Will extra rest benefit the New York Giants against Falcons?
Both the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants are looking for their first win when they meet Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Let's dive in deeper into the Giants with Giants Country Editor Patricia Traina. She answers our five burning questions heading into this matchup of winless clubs. Kickoff is set for 1 pm ET.
Don't forget to read my answers to her burning questions on our sister website Giants Country.
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Q: The Giants are coming off a tough loss on Thursday against Washington. How do you expect them to rebound, and will they benefit from the extra rest of having played on Thursday in Week 2 (the Falcons are playing their second straight opponent who previously played Thursday)?
It all depends on how they spent extra time off. My understanding is they had a three-day weekend and a lot of players got away for the weekend to unwind. But did they do any extra film work? That I don’t know. They did have an extra practice on Monday to work on corrections from the last two weeks.
From a health perspective, I want to think that the extra time off will help with some of the bumps and bruises they have. But I’m not quite ready to say they’re going to benefit from the extra time off.
Q: Kenny Golladay made news this week for a sideline outburst in the matchup versus Washington. How are things now, and what do the Giants need to do to get him more involved?
I’m sure Joe Judge had something to say to Golladay, and quite honestly, I’m curious to see if Golladay is fined or disciplined in any way.
That said, I’m not sure why he’s complaining. He was targeted in the game against Washington eight times, and caught three passes. He had a dropped pass and caught none of his three contested catch opportunities.
Yes, Jason Garrett’s schemes are a source of frustration. Regardless of scheme, if you’re dropping balls and not coming up with contested catches which is something you’re known for doing, you might want to look in the mirror regarding your frustration source before lashing out at others.
Q: What have you seen from Daniel Jones early this season? Can he still become a franchise quarterback?
So far, Daniel Jones has been promising in the small sample size we’ve seen. I was very encouraged by the performance against Washington. There were no turnovers, he made most of his throws, and I didn’t see any glaring mistakes from him as far as missing targets or doing anything that would’ve cost the team the game.
Do I think he could become a franchise quarterback? The jury is still out. He needs to stack these solid performances together—his showing against Washington can’t be an exception. He also needs to evolve from being a game manager to a game winner. If he can accomplish those objectives, I think any remaining questions about whether he’s franchise quarterback material will disappear.
Q: Which matchup(s) with the Falcons concern(s) you the most and why?
Tight end Kyle Pitts versus the Giants defense. The Giants have historically had trouble defending against tight ends and that has continued into the season. Kyle Pitts is a unique type of player with his size and his speed, and skill set. He can stress a defense as he’s too big to have a defensive back cover him, and he’s also too fast for most linebackers to cover him.
The Giants have given up some big yardage, particularly in the middle of the field, which is concerning. And I’ve been wondering who they might go with to cover Pitts. My guess is that safety Jabrill Peppers will draw the assignment, but I suspect Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has a few tricks up his sleeve.
Pitts hasn’t had his breakout game yet, but it’s still early. Hopefully, Graham can develop a plan that limits Pitts for at least another week.
Q: What are the keys to a Giants win over the Falcons?
This is going to sound like a boring answer, but the Giants can ill-afford to make mistakes. They’re simply not good enough to overcome the mistakes they’ve had the first two weeks. I’m talking dropped passes, ill-timed penalties, plays that don’t gain yardage, blown coverages, etc.
Last week against Washington, they left 11 points on the field thanks to mistakes. They can’t be doing that and expect to win against any opponent, regardless of how many points they do put on the board.
The Giants are still a work in progress; I get that. However, the mistakes have got to be curtailed as they’re creeping up at an alarming rate through two games.
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