The New York Giants (2-6) have the chance to take down a Las Vegas Raiders team (3-5) that has experienced an overhaul in their franchise ranks ahead of their upcoming matchup this Sunday.
Several Raiders Personnel Changes Opens The Door For Giants to Secure the Victory
The Raiders have said goodbye to their head coach and general manager in recent days and have brought on replacements, including a former Giant to man the sidelines, per Matt Sitak of Giants.com:
“While Champ Kelly was named the interim general manager, someone very familiar to Giants fans was named the team’s interim head coach – former linebacker and team captain Antonio Pierce. The former Giants linebacker and team captain will lead the team for the remainder of the season before the Raiders undergo “a comprehensive search for a head coach once the season is complete.”
In addition to the managerial and coaching shifts, Raiders starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo was benched in favor of rookie QB Aidan O’Connell, making him the first rookie passer the Giants front seven will encounter in 2023.
It may take more than a week for the Raiders to get on the same page together. Three of their most vital positions have seen changes in rapid succession, which will call into question their continuity on Sunday.
Giants Up Against a Struggling Raiders Offense and Disgruntled Stars
The Raiders have struggled with a bottom-10 passing offense. Their 13 interceptions lead the NFL — nine of which have come at the hands of Garoppolo. Both he and O’Connell have negative TD-INT ratios and have thrown eight combined touchdowns, ranking fifth-worst in the league.
Frustration also seems to be mounting from those actually producing for Las Vegas. Star RB Josh Jacobs was dismissive when addressing what the team could do to be better on offense, per Bridget Condon of NFL Network:
The Giants’ run defense — without Leonard Williams in the mix — will have a heavy task on their hands in slowing down Jacobs. The reigning NFL rushing leader has 408 yards on the ground so far, but his frustrations may spill over into Sunday’s game.
The Giants will also have to key on star WR Davante Adams, who ranks in the top 15 with 538 receiving yards and has brought down three REC TDs. Adams also voiced frustrations prior to the Raiders’ Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears, saying that his ‘benchmark’ is greatness and that he came to Las Vegas not to hang out but to ‘win and do it the right way,’ per Nick Shook of NFL.com.
Despite the many problems that the Raiders face, the Giants will have to put their foot on the gas to keep from falling to 2-7 and further away from making a push for the seventh playoff spot in the NFC standings.