The New York Giants are gearing up to face off against the Los Angeles Rams in week four of the 2020 regular season, and it will be another difficult matchup for a New York team who has struggled early on.
Having been blown out by the San Francisco 49ers last weekend, the Giants will attempt to take a step forward against the Rams. The notable deficiencies fell on the running game and offensive line. Of course, the defense didn’t play at an adequate level either, considering they allowed 36 points. However, the Giants had 3x less time of possession compared to the 49ers, who schematically outgunned the Giants on all fronts.
The New York Giants have a tough task ahead of them:
Against a strong Los Angeles team, the Giants must increase their time of possession if they wish to at least remain competitive in the contest. Last week, the Giants only totaled 66 total rushing yards, in which only 17 came from the running backs. Devonta Freeman recorded the most carries with five and tallied 10 yards. Quarterback Daniel Jones led the team with 49 yards on the ground, mainly due to his protection failing to get the job done.
Establishing a running game opens up the offense on multiple levels, including taking risks downfield and play action. When a defense can essentially factor out the running game, they can stack the box and keep plays in front of them. Since the Giants rank near dead last in pass protection, the combination of cons is simply devastating.
In a season where NFL teams are scoring more than usual, the Giants have only put up 35 total points. The Rams, on the other hand, have put up 89 total points, scoring more in their week two win over the Eagles than the Giants have through three games. That should give you an idea of how poorly the Giants matchup against Los Angeles.
Nonetheless, week four offers an opportunity for the Giants to climb back into the NFC East, a division that is separated by just one win from first to last place.