The New York Giants face the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, which will be decked out in the Jets’ green and white as the Giants are the “away” team.
Normally, this is a battle for bragging rights, but this year is different. New York football is in such a state of disarray that this game is almost meaningless. Almost. The Giants are trying to salvage what they can for the sake of Daniel Jones’ confidence, and Adam Gase is fighting for his job.
That said, there are three things the Giants can do to ensure a victory this week.
Let Daniel Jones air it out
The Jets secondary is allowing 263 passing yards per game and has allowed 12 passing touchdowns over eight games. That ranks ninth worst in the league. By contrast, they have the sixth ranked rush defense, allowing just 89 yards per game.
Knowing that their secondary is weak, Pat Shurmur needs to call more passing plays than run plays. Yes, Saquon Barkley should still get the ball on the ground, but let’s not forget his catching ability too. Utilizing Barkley as a distraction will help Jones get the ball to Sterling Shepard and Cody Lattimer down the field, where they can turn on the after-burners and pop in a few touchdowns.
BetMGM New Jersey New Customer Offer: Bet $1, WIN $100 (in free bets) on the Jets vs. the Giants Sunday Night Football matchup Nov. 10. If either team wins, you win. Bet Now!
Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.
Throw unique blitzes at Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold is in his second year in the league, and while he’s played just five games due to having mono at the beginning of the season, he ranks 32nd among all quarterbacks. A lot of that is due to the Jets’ sub-par offensive line. The line gives up a lot of pressure, something that Darnold is not good at handling. He’s thrown nine interceptions in his five games, which is in large part due to making poor decisions when under pressure.
If the Giants can get pressure on Darnold early and often, he will be thrown off his game and maybe Antoine Bethea can show off his center fielding skills again this week like he did against Dallas.
No Turnovers
It may sound like beating a dead horse, but this cannot be overstated. The Jets have the 16th-ranked defense in the league, so it’s middle of the pack. They also have just five interceptions and five fumble recoveries on the season, total.
If Jones can avoid throwing an interception and the ball carriers can avoid dropping the rock, it will bode well for the outcome of the game. That goes for any game, but if they turn the ball over against the Jets like they have against other teams, it will show that this offense still has a long way to go.
.jpg?w=600)
