The New York Giants (4-8) and Green Bay Packers (6-6) will square off on Monday night in a Week 14 matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Giants opened the week as 6-point home underdogs and that spread has worsened slightly with New York listed at +6.5 as of this writing.
With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Packers Wire managing editor Zach Kruse.
The Packers followed up a 1-5 stretch with a 4-1 stretch. To what can you attribute that complete 180?
Kruse: Jordan Love and the offense came alive. Love has legitimately played at a top-10 quarterback level over the last five games and near an elite level over the last three. Part of the reason is his own individual development and improvement as a passer, but the Packers supporting cast has also finally settled in.
The young receivers and tight ends are making far fewer mistakes and making more big plays, and the offensive line has been more consistent overall.
I think the last five games are a reflection of a young but talented group of players getting comfortable and more confident after battling through a rough stretch.
After an inconsistent start, Jordan Love has really begun to settle in. What have you seen from him in his first year as a starter?
I’ve seen the predictable ups and downs of a first-year starter. The talent has always been obvious, and I’ve always thought — dating back to the preseason — that Love would be at least a competent NFL starter. He knows the system, gets the ball to the right spots consistently, and can create on his own.
The big question was his ceiling.
Well, his last five games have really raised the bar. He can make every throw and make plays both from the pocket and outside of structure. His upside is really, really high in Matt LaFleur’s offense.
Ex-Giant Corey Ballentine had a tragic start to his NFL career but seems to be having a resurgence in Green Bay. What have you seen from the youngster this season?
Corey Ballentine has been a little bit of a life-saver for the Packers at cornerback over the last month. Has he been perfect in coverage? No, but Ballentine competes hard and is an aggressive tackler in space and against the run.
Without All-Pro Jaire Alexander and veteran Rasul Douglas, the Packers have leaned on Ballentine and rookie Carrington Valentine at cornerback and the defense hasn’t really suffered. Ballentine might be best as a No. 4 corner on a great defense but he’s really battled as a starter.
The Packers, statistically, struggle against the run. What contributes to that and how do you anticipate they will attempt to stop Saquon Barkley on Monday night?
Simple answer: they don’t really care about stopping the run. This Joe Barry defense is designed to eliminate big plays in the passing game and force the offense to go on long, methodical drives to score.
The idea is the Packers’ defense will force a negative play or the offense will mess up at least once per drive. However, teams have run the ball down the Packers’ throats at times. The Falcons, Lions, and Steelers all went over 200 rushing yards. That might be the magic number for Saquon Barkley and the Giants on Monday night.
Prediction time! Who wins, what's the score and how do you see the game playing out?
The Packers are red-hot and have a big advantage at quarterback and along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Giants have life after winning back-to-back games going into the bye, and the rest advantage can be a big benefit, but it’s hard to imagine New York scoring enough points to win this game.
I think Jordan Love keeps rolling, the defense does enough to contain Saquon Barkley and pressure Tommy DeVito, and the Packers escape with a potentially ugly win. Packers 23, Giants 13
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