New York Giants: 3 bold predictions against the Steelers

The New York Giants are preparing to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, which will be week one of the 2020 regular season. A revised training camp has imposed its challenges for the Giants and the rest of the NFL, as without a preseason, rookies will have a more tumultuous time adapting to the physicality and athleticism of the pros.

Ultimately, we might see a low-quality week across the league, in terms of football performances, but teams should shake the rust off rather quickly.

However, the Giants have more problems then the uncontrollables listed above. The Steelers represent a dominant defense with a quality offense, and it will take every last ounce of effort to overcome them in the regular-season opener.

Three bold predictions for the New York Giants against the Pittsburgh Steelers:

1.) Andrew Thomas will hold his own

Andrew Thomas struggled in training camp at times, notably against Lorenzo Carter in their first intrasquad scrimmage (2 sacks allowed). Without much live-action to work off of, Thomas was thrown into the fire against some of the Giants’ better pass rushers. He held his own against Leonard Williams, a player far superior to his experience and size, and put together some solid film work to develop from.

However, the lack of preseason games makes his job even more difficult. He will face off against Bud Dupree, who tallied 11.5 sacks in 2019. The Steelers’ pass-rush is one of the best in the NFL, with Dupree and TJ Watt totaling 26 sacks.

In his rookie debut, I predict that Thomas will hold his own and perform well to start his NFL career. Coming from Georgia, Thomas was dominant when it came to game performances, but the NFL is a different beast. The Giants have already stated that Evan Engram will help chip block on the left side, giving him some support. I think he will fare better than we imagine.

2.) Daniel Jones won’t fumble

After fumbling 18 times and losing 11 of them in his rookie season, Daniel Jones made it a priority to increase his awareness and strength in the pocket. By adding 9 pounds of additional muscle mass this off-season, the goal was to alleviate these serious concerns with the worst turnover differential in the league last year; the New York Giants desperately need their second-year quarterback to improve in the fumble category. As stated above, I believe Thomas will have a better performance than expected, which should give Jones more protection in the pocket. As long as the line can remain consistent and not give up relentless pressures, the Giants will have a decent shot at walking away with a win.

3.) Darnay Holmes will have a big rookie debut

The Giants need their secondary to step up in this game, giving their pass rush time to get to the quarterback. Rattling Big Ben early is a priority if they wish to keep the score low and in reach, and it boils down to their cornerbacks.

Rookie out of UCLA, Darnay Holmes, will start his first game in the NFL, and I believe he will have a fantastic one to limit the Steelers in multiple ways. Whether it be transitioning to a CB2 role or staying in the slot, I think he will have multiple pass break-ups and show that quick-twitch athleticism the Giants saw when they took him in the fourth round. Watching him develop in live-action would be a huge positive.

Despite a high ankle sprain in 2019, Holmes played in 10 games, refusing to leave his team without their Captain. He still managed to record two interceptions and 23 solo tackles. He is a leader and refuses to stay off the field unless it is something significant. The Giants need more gritty players like Darnay.