THE STORYLINE:
The premature, near-sighted view of the New York Giants win over the Seattle Seahawks is that it was a huge outcome for the franchise. It not only steadied the ship by resulting in a 2-3 (instead of 1-4) overall record, but it was such a convincing beat-down on offense, defense, and special teams as to raise morale and spirits by all. The Giants almost reached the elusive 30-point barrier, Daniel Jones looked sharp, the team overcame missing parts at wide receiver and running back, and the defense got after the quarterback and limited the damage by a dangerous receiving corps.
However, the Giants need to keep up the momentum and build on the win. Enter a very desperate, but still dangerous, 1-4 Cincinnati Bengals team whose Super Bowl aspirations are officially on life support. And the game will played at MetLife in Prime Time, not the friendliest venue or time for the home team.
Long story short, there is a significant difference between being 3-3 (with a 2-game winning streak) and 2-4. They will have to do it with two key missing parts again, Malik Nabers on offense and Kayvon Thibodeaux on defense.
THE INJURY REPORT:
- RB Devin Singletary (groin – questionable)
- WR Malik Nabers (concussion – out)
- WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (shoulder – questionable)
- OG Jon Runyan, Jr. (illness – probable)
- DL D.J. Davidson (shoulder – probable)
- OLB Brian Burns (groin – probable)
- OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist – out)
- ILB Ty Summer (hamstring – probable)
- CB Adoree’ Jackson (calf – probable)
- CB Dru Phillips (calf/shoulder – probable)
- P Jamie Gillan (hamstring – questionable)
GIANTS ON OFFENSE:
It is no coincidence that Daniel Jones playing his best game since the 2022 playoff win resulted in the Giants’ most impressive victory since that game. It is also no coincidence that the team almost hit the 30-point mark. As with any modern NFL offense, when the quarterback plays well, the offense almost always follows suit.
Since the opener when he threw two interceptions, Jones has only thrown one interception (on an end-of-game Hail Mary). He has not lost a fumble. In other words, he is not turning the ball over. His completion percentage in the first two games was sub-60 percent. In the next two, it was above 70 percent. But his performance and effectiveness against the Seahawks was the best because he was finally connecting on deep throws. Only two, but those two caused a quick-strike touchdown. That’s what has been missing from this offense.
Despite being well coached under former Giants’ assistant coach Lou Anarumo, the Bengals’ defense has fallen on hard times. It was 31st in the NFL in 2023 and is currently 26th in yards allowed. It’s 30th in run defense and 18th in pass defense. Things got worse for Cincinnati this past weekend when they lost cornerback Dax Hill with an ACL tear. Nickel back Mike Hilton is also playing with a knee injury.
The opponent’s issues suggest the Giants should employ a game plan similar to what they used against the Seahawks. Stay balanced. Run the ball with Tyrone Tracy. (Hopefully this won’t be a repeat of when the Giants failed to move the ball on the ground against Dallas’ bad run defense). Have Daniel Jones throw the ball to Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, Theo Johnson, and the backs. Perhaps add in an actual passing attempt or two to Jalin Hyatt. But again, Jones needs to connect on at least a couple of those deep shots. One of the key differences for New York last Sunday was Theo Johnson becoming more of a factor in the passing game. Cincinnati’s pass rush is one of the weaker in the NFL, with only six sacks on the year.
An important aspect will be to control the clock and keep the dangerous Bengals’ offense off of the field as much as possible.
GIANTS ON DEFENSE:
Despite the 2-3 record, the New York Giants defense is definitely trending in the right direction after a rough start. The Giants are now 10th in yards allowed and 11th in points allowed. New York is 12th in run defense and 14th in pass defense.The one area where they are lacking is forcing turnovers, with only five. Thus far, Shane Bowen has been a tremendous improvement over Wink Martindale.
However, Joe Burrow is a different animal. One can argue he is the best quarterback the Giants will face this season. Burrow is completing 72 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His overall passing rating is 113.6. Yeah, he’s elite. And he will be facing a very young secondary that is still going through growing pains with a pass rush that will now be missing Kayvon Thibodeaux.
While the Cincinnati offense may start with Burrow, it does not end there. Wideout Ja’Marr Chase is as good as it gets. He’s averaging 100 yards and a touchdown per game this year. Fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins is 6’4”, 219 pounds and a bitch to cover as well. Burrow will also spread the ball around to the tight ends and backs.
Overall, the Bengals are 9th in total offensive yards, 4th in passing, and 28th in rushing. Most alarming is they are 4th in scoring, averaging four touchdowns per game (28 points).
The good news is the Giants are first in the NFL in sacks (22). Cincinnati’s offensive line has actually been protecting Burrow better than in recent years, allowing 11 sacks in five games (Jones has been sacked 12 times in comparison). Obviously, one of the key guys on the spot will be Azeez Ojulari, who will likely be filling in for Thibodeaux. Ojulari has never really regained his rookie pass-rush form. But with Thibodeaux out for several weeks, the Giants need him to perform. Barring that, the team may have to turn to Patrick Johnson, Boogie Basham, and Benton Whitley (on Practice Squad).
Also on the spot will be the secondary. After a rough start against a murderer’s row of outstanding receivers, Tae Banks performed very well against D.K. Metcalf in Week Five. It does not get any easier for him. Banks will likely be matched up on Ja’Marr Chase much of the game. Higgins’ size presents problems. While Cor’Dale Flott has been playing well, he might not be best suited to cover him. However, Adoree’ Jackson (calf) appears to be still limited and Nick McCloud may be needed in the slot if Dru Phillips (calf) is still not 100 percent. Cutting to the chase (no pun intended), this looks like a bad match-up for the Giants.
To have a chance, the defense has to get to Burrow and hope he finally turns the ball over.
GIANTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
The Giants special teams really came through in Seattle. The blocked field goal sealed the game. Greg Joseph continues to kick well. Jamie Gillan has been steady. On the other hand, the return game continues to disappoint.
(Late Note: Gillan is now “questionable” with a hamstring injury. That obviously can impact the team in this game and others moving forward).
QUOTES:
Brian Daboll on the Cincinnati passing game: “(Chase and Higgins are) two different types of players, both outstanding at what they do. They put Chase everywhere. He can take it from a one-yard pass, 80 yards. Over 4,200 yards, 35 touchdowns, 34, whatever it may be. He’s as good as it gets. And then throw Higgins in there, who’s a top pick of the second round, who’s big. Even when he’s covered, he’s not covered. It’s very challenging. That’s why they put up so many points. When you add Burrow to the mix, who’s one of the premier passers in this league, it’s difficult.”
THE FINAL WORD:
This is a really big game for the Giants. Getting to 3-3 after a 1-3 start would be huge. But Sunday night games have not been kind to the Giants. The team also seems to play tighter at home. On the other hand, the Bengals have only beaten the Carolina Panthers, arguably the worst team in the NFL. So the Giants have a tremendous opportunity here if they can get past some mental hurdles. In addition, the Giants need Daniel Jones and the pass rush to play well.