The New York Giants suffered their first loss of the season on Monday, falling to the Dallas Cowboys, 23-16. Some glaring weaknesses were exposed during that game, things the team has likely worked on as much as possible on this short week.
The Chicago Bears head to Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday with a 2-1 record, and while a Giants win might seem inevitable, there are still things the team needs to do to walk away with the dub.
Solid pass protection a must
Daniel Jones has been sacked 13 times this season. He’s faced the most pressure against four-man rushes in the NFL and the Giants have surrendered the most sacks in the NFL against four-man rushes.
Jones has faced an NFL-leading 49 pressures this season. Yet he ranks second-best in the NFL with just eight off-target throws. Imagine what he could do if he had some protection.
Maybe the Giants should try that this week and see what happens.
Let Slayton stretch the field
Darius Slayton has only appeared in two of the Giants’ three games this season, but he hasn’t been targeted and has no receptions. With the loss of Sterling Shepard, Jones desperately needs someone to throw the ball to.
The long game is where Slayton shines, using his speed to break away from defenders. If he can show Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka that he’s not just a capable route runner, but that he really can catch the ball, it could make a big difference in the game.
Start fast
The Bears are 2-1, having just squeaked by the Houston Texans with a 23-20 win last week. Now they’re on the road with a quarterback who isn’t quite sure of himself.
If the Giants start fast and get points on the board early, it will throw the Bears off their game. Besides, isn’t it better to start out on top than try to come from behind?
Keep Fields in the pocket
Justin Fields is in just his second season in the NFL, and it shows on the field. His confidence is not where it should be for a starting quarterback, but he also isn’t surrounded by exceptional talent either.
The Bears have relied heavily on the run game over the first three games, so if the Giants can force him to stay in the pocket and throw the ball, he’s more likely to make a mistake or simply throw the ball away.
Either favors the Giants.
Set the Edge
Last week, the Giants struggled to set the edge (which it was painfully obvious) against the Cowboys. That’s why the Cowboys were able to run against the Giants more than the Titans and Panthers. If the Giants want to maintain their first key of keeping Fields in the pocket, they must set the edge and contain the run.
Create turnovers
The Giants’ defense has a whopping two turnovers this season, both fumble recoveries. One against the Titans and one against the Panthers. A third came on special teams.
The commonality between them is that the Giants won both of those games, where they lost to Dallas when there were no turnovers. Creating turnovers is an important factor in the success of any defense, the goal is always to get the offense back on the field. The fastest way to do that is to create turnovers.
