There’s only one matchup in the NFL this week between two teams with a winning record. It’ll happen on Sunday afternoon when the surprise 4-3 Seahawks host the upstart 6-1 Giants.
To learn more about this week’s opponents we spoke with Dan Benton, managing editor of Giants Wire. Here are a few questions he answered about his team.
Nobody expected the Giants to be 6-1 at this point. How did they get here?
There are countless reasons. Coaching is the obvious thing that leaps out. After years of Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge and Jason Garrett, the Giants have a competent staff led by Brian Daboll. We’ll get more into that shortly. Credit is also owed to the players, including Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Julian Love and many others. They’re all playing at a high level and it’s allowed the team to mask some of their other personnel deficiencies.
How much credit does coach Brian Daboll deserve for the turnaround?
Daboll and his staff deserves a ton of credit. He compiled a group of outstanding coordinators, they connect with the players on a human level and they put the team in the best position to win both collectively and individually. The offense has been modernized, the defense is fast and aggressive, and special teams are always solid under Thomas McGaughey.
Daniel Jones is in the last year of his contract. Should they re-sign him?
It’s too early to say right now but it’s certainly trending in the direction that it should be strongly considered. He has the highest QBR of any quarterback over the past four weeks, is among the NFL’s most accurate passers and he has, at times, completely carried the team on his back. He’s developed into a strong leader who is respected by his teammates and he’s managed to put the Giants in a position to win all seven games this season thus far. And he’s managed to do that despite the injuries around him, a group of wide receivers that lead the league in drops and are last in separation, an OL group that still allows a high rate of pressure and a running game that although dominant overall, goes through phases where it’s not producing well.
Was Saquon Barkley just injured and now he’s healthy or is there more to it?
Nothing more to it than that. Barkley had dealt with some serious injuries over the previous few years and it forced him to change his approach a bit and we all saw the results of that. Here in 2022, he’s healthy and confident in his knee and you not only see the Saquon of old, but an even better and more dynamic version. He’s a potential home run hitter every time he touches the ball. He’s also done a great job of being decisive and trusting his blockers — all while handling new roles like running the occasional wildcat.
How have rookies Kayvon Thidbedeaux and Evan Neal done so far?
Kayvon is mature beyond his years. His IQ is off the charts and any notion that he wasn’t committed or motivated has gone completely out the window. He comes in every day and gives 110% and although the box score numbers don’t leap off the page, he’s making an impact on almost every single play. He hustles and his motor never stops. He’s going to be elite. Evan Neal, prior to his sprained MCL, was improving noticeably. The timing of his injury is unfortunate after a rough few weeks to start the season. He’s looked a lot like Andrew Thomas did early in his career and the hope is he turns it around just the same.
Prediction for Sunday’s game?
I know many believe the Giants are going to storm into Seattle and come out victorious, but that’s an incredibly difficult place to play. Couple that with New York’s overwhelming amount of injuries, their sudden inability to stop the run and the law of odds, and it doesn’t look so great. While I do believe the Giants keep the game competitive, I think they ultimately fall short in this one. Seahawks 25, Giants 23.
