NFL Week 17 picks, predictions: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants | Goodbye to Eli Manning?

The Giants made massive structural changes in the offseason and started 1-7 in 2018. There won’t be massive changes in 2018, but the idea of momentum carrying over nine months through free agency, the draft, training camp and a minimum of 10-15 new players seems naive, no?

“Unless you just change everybody out, what about the other 45 guys? What about the coaches that are still here?” Shurmur said. 

“The systems are in place. You do what you can to improve the systems, and you do what you can to improve the players. Anything you do more than once, you improve, and so if you believe experience matters, that’s why everything carries over. I think it’s all connected.”

Here are our staff picks, as well as a roundup of predictions for Monday night’s clash between the Giants and Cowboys:

The campaign for Eli 2020 continues in style. 

The pick: Giants 30, Cowboys 17

The Cowboys have won the NFC East for the third time in five years, while the Giants are playing out the string in their sixth season without a playoff berth in the last seven, and second in a row. The Giants are just 8-23 over the past two seasons, and another loss to close out another lost season sets the stage for a pivotal offseason. 

The pick: Cowboys 23, Giants 3

The Cowboys don’t have much motivation to try very hard in Week 17 considering they already clinched the NFC East, so it’d be surprising if the starters played very much. If anything, they can play a different sort of spoiler: That is, for the Giants’ draft pick. New York winning would worsen their draft position and reduce the chance of them drafting a potential franchise quarterback in the upcoming draft.

The pick: Giants 21, Cowboys 10