The Giants (6-2) Can’t Blow Two Winnable Games To Stay In The Wild Card Race
Coming off their bye, the Giants are in a good spot currently in the NFC. They hold a nice position in the wild card as they’re two and a half games above the current eighth seed in the conference. With a 6-2 record, the team is looking to have just as good of a second half of the season as the first. To do that, they gotta take care of some winnable games in the next few weeks.
This week for the Giants is a home matchup on the schedule with the 1-6-1 Texans. Then, they stay home the following week to take on the 2-6 Lions. It might not seem like an important stretch for the Giants, but it really is. Good teams find ways to beat lesser opponents, which will be tested for New York. It all starts with the Texans this week, so here are three things to look out for during Sunday’s game.
1. The Health Of Kenny Golladay
One of the most polarizing players on the team this season, Wide Receiver Kenny Golladay has been the subject of some harsh criticism as he’s struggled to produce and even stay on the field since he joined the Giants in 2021. His $72 million contract doesn’t help things, and with that much money invested in a player, General Manager Joe Schoen is looking forward to his return to the lineup.
“Kenny’s (Golladay) hopefully coming back soon. Fingers are crossed he’ll be back for Houston, so it’d be good to get a look at him again. Again I’m hopeful for him against Houston,” said Joe Schoen in a press conference last Tuesday.
It looks like he is returning to the team, as he’s been a full participant in practice the past few days. It will be integral for Head Coach Brian Daboll to get him involved as the current depth of the wide receiver room is severely lacking. Although he hasn’t produced his best since coming to the team, having someone like Golladay back is certainly a good thing as the second half of the season arrives.
2. Can Saquon Barkley Replicate His Surreal Start To The Season?
If there’s been one player who’s been the main contributor to the Giants’ 6-2 record, it’s been Running Back Saquon Barkley. He is currently third in the NFL in scrimmage yards and rushing. After being halted by injuries the past couple of years that has affected his play, he’s back to playing like the guy we saw during his rookie year in 2018 when he led the NFL in scrimmage yards. He’s been a big help to this team and has made big plays weekly.
Now, coming off a much-needed bye, Barkley looks to keep it going against a bad Texans rush defense. Coming into Week Ten, Houston has given up the most yards rushing in the NFL. It’s an area the Giants have to pounce on, and with Barkley being one of the offense’s best players, it won’t be shocking to see the team keep it on the ground for most of the game.
3. Status Of The Giants Secondary Post Xavier McKinney Injury
Even though the Giants were on their bye week, they did suffer a devastating injury as Safety Xavier McKinney injured his hand in Mexico while riding an ATV. It’s a bad look for McKinney, who’s a team captain, but he did get out in front of the news and apologized for putting himself in that situation. He was put on IR this week, so he will miss at least the next four games, which is a huge loss to the defense.
McKinney also wore the green dot on his helmet, which basically means he received the play calls from Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale and relayed them to the rest of the defense. That honor will now be shifted to Safety Julian Love while McKinney recovers from the injury. Love has been with the Giants since 2019 and has recorded an interception every year he’s been with the team. The team also signed former third-round pick S Terrell Burgess to the practice squad after he was released by the Rams a couple of days ago.
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