The New York Giants are off to a rough 0-2 start for the third season in a row. The first loss to the Dallas Cowboys was on the road to a much better team, but the second loss to the Buffalo Bills came at home to a team that is more the Giants equal.
So Pat Shurmur made the call to bench Eli Manning in favor of rookie Daniel Jones. Whether it makes a difference or not remains to be seen, but something had to change.
This week, the Giants face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. The Bucs are 1-1 and should be a good team to ease Jones into NFL play. Still, it’s going to be an adjustment for everyone. That said, there are three keys to victory for Big Blue this week.
Ride Saquon Barkley
Last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year was second in rushing only to Ezekiel Elliott. This year, while he’s currently second in rushing yards, he ranks 17th in attempts. This is a guy the Giants should be leaning on to help carry the team, and maybe if he had more touches on the ball, the team wouldn’t be 0-2.
Barkley is averaging a ridiculous 7.8 yards per carry, something Shurmur needs to take advantage of. The Bucs look improved over recent years, and with a rookie quarterback at the helm this week, the ground game is massively important.
Simplify the defense
The Giants allow the fifth-most yards per game at 441, an average of 6.8 yards per play. The defense is largely all new faces and very young. They’ve been horrible in the first two games overall. James Bettcher needs to make it easier on his players, especially the young guys. Call simpler plays, coverage he knows they know beyond a shadow of a doubt. For lack of better terms, dumb it down for them, give them a chance to succeed. Because right now, they aren’t successful, and changing the quarterback has no effect on the defense.
Create and eliminate turnovers
Daniel Jones is getting his first NFL start, taking over for veteran Eli Manning. He’s bound to have a turnover or two, so the Giants need to create their own turnovers to even the playing field. The defense did not create any turnovers in the first two games, but if they want to help out their offense, they’ll need to create opportunities on Sunday.
On the flip side, the Giants also need to eliminate turnovers. They’ve had two in each of the first two games. The best way to do that is to protect Jones and give him the time he needs to get the play off the ground. The trick will be giving him that time without getting a penalty called, but that’s what this veteran line needs to do.
Whether it’s a bomb down the field or a handoff to Saquon, the line needs to be prepared to help Jones have a good showing in his first regular season appearance.
