Daniel Jones will start in Week 9. How healthy do you think he is going into this matchup?
Honestly, I don’t think he’s all that healthy. The doctors obviously wouldn’t have cleared him if he couldn’t play or was in significant danger, but when a neck/disc injury results in the loss of strength in one arm, it’s a serious issue.
Returning in three weeks is rather miraculous and likely wouldn’t have happened if Tyrod Taylor hadn’t also suffered a severe injury of his own. Playing behind the Giants’ offensive line should require insurance.
The offensive line has been a mess for the Giants all season. Is it just because of injuries or is something else going on?
It’s a little bit of everything. Injuries have obviously devastated them at the top, but there have been major communication issues as a result of the player shuffling. The arrival of Justin Pugh did bring a somewhat calming presence to the group, but they are still under-performing.
All of that has been compounded by poor personnel decisions dating back to the offseason when the Giants passed on carrying a swing tackle. Who could have guessed that decision would backfire?
How much will the Giants miss Leonard Williams?
A whole hell of a lot. On the field, Leonard Williams was a selfless player who made those around him better. His statistics this season may not have jumped off the box score but that’s simply the result of him playing within a defined role that was designed to get the most out of Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Not only do the Giants now lose that selflessness, Lawrence and Thibodeaux also lose the benefit of his presence. Back in the locker room, few were more loved than The Big Cat. He was voted a team captain for a reason and his absence will be felt throughout the building.
Linebacker Micah McFadden is really evolving into something special. He’s completely leveled up this season after a relatively inconsistent rookie debut, and you can see the strides he’s making on a weekly basis.
He still needs to clean up his tackling a bit, but he’s become a turnover magnet and a stud in coverage. McFadden is really well-rounded and the more experience he accumulated, the better he will become. The sky is the limit.
Who wins and why?
Before the madness in Las Vegas, I had the Raiders beating the Giants by a relatively narrow margin. Now that everything has been completely shaken up, I am more inclined to believe the Giants can go on the road and pick up their third win of the season.
However, I’ve had faith in them previously and they’ve managed to find new and gut-wrenchingly inventive ways to lose and there’s no reason to believe that suddenly stops now. Raiders 16, Giants 10 and another new low point for Big Blue.
