The New York Giants battled their hearts out against the Minnesota Vikings this past Saturday on Christmas Eve. Despite being vastly overmatched, they went blow for blow with a Minnesota team that features Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook.
Defensively, Big Blue rose to the occasion and almost got the job done, if not for a 61-yard field goal to win the game.
At the very least, the Giants know they can hang with some of the best teams in the game, but their opponent this upcoming Sunday is far from that. The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league this year, losing their last five games straight and eight of their last nine. Their offense has been nothing short of abysmal, but their defense has been an even bigger liability. They gave up 54 points to the Dallas Cowboys and 39 points to the Vikings after mounting a 30-point lead in the first half.
In fact, they’ve already moved on from quarterback Matt Ryan and star running back Jonathan Taylor has been shut down for the remainder of the season. Turning to Nick Foles, he recorded 143 passing yards and three interceptions against the Los Angeles Chargers this past weekend, gaining 65 yards on the ground from Zack Moss.
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The New York Giants need to show up and take care of business:
At this point in time, the Giants have a significant advantage, but they can’t overlook a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Foles, who could randomly show up on any given week.
If the Giants win, they secure themselves a playoff spot in the Wild Card, so resting players and approaching this as an easy game cannot be excepted. They need some of their top defensive players to return from injury, notably Adoree Jackson and Azeez Ojulari, who suffered an ankle sprain against Minnesota but indicated he’s optimistic about playing this upcoming weekend.
The NFL is ultimately a crapshoot, and you never know when a struggling team will rise to the occasion and play heartbreaker. The Giants themselves have been polarizing in nature the past few weeks, losing four of their last six games, including a tie against the Commanders. There haven’t been many blowouts this year for a Big Bue, aside from a whooping against the Philadelphia Eagles three weeks ago.
They have the talent to overcome Indianapolis, but they need to play disciplined football and approach this game as arguably their most important of the season.