The New York Giants will center their Week 10 matchup against the division rival Dallas Cowboys as 17-point road underdogs on Sunday.
The Giants are fresh off two straight losses and last week, they lost quarterback Daniel Jones (knee) for the season.
With Jones out and Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve (IR), the Giants will turn to rookie Tommy DeVito, giving him his first NFL start.
Here are three reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday’s game.
Second meeting adjustments
When the Giants played the Cowboys in Week 1, the season got off to a rocky start. Midway through the first quarter, the game was 16-0.
The game got out of control in a hurry and the Giants ended up getting shut out, 40-0.
This time around, the coaching staff cannot ignore the situation of the game. The Giants will likely try to limit the possessions and rely heavily on the rushing attack with the rookie quarterback under center.
Head coach Brian Daboll & Co. should piece together a better game plan than they did in Week 1, adjusting properly to what they saw and what they expect this time around.
Cowboys redzone offense
The Dallas Cowboys offense is ranked 29th overall in redzone touchdown scoring.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ defense had been better before their Week 9 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Wink Martindale’s defense will have to recover against the Cowboys this week. And given Dallas’ threats on the offense, expect Martindale to draw up the pass rush early and often.
Low expectations
These are the types of games that Big Blue tends to surprise and play up to their opponents.
With the Cowboys being 17-point favorites and Tommy DeVito under center, everyone is counting out the Giants.
The Giants traditionally play better with their backs against the wall, and this game may be closer than expected.
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