New York Giants' 2014 Schedule Analysis: It could have been worse

Think the New York Giants got the short end of the stick with a 2014 NFL schedule that forces them to play a Monday night game in New Jersey vs. the Indianapolis Colts (Nov. 3) and then travel across the country to face the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on short rest six days later? Well, things could have turned out much worse for the Giants.

In a revealing look at what it takes to put together the NFL schedule, Peter King says schedule-makers went through more than a half-million computerized schedule models and strongly considered a couple of schedules that would have left the Giants with bigger problems than a cross-country flight to play a terrific team on short rest.

Among the schedules King said the league considered was one that would have had the Giants playing three straight road games, including a cross-country trip to Seattle. Another proposed schedule would have had the Giants playing three straight NFC East games -- all on the road.

Head coach Tom Coughlin Wednesday called the Giants' 2014 schedule "difficult and challenging." Either of those two road trips would have made the schedule even more formidable.

As it is, the Giants' four-game stretch in November looks formidable enough. The Giants play that Monday nighter against the Colts, travel to Seattle, then return home to host the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.

A couple of other quick thoughts:

• The Giants play in Philly Week 6 and then host the Cowboys Week 7 before their bye. We might have a pretty good handle by then on what kind of team the Giants are.
• The Giants don't play a division game until Week 4 when they travel to face the Washington Redskins.
• Two of the Giants' final three games are in the division -- Week 15 vs. the Redskins and Week 17 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

We know you have probably been pouring over the schedule and over-analyzing every detail since it was announced. What do you like? What worries you? Let us know in the comments.