The New York Giants are gearing up to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 12, but they will be without their starting quarterback in Joe Burrow.
Burrow suffered a torn MCL, ACL, and further structural damage last week against the Washington football team. Burrow has essentially been their entire offense, utilizing his legs and elite arm to churn out yards and score points against other teams.
However, in his absence, the Bengals are preparing to feature quarterback Brandon Allen, who has just one year of NFL experience under his belt. He was with the Denver Broncos in 2019, playing in three games, earning 515 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He had a 46.4% completion rate. Overall, Brandon was a liability and was quickly moved on from Denver, ending up with Cincinnati.
While it is never good news for a team losing their starting quarterback, this will make the contest far easier for the Giants, who lost an earlier game to the San Francisco 49ers and back up quarterback Nick Mullens.
The New York Giants can’t let this be a trap game:
With the way the Giants have been playing recently, the defense should have an easy time with Allen and an offense carrying on without starting running back Joe Mixon.
Currently, Patrick Graham’s unit ranks 12 in point allowed per game, sixth in rushing yards, and 24th in passing yards. Allen isn’t the most accurate passer and certainly doesn’t have the experience to thread the needle in coverage, especially one as diverse and complicated as the Giants.
I expect to see the interior defensive line dominate in this context, similar to the earlier portions of the season, as the unit currently ranks seventh in sacks in the NFL.
Unique looks and blitzes will be a focal point for the Giants, trying to distract Allen and his inexperience. The Bengals have allowed 30 points or more four times this season, holding teams under 20 points just once. The Giants’ offense should get some solid momentum if they can capitalize on a weak opponent.