The New York Giants have a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one of the 2020 regular season. With no fans in the stands and a bevy of youngsters featuring on the starting team, this season will be interesting, to say the least.
The Steelers are an incredibly tough team, gaining back Ben Roethlisberger and adding Minkah Fitzpatrick to their defense last season. The Giants will have a tough time overcoming them, but new head coach Joe Judge will have an opportunity to start the season strong, even if it means competing tirelessly in a loss.
However, we will remain optimistic and give the Giants all the good juju they need to pull off a surprising win. There are currently underdogs in Vegas by 5.5 points, which suggests that they should lose this game. However, coming off an abbreviated training camp with otherworldly protocols in place, they might just have a fighting chance.
The Giants have to get to Ben Roethlisberger with their pass rush. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham utilizes a unique scheme that activates safeties and linebackers as blitzers. However, their outside linebackers must come to play. Third-year player Lorenzo Carter had a solid start to his training camp, logging at least four sacks in an intrasquad scrimmage several weeks ago. He has looked sharp and fast off the line of scrimmage, which is extremely different than the performances he has put forth in recent years.
Of course, the Giants retained Markus Golden and signed Kyler Fackrell to a one year deal, which should provide value in a rotational aspect. They also have former third-round pick Oshane Ximines on the roster, who is set to take a step forward in 2020.
Overall, this unit is stronger than most give them credit for, and the Steelers have a few injuries on the offensive line, opening up a window of opportunity for them to get to Big Ben.
I would be remiss not to mention the interior defensive line composed of Dalvin Tomlinson, Leonard Williams, and Dexter Lawrence. The three behemoth run defenders are also capable of closing in the pocket as pass rushers, so I expect Graham to activate his creativity in week one against Pittsburgh.
The Giants have questions across their defense, so they will have to supplement some of their issues on offense. One of the best ways to keep your defense off the field to run the ball and take seconds off the clock. That should be the Giants’ game plan early on and games, looking to control the clock and establish momentum.
Too often, Pat Shurmur‘s game plan was predictable and lacked spunk.
The Giants have one of the best running backs in Saquon Barkley in the NFL, and utilizing him to his potential is a necessity. Keeping Barkley running with the ball in his hands will keep Pittsburgh’s offense off the field, which should theoretically give the Giants a better chance at winning with a low score on the board.
The Giants were tortured by turnovers in 2019, as Daniel Jones fumbled the ball 18 times, losing 11 of them. He also threw 12 interceptions, bringing his total turnovers to 23. Big Blue had a -1.1 turnover differential, tied with the LA chargers for last place in the NFL.
That needs to change if they wish to escape with wins on a weekly basis. Jones added 9 pounds of muscle mass this off-season which should help in keeping the ball close and safe. More time in the pocket behind a stronger offensive line should also help tone down his INT numbers.
Altogether, the Giants are in decent shape when it comes to lowering their turnover differential, and they must win the margin against the Steelers if they wish to walk out of week one with the victory.
This post was published on 2020-09-10 08:00
