The New York Giants are gearing up to face off against the Seattle Seahawks in week 13. Defensively, they allow the 27th most points at 28.7 per game, but the Giants just lost quarterback Daniel Jones to a right hamstring injury, which could keep him out for as long as 3-4 weeks.
Despite the injury, the Giants walked away with a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 12, just barely edging it out and claiming first place in the NFC East heading into a four-game stretch against winning opponents. The next four games for Big Blue will be tumultuous, especially if Jones is unable to play, but that leads me to my question.
Can the New York Giants win with Colt McCoy?
All teams have to be prepared with a back-up in place, and the Giants will roll with McCoy if Jones is forced to miss ample time. The last time he threw 100 or more completions was back in 2011 with the Cleveland Browns. McCoy tossed 2,733 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His latest real action was in 2018 when he played in five games, completing 34 passes for 372 yards, three scores, and three interceptions. He logged a 63 overall completion percentage, which isn’t too bad compared to others in the NFL.
McCoy can be graded as back-up level, finishing the win over Cincinnati with six completions, 31 yards, and a 65 overall passer rating. Against the struggling Seahawks defense, who is dominant against the run but ranks last in the league in passing yards allowed, they will force the Giants to utilize McCoy more frequently than one would hope.
The Giants have now rushed for 140+ yards in three straight contests, with the fourth-year player Wayne Gallman performing extremely well. With the Seattle defense capable of shutting down opposing running games, Â McCoy will have to prepare to throw at least 30 times next week.
Losing Jones suddenly becomes a significant problem, and it really shows how much value he brings on offense. Before going down, Jones threw for 2,335 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His throwing statistics haven’t been elite by any means, but he’s also capable of running the ball extremely well, picking up 403 yards and one rushing touchdown this season. He’s also cut his turnovers down significantly, going 2.5 games without turning the ball over.
My overall prediction is that the Giants will struggle against Seattle based on their efficiency against the run and McCoy’s passing ability being unproven at this point. The defense will have to step up significantly to keep them in games, but they’ve done so all season, and I expect them to rise to the occasion.