New York Giants 2015 NFL schedule: Dates, game times, strength of schedule, more

We have known who the New York Giants would play in 2015 for a while. Now, we know when those games will be played as the 2015 NFL schedule was officially released on Tuesday evening. Here is a look at the schedule your Giants will play this season.

The Giants begin on the road vs. the Dallas Cowboys and end up at home vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. That's a pretty good set of book ends.

Giants' 2015 NFL schedule

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

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20 -- vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m., FOX

Week 3: Thursday, Sept. 24 -- vs. Washington Redskins, 8:25 p.m., CBS, NFL Network

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

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11 -- vs. San Francisco 49ers, 8:30 p.m., NBC

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

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25 -- vs. Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., FOX

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

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

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 15 -- vs. New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m., CBS

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22 -- Bye

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29 -- at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m., FOX*

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6 -- vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m., CBS*

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

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20 -- vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., FOX*

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 27 -- at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., FOX*

Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3  -- vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m., FOX*

* Game subject to flex scheduling

Based on 2014 records, the Giants are tied for 20th overall in strength of schedule. The Giants' 2014 opponents went 122-133-1 in 2014 for a winning percentage of .478. In the NFC East, the Giants and Washington Redskins have, based on 2014 opponents' records, the hardest schedules. Both face opponents with total winning percentages of .478. The Philadelphia Eagles' 2015 foes combined for a .475 2014 winning percentage, and the Dallas Cowboys will face teams with a combined 2014 winning percentage of .467.

"This is a difficult schedule that includes many formidable opponents," head coach Tom Coughlin said. "We will face a challenge every week, not only in who we play, but with the different elements of our schedule. In the first six weeks of the season, we play two Sunday night games, a Thursday night game and a Monday night game.

"We open the season in the NFC East at Dallas, which won the division last year. We're playing some teams that are growing with new coaches. The AFC East includes the Super Bowl champions, a Miami team that just missed the playoffs last year and two teams, the Jets and Bills, which have new coaches. We have an unusually late bye this season, which we will hopefully use to our advantage."

The NFL schedule is formulaic, so we have known the teams the Giants would play since the end of last season. Teams play their division foes twice, then play rotating AFC and NFC divisions each year. In 2015, the Giants face AFC East and NFC South teams. That is a total of 14 games. The final two games on the schedule are against the NFC teams that finished in the same place in their divisions as the Giants did in the NFC East. The 6-10 Giants placed third in the NFC East, and as a result get games against the 49ers (NFC West) and Vikings (NFC North).

The Giants have five prime time games. The final five games they have that are not already schedule in prime time are subject to flex scheduling.

Mark your calendar for these

It goes without saying that the divisional matchups against the Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins are always among the most interesting and important games on the schedule. Here are some thoughts on the best matchups on the schedule.

Giants vs. Cowboys, Week 1 -- Giants-Cowboys is always a highlight game, of course. This year will mark the third time in four years the Giants have opened against Dallas. The Giants lost the last two openers.Two of the Giants key free-agent signings, Dwayne Harris and George Selvie, played for the Cowboys a year ago.

Giants at Bills, Week 4 -- Rex Ryan is gone from the Jets and LeSean McCoy is out of Philly, but the Giants still get to see them both this season when they travel to Western New York to face the Buffalo Bills. This is my favorite road game of the 2015 season? Why? My son attends Hamburg College, which is just a couple of miles down the road from Ralph Wilson Stadium, so Bills-Giants will turn into a family get-together. I am glad this one is early in the year.

Giants vs. Patriots, Week 10 -- This one has to be on the list. It's Giants vs. the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, the team that can beat everyone it faces in the Super Bowl except the Giants.

Jets at Giants, Week 13 -- The Jets and Giants have not played in the regular season since Dec. 24, 2011. You remember that one, don't you Giants fans? The Giants were 7-7 with their season on the brink of disaster. Rex Ryan and the braggadocious Jets, the homestanding team at MetLife Stadium, audaciously covered up all of the Giants' Super Bowl banners near the locker rooms. The angry, desperate Giants won, 29-14, beginning their march to what would become the franchise's fourth Super Bowl title.

The Giants are 8-4 in regular-season games against the Jets, who will have Darrelle Revis back this season. The Jets have also added wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Giants at Dolphins, Week 14 -- A Monday night affair against Ndamukong Suh and company.

Giants vs. Ducks, er Tebows, er Eagles, Week 17 -- Lord only knows who will be on the Eagles' roster when the Giants get to play them this season. LeSean McCoy, Nick Foles, Jeremy Maclin and Trent Cole are out. DeMarco Murray, Sam Bradford, Ryan Matthews, Kiko Alonso, Tim Tebow are in. For now. Who knows what will happen during the draft? How much fun would it be if the Giants and Eagles are slugging it out for a playoff berth at MetLife Stadium Week 17?

Giants' 2015 opponents

Home -- Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins, Falcons, Panthers, Patriots, Jets, 49ers

Away -- Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins, Saints, Buccaneers, Bills, Dolphins, Vikings

Giants' 2015 preseason schedule

Week 1 -- at Cincinnati Bengals, Friday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m. ET

Week 2 -- vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Saturday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. ET

Week 3 -- vs. New York Jets, TBA

Week 4 -- at New England Patriots, TBA