It’s rivalry week in the Big Apple.
The Jets and Giants are set to square off in Week 10 with bragging rights for on the line. Both teams haven’t fared too well so far in 2019, but past results go out the window once Sunday rolls around.
With that being said, it’s going to take a lot for the Jets to get back on track after looking out of sorts against the lowly Dolphins a week ago. If Gang Green wants to have any chance at beating the Giants, it’s going to start with a stout defensive effort.
Let’s take a look at what it’s going to take for the Jets to keep the Giants off the board this weekend.
Keep Saquon Barkley contained as much as possible
Saquon Barkley is going to get his no matter what the Jets’ defense throws at him.
That’s a fact Gregg Williams and company will have to accept before kickoff. In only a year and a half in the league, Barkley has already established himself an elite running back with his game-breaking ability both running between the tackles and catching passes out of the backfield.
The Jets shouldn’t focus on eliminating Barkley completely. That is simply not going to happen. Instead, New York needs to zone in on ensuring Barkley doesn’t break loose for any chunk plays. Long gains have cost the Jets on multiple occasions in 2019 and Barkley has a propensity to run wild on opposing defenses.
As long as the Jets keep Barkley from picking up backbreaking gains, they’ll be in decent shape.
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Get to Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones is your typical rookie quarterback. When defenses bring the heat and the pocket collapses, he gets flustered.
Jones not only gets flustered, but has a tendency to put the ball on the ground when he takes a hit. He has fumbled a whopping 10 times in eight games, seven of which came in the Giants’ last three games. That’s an unusually high number for any quarterback.
Given Jones’ lack of ball security, the Jets will have a good chance to force fumbles if they can put hits on him. That could be what they need to turn the tide in their favor.
Always account for Evan Engram and Golden Tate
Since taking over as the Giants’ starting quarterback, Daniel Jones has developed a solid rapport with Evan Engram and Golden Tate.
Engram saw a career-high 14 targets against the Cowboys last week, while Tate has caught at least six passes in four of his five games this season.
What does this mean for the Jets? They’ll have to be aware of where Engram and Tate line up at all times. Not only do Engram and Tate see a heavy dose of targets, but they run a deep route tree and line up all over the field. If the Jets lose track of either player at any point, they could get burned for a costly score.
Get Exotic
The best way to beat a young quarterback is to confuse him to the point where he’s seeing ghosts.
Daniel Jones has proven he can make plays when he has time to sit in the pocket and scan defenses. When he’s been faced with complex defensive disguises that result in blitzes, that has not been the case.
Gregg Williams is the king of exotic defensive schemes, so this shouldn’t be much of an issue for him. Expect the Jets to throw all different kinds of looks at Jones on Sunday.
