Back in April, when the schedule came out and we were asked to do our way-too-early game-by-game predictions, I had the New York Giants going 8-8 in 2015. That felt like an optimistic projection then and feels even more so now, given the offseason injuries to Will Beatty and Jason Pierre-Paul and the fact that they haven't been able to answer their major questions at safety. So with the season about to get underway, here's a revised look at the game-by-game predictions for the Giants. It's still a crazy exercise to be taken with a grain of salt, but in theory the crystal ball should be a bit clearer in September than it was in April.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Cowboys had their own issues this offseason, and it's hard to imagine a repeat of the 12-4 season they had a year ago. But it's also hard to imagine that the Giants have closed a six-game gap. And given the extent to which the Cowboys' outstanding offensive line should be able to physically dominate an unproven Giants defensive front, Tony Romo, Dez Bryant & Co. should have no problem rolling up a bunch of points in the opener and beating the Giants for the fifth time in a row. Cowboys 35, Giants 31. Record: 0-1.

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20, Atlanta, 1 p.m.

The Atlanta Falcons roll in to MetLife Stadium with a new coach -- New Jersey's own Dan Quinn -- but still a few key questions on the defensive side of the ball. I don't see how the Giants stop Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense, but this place has been a tough one for Atlanta in recent years, and the Giants should be able to move the ball effectively. I say they win their home opener. Giants 35, Falcons 24. Record: 1-1

Week 3: Thursday, Sept. 24, Washington, 8:25 p.m.

Still reeling from an offseason of quarterback controversy and general lunacy, Washington could be running Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy or Robert Griffin III out there on a short week. While Washington's receivers pose potential problems, the chaos and upheaval with that franchise is going to keep it from being a real factor this year. Washington is the one thing keeping the Giants out of the NFC East basement. Giants 28, Washington 10. Record: 2-1

Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4, at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Nice scheduling break, with the Buffalo game showing up before it gets too, too cold up there on Lake Erie. But I think this is the game where rookie left tackle Ereck Flowers starts to have problems. Rex Ryan's defense will run a lot of tricky stuff at the Giants' revamped offensive line, and I don't think it's in a position to handle it. After three weeks of scoring success, the Giants' offense falls back to earth. Bills 21, Giants 10. Record: 2-2.

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11, San Francisco, 8:30 p.m.

The 49ers' offseason made Washington's look tame by comparison, and the amount of change and roster turnover here leaves San Francisco among the more vulnerable teams in the early part of the season. NaVorro Bowman's return isn't enough to return the 49ers' defense to where it was two years ago. For the second season in a row, the Giants nudge their record above .500 with a victory in the fifth game. Giants 30, 49ers 13. Record: 3-2.

Week 6: Monday, Oct. 19, at Philadelphia, 8:30 p.m.

I'm not sold on the overhaul Chip Kelly applied in this first season with full control over personnel in Philadelphia. But I am sold on Kelly as a coach who knows how to score points. Given the Giants' issues on defense, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is going to rely a lot on substitutions and changing personnel groupings based on situations. The pace at which the Eagles' offense operates makes that a major challenge, and the Giants don't have the personnel up front to resist a DeMarco Murray/Ryan Mathews/Darren Sproles rushing attack. Eagles 41, Giants 28. Record: 3-3.

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25, Dallas, 4:25 p.m.

Usually when making these predictions, I've given the Giants wins in their division home games and losses in their division road games, working off the theory that the NFC East has been totally unpredictable in recent years. But as I mentioned in Week 1, nothing I've seen this offseason indicates that the Giants have closed the gap on the Cowboys. By this point, Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain will be back from their suspensions and the Cowboys' defense will be much stronger than the one the Giants saw in Week 1. Of course, Pierre-Paul could be back by this point as well, but we still don't know what kind of player he'll be when he returns. Cowboys 38, Giants 30. Record: 3-4.

Week 8: Sunday, Nov. 1, at New Orleans, 1 p.m.

Another week, another tough rushing attack, as the 2015 Saints by this point have established themselves as a ball-control offense built to keep the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Manning off the field for long stretches. This is a frustrating game for the Giants, who sink two games below .500 and are starting to get a feeling that's all too familiar. Saints 24, Giants 20. Record: 3-5.

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 8, at Tampa Bay, 4:05 p.m.

Back-to-back road trips make this one of the tougher stretches of the season for the Giants, but they still have enough to handle rookie Jameis Winston and a Tampa Bay offense that still needs work, growth and maturity. This is a week that required Tom Coughlin to summon all of his one-week-at-a-time powers, and it pays off with a win that keeps hope alive. Giants 31, Buccaneers 10. Record: 4-5.

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 15, New England, 4:25 p.m.

By this time, I expect the Patriots to be angry and rolling. Tom Brady's rep took a beating this offseason, and whether he had to miss the first four games or not, he and Bill Belichick are going to be motivated to mess people up -- just the way they were post-Spygate in 2007. We all know how that ended when they ran into the Giants at the end of the season, but these aren't those Giants and this isn't the Super Bowl. Patriots 42, Giants 24. Record: 4-6.

Week 11: BYE

Teams always hope for a middle-of-the-year bye week, so their stretches without one aren't too long. This is a bit deeper into the season than the Giants would like, but it could be worse.

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29, at Washington, 1 p.m.

Coming off the bye, expectations are high for a big win against the other noncontender in the NFC East. But this is the game that really knocks the Giants down and gets the conversation going about the amount of change we expect to see in the offseason. They're not mathematically eliminated at the start of December like they were in 2014, but things aren't looking good after a big game from DeSean Jackson. Washington 27, Giants 24. Record: 4-7.

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6, N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.

The Giants and Jets meet in the regular season for the first time since Christmas Eve 2011 -- the day Victor Cruz caught that 99-yard touchdown pass that sparked the Giants' Super Bowl run. While no such magic awaits the 2015 Giants, they figure out a way to beat their in-state rivals and keep their slim hopes for a winning season alive. Giants 27, Jets 17. Record: 5-7.

Week 14: Monday, Dec. 14, at Miami, 8:30 p.m.

Another nice weather break that gets the Giants out of the cold and into the warmth of the Monday night spotlight in Miami. Unfortunately, this year's Dolphins feature a monster defensive line and a more dynamic offense than they've had in recent years. Miami is rolling toward the playoffs while the Giants are headed to a third straight losing season. Dolphins 31, Giants 17. Record: 5-8.

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20, Carolina, 1 p.m.

The Panthers have been very tough late in the year recently, and I expect them to find themselves in the hunt in a rough-looking NFC South. But this home game in December has a last-stand feel to it for the Giants, who are able to contain Cam Newton and win a physical battle against a Panthers team that doesn't play defense quite as well as it did for the past few seasons. Giants 20, Panthers 19. Record: 6-8.

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 27, at Minnesota, 1 p.m.

Teddy Bridgewater is putting together a really solid second season for a Vikings team that has made good on its preseason promise to at least contend for the postseason. I don't know whether Minnesota makes it, but I feel pretty confident saying it has a better chance than the Giants do. And this frigid outdoor post-Christmas tilt is one of the more miserable of the Giants' season, ensuring that they will have a third straight losing season for the first time in 35 years.Vikings 30, Giants 19. Record: 6-9.

Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3, Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

The Eagles are a contender and a superior team to the Giants, but the Tom Coughlin era isn't going to end with a loss. The Giants muster just enough to outscore Philly in a game that sends them into an offseason of upheaval. Giants 34, Eagles 27. Record: 7-9.