers
Sept. 27, 1 p.m., Fox

A visit by last season’s NFC Super Bowl representative should give the Giants an early indication of where they stand in the conference, and their rebuilt defensive backfield will be tested by tight end supreme George Kittle.

Week 4

at Los Angeles Rams
Oct. 4, 4:05 p.m., Fox

This is the first-ever game for the Giants in state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium and the first game for the Giants in Los Angeles in 26 years. The last time these teams met, in 2017, the Rams put up 51 points on the Giants.

Week 5

at Cowboys
Oct. 11, 4:25 p.m., CBS

The return of Jason Garrett. He spent 10 years as the Cowboys’ head coach, so he knows his way around Jerry Jones’ palatial AT&T Stadium. For the first time, Garrett will work out of the visiting locker room, as he was hired as the Giants’ new offensive coordinator.

Week 6

Redskins
Oct. 18, 1 p.m. Fox

The Giants passed on Dwayne Haskins and with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft and took Daniel Jones as their franchise quarterback. The Redskins took Haskins at No. 15. Jones last season won his only start against Haskins.

Week 7

at Eagles
Oct. 22, 8:20 p.m., Fox

“Thursday Night Football” matchup. The Giants usually stink at the Linc, as they have lost six consecutive trips to Lincoln Financial Field. Joe Judge grew up in Lansdale, Pa., just northwest of Philadelphia, making this a homecoming game for him.

Week 8

Buccaneers
Nov. 2, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

Jones ran for the winning touchdown in his first NFL start last season, a triumphant victory in Tampa. The scene shifts to MetLife Stadium as Jones gets to duel for the first time with Tom Brady in a “Monday Night Football” extravaganza.

Week 9

at Redskins
Nov. 8, 1 p.m., Fox

Lo and behold, the Giants took the season series from the Redskins in 2019, the first time since 2014 they managed a clean sweep of the Skins. Jones threw a Giants rookie-record five touchdown passes in his first game at FedEx Field.

Week 10

Eagles
Nov. 15, 1 p.m. Fox

Home may be where the heart is but not where the victories are for the Giants when the Eagles come calling. The Giants are 2-8 against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Rookie offensive tackle Andrew Thomas will hear things he’s never heard before.

Week 11

Bye

Week 12

at Bengals
Nov. 29, 1 p.m., Fox

The home team has won all 10 games in this series. A trip to Paul Brown Stadium three days after Thanksgiving introduces the Giants to the Joe Burrow-to-Tee Higgins all-rookie connection and offers a shot at a road victory against a team coming off a 2-14 record.

Week 13

at Seahawks
Dec. 6, 4:05 p.m., Fox

This is the longest flight of the season and then the Giants face the challenge of chasing around Russell Wilson and dealing with the most intimidating crowd noise in the league at CenturyLink Field. That will test the Giants on defense and offense. If fans are allowed in, of course.

Week 14

Cardinals
Dec. 13, 1 p.m., Fox

Last season, the first meeting between the quarterbacks taken highest in the 2019 NFL Draft, top-pick Kyler Murray and Jones, was won by the Cardinals — even though Murray threw for just 104 yards. Jones tries to even things up.

Week 15

Browns
Dec. 20, 1 p.m., CBS

Figure this will be a non-hyped, low-key return to MetLife Stadium for Odell Beckham Jr., who will not be the center of attention and in no way feel uber-motivated to stick it to his former team. Right? If players still circle games on calendars, figure this one is circled by Beckham.

Week 16

at Ravens
Dec. 27, 1 p.m., Fox

The last time the Giants won in Baltimore? Back in 1963, when the Colts played there. Saquon Barkley gets to knock heads with the always-rugged Ravens defense two days after Christmas and Lamar Jackson whirls his way through the Giants defense.

Week 17

Cowboys
Jan. 3, 1 p.m., Fox

The Giants usually open their season against the Cowboys. This year they close it against them, and if the Giants are out of it, expect an invasion of Cowboys fans at MetLife. If there are playoff implications, watch this game get flexed later in the day, or night.