The New York Giants head to Florida to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Jags head coach Doug Pederson has admitted that he is wary of the Giants’ offense behind Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, and Big Blue would be best served to not overlook the 2-4 Jags. Their lackluster start to the season is not an indicator of the potential this team has, and there are still things the Giants must do to earn a victory on the road.
Here’s a look at six keys.
Don't underestimate Lawrence's legs
Don’t let Trevor Lawrence’s youth and inexperience fool you, he is deceptively fast and isn’t afraid to use his legs. He’s a pass-first quarterback, but he is capable of using his speed, and the Jags will run designed QB sneaks to their advantage. Keeping him in the pocket is a must.
Watch the screen
The Jags are a screen-heavy team. The defense must be aware of this and be prepared to defend the short pass. Lawrence is still learning the game, even though this is his second season, and he still has a lot to learn before he can be truly successful. Taking away both the QB-sneak and the screen pass will severely limit the Jags’ offense.
Limit Etienne, tackle soundly
Travis Etienne is a rookie running back out of Clemson. The Jags drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft and reunited him with his college quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.
But it’s not just him the Giants need to watch for big plays — over half of the team’s rushing yards happen before contact. Meaning the backs are getting out without being touched.
On the other hand, the receivers are getting most of their yards after contact. So, the Giants need to get to the playmakers as quickly as possible and make sure they wrap them up to stop the play before it turns into a big yardage gain.
Stack the turnovers
The Giants have 8 turnovers this season — 7 fumble recoveries and one interception. Wink Martindale told his defense that turnovers come in bunches, and now is the time to ramp up.
The Jags have a lot of potential, but they are young and more susceptible to making mistakes. The Giants must capitalize on these mistakes to take the ball away from them and get Jones and Barkley back on the field.
Open it up
The Jaguars have the fifth-best rush defense in the NFL, but their pass defense ranks in the lower third. That doesn’t mean the Giants shouldn’t hand the ball off to Barkley, but it does mean that Jones has to throw the ball.
Everyone knows he’s capable of making downfield throws, so this week he needs to open his vision down the field and make accurate passes. The receivers making catches is the other piece of that — they need to make plays when the ball is thrown their direction (currently fourth-worst in the NFL in dropped passes).
Hot start
This season, the Giants have made fans hold their breath and assume the worst by the time halftime arrives. Then the second half comes and it’s like a whole new team is on the field.
Getting out to a hot start, executing plays early in the game and getting first-downs will make winning that much easier. It’s harder to come back from behind than to take the lead and keep it, and if the Giants come out hot this Sunday, the Jags will struggle to keep up.
