The 2-7 New York Giants taking on the 1-8 Jets won’t be as exciting as the 2011 matchup where Victor Cruz took a quick button hook 99-yards to the house, which helped them secure a playoff spot and an eventual Super Bowl victory.
The Giants and Jets of present-day are both incompetent and incapable of being quality teams. Blame the coaching, overall player talent, or decision making, the bottom line is that both sides are ways away from being competitive, and that’s what we should expect to see on Sunday afternoon.
Here are three keys for the New York Giants to overcome the Jets:
1.) Daniel Jones’ ball security
Jones currently leads the league with 18 turnovers, and he missed the first two games of the regular season. Turnovers aren’t necessarily a bad thing in a quarterback’s rookie season. Learning coverages and taking risks are all part of the developmental process, but at a certain point, the total has to even out with his scoring production.
The Jets recently traded Leonard Williams to the Giants, which creates a hole in the middle of their defensive front. Jones will have a more relaxed day against a lesser Jets defense, but he must be careful with the ball and elevate his awareness — a part of his game he has struggled with this season.
2.) Saquon Barkley must be used appropriately
Head coach Pat Shurmur has utilized star running back Saquon Barkley in an underwhelming way this year, and that’s to be expected to a degree considering his high ankle sprain. Compromising his health and overloading his touches won’t help the Giants at this point in the season, so keeping him on the lower side of usage is justified. However, if Big Blue wants to win games, they must be creative with getting Barkley the ball.
Shurmur can still use Barkley appropriately and keep his work-rate down to a reasonable level.
3.) The secondary must step up
The Jets’ top playmaker is Le’Veon Bell, who has struggled to find holes in the scheme. The Jets’ offensive line is abysmal, which gives the Giants a significant advantage in the run game. It will boil down to Sam Darnold and his arm. The Giants secondary must step up after being thrashed against the Dallas Cowboys last Monday night.
Allowing 37 points and two touchdowns of over 40-yards, the safeties and cornerbacks need to have a bounce-back game to elevate the confidence in the locker room. Cornerback DeAndre Baker and slot option Corey Ballentine struggled against Dak Prescott, and when their No. 1 pass catcher in Amari Cooper was lined up over Baker, it was catastrophic.
Amari Cooper with some filth at the top of his route, sends rookie DeAndre Baker off the screen clamoring for a penalty.
Amari, still good. pic.twitter.com/5gTrFOsnvG
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) November 5, 2019
Baker will have to limit Robby Anderson and Co. at MetLife in an “away” game, but their quality doesn’t even resemble a fraction of what Cooper brings to the table. A confidence-boosting performance against the Jets would do wonders for this struggling defensive backfield.