Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!
Defeating the New England Patriots will be an intimidating task for the New York Giants and their battered squad. They will be heading into Foxborough missing several vital starters — Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Wayne Gallman, and Ryan Connelly.
The injuries will force backup players into starting roles against the league’s top defense, which justifies a lack of optimism for the Giants going into week six. However, it will allow others to elevate their game and show they can compete at the professional level.
Here are three keys for the New York Giants against the Patriots:
1.) Jon Hilliman must have the game of his life
The trick to beating the Patriots is dominating possession, and the Giants are without their starting running back and immediate backup. Hilliman struggled mightily against the Minnesota Vikings last weekend, earning just 20-yards on nine carries. He must be more efficient this week, allowing the Giants to hold onto the ball and keep the defense off the field.
2.) Golden Tate must be a consistent target for Daniel Jones
Tate was practically non-existent against the Vikings, but that was expected given the fact that it was his first game back from suspension. He recorded 13-yards on three catches. In his second week back, rookie passer Daniel Jones needs him to step up and be a trustworthy option, especially without Barkley, Engram, and Shepard featured in the lineup.
Tate is a quality pass-catcher that can dominate, but his lack of chemistry with Jones will be a progressing factor.
3.) The pass rush must get to Tom Brady
As seen in the two Super Bowl wins over the Patriots, the key is getting to Brady and forcing him to rush. The Pats utilize an up-tempo offense with quick reads and short throws, which makes getting to Brady difficult. However, stopping their run game and dominating at the line of scrimmage is an absolute necessity if the Giants have any hopes of competing in this contest.
Nonetheless–
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