Yes, it’s very early to begin predicting the outcome of games several months from now, but waiting until then is torture, so we are going to take a crack at it. The New York Giants start the season off facing the Cowboys in Arlington, then they will host the Buffalo Bills and travel to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
All of these games are winnable, but as usual, the Giants will begin the season with a tough away game against the Cowboys. Maybe one year they will shake the schedule up a bit and not put Big Blue at a disadvantage right off the bat. That’s what you get when you’re facing “Americas Team…”
The key to beating Dallas is to throw Dak Prescott off his game, which required a consistent pass-rush and push from the defensive line. Their defense is stellar and will likely cause all types of issues for head coach Pat Shurmur and the offense. It will be the units first game post-Odell Beckham Jr., so we should see some different looks, but ultimately it comes down to Eli Manning and the offensive line.
The line must provide Manning with time if the Giants are to squeeze out a win in Dallas. Saquon Barkley will, of course, be the focal point, and expect Golden Tate to get a nice dosage of targets in his first regular season game in blue. It will be a big game for Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, and Markus Golden. They will be relied on to make plays and disrupt Prescott in the pocket.
Ultimately, it won’t be enough for a shallow pass-rush unit against one of the league’s premier offensive lines.
Score: Dallas 24 – NYG 21
Similar to Dallas, the key to stopping Buffalo is getting to quarterback Josh Allen. An extremely physical player that relied on his legs too much in his rookie season; if DC James Bettcher can dial up some solid blitzes, it will force turnovers in coverage. I expect to see DeAndre Baker have his first great game as a Giant here, facing lesser talent at wide receiver.
Baker will likely line up opposite Zay Jones or Robert Foster. However, Buffalo also has a great defense, but Barkley will see the benefits of having an improved offensive front, running for over 100 yards and two scores, one on the ground and one through the air.
Corey Coleman will earn his stripes on a long touchdown, breaking through and setting the tone for the rest of the season.
Score: NYG 28 – Buffalo 17
The Buccaneers have a weak defense, especially after letting Gerald McCoy go. They did draft Devin White, who will be effective in the middle of the field. Unfortunately for him, he has to handle Barkley and his shiftiness, and it will be too much for him in his first three games as an NFL player.
I anticipate Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram having big games, though, as Shurmur will look to diversify the offense and keep opposing defenses guessing.
Score NYG 21 – Tampa Bay 17
This post was published on 2019-06-09 08:00
