New York Giants: Five to Watch in 2022 Regular-Season Finale
The New York Giants are headed to the playoffs for the first time in six years following their best regular season performance last week when they defeated the Colts 38-10.
With the sixth seed secured, the Giants will likely rest their key players against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18. The Eagles, who have a two-game losing streak with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew at the helm, have been trying to lock up the number one seed in the NFC so they can get a first-round bye and have home-field advantage for the entirety of the playoffs.
The Eagles scored 34 points in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, only to follow that up with 10 points against the New Orleans Saints the next week, illustrating how they’ve struggled with their consistency without quarterback Jalen Hurts.
In this edition of "Five to Watch," we look at some potential "backups" who could see larger roles for the Giants this weekend.
S Dane Belton
Starting safety Julian Love has carried a rather heavy workload this year between his work on defense and special teams, and he could be one of the starters who gets a rest this weekend. In that case, the Giants could turn to rookie Dane Belton.
Belton, who has been contributing mostly on special teams since the Giants bye week, has only played in 118 defensive snaps, with 64 coming against the Houston Texans in Week 10. Belton allowed six of his seven targets to be completed for 82 yards in that game, and he had an interception.
With quarterback Jalen Hurts likely to start for the Eagles, given what they have on the line, the Eagles offense is one of the most balanced attacks in the league. With a run game that is fifth in the NFL in yards per game (148.4), the Eagles are also third in passing yards per play (7.78), second in first downs per game (22.6), fifth in third down percentage (46.63), and are the best team in the red zone with a conversion rate of 72.22 percent.
From penetrating the run lanes with force to providing tight coverage, Belton will need to deliver his best game of the season if he stands a chance to contain an Eagles offense that averages 28.4 points per game.
RB Matt Breida
Saquon Barkley has been a game-changer for the Giants offense this season, producing a performance that landed him the second Pro Bowl honor of his career. In 295 rush attempts, Barkley ran for 1,312 yards (a career-high), averaged 82.0 yards per game (also a career-high), had ten rushing touchdowns, and caught 57 of his 76 pass targets for an additional 338 receiving yards.
Barkley is almost certainly to be one of the guys who gets a rest this weekend, which would mean that Matt Breida will likely handle most of the heavy lifting on the ground. Breida, who’s been mainly deployed to relieve Barkley throughout games, has not seen more than six rush attempts in a game this season until last week, when he rushed for 59 yards on nine attempts, delivering some great downhill running.
The good news for Breida is that the Eagles defense has been worse against the run than they have against the pass. Sitting in 18th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (121.3), the Eagles are also 24th in rushing yards allowed per play (4.56) and conceded 129 total rushing yards and a touchdown last week against the Saints.
The Eagles have some great run-stoppers in both T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White, who have 23 or more run stops on the season. And with defensive tackles Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave possibly looking at limited snap counts or breaks from the action on Sunday, the Eagles could start rookie Jordan Davis instead, who knows a thing or two about stopping running backs.
OLB Oshane Ximines
With Azeez Ojulari declared out of Sunday's game due to an ankle injury that last week limited him to just seven snaps, New York will likely turn to Oshane Ximines to step in.
Since Ojulari's return from injured reserve, Ximines has taken a back seat with the defensive reps he’s received. In 433 defensive snaps on the season, Ximines has posted 22 tackles, 13 pressures, three sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Despite the solid showing, Ximines has found it difficult to maintain a better efficiency level at times and hasn’t always been able to garner success regularly. Before securing his third sack of the season against the Vikings in Week 16, Ximines hadn't recorded a sack since the Giants Week 5 trip to London.
Though Ximines will get a great opportunity to produce this Sunday if he starts, he will be going up against an Eagles offensive line that has been strong against opposing pass rushes. The Eagles offensive line ranks third in the league in pass-blocking efficiency (89.2) and is tied for first in fewest sacks allowed (11).
QB Tyrod Taylor
Last week, quarterback Daniel Jones proved his worth in a major way, both through the air and on the ground, to help the Giants secure their first playoff berth in six years. But with a big playoff game looming ahead, the Giants will likely play it safe with Jones and may start backup Tyrod Taylor against the Eagles.
Though Taylor has only played two games for the Giants this season, he still has the tools to compete on the NFL level. With 11 seasons worth of experience under his belt, Taylor knows how to manage games and has a great feel for when to use his arm or his legs to pick up gains. In the Giants' Week 14 loss to the Eagles, Taylor got some reps, completing all five pass attempts for 47 yards and a touchdown.
That said, this matchup on Sunday is a tough one. The Eagles have the best pass defense in the NFL this season, and from their pass rushers to their defensive backs in their secondary, they can wreak havoc in many ways.
Entering this last game week, the Eagles are first in passing yards allowed per game (181.3), first in passing yards per play (5.62), first in sacks per pass attempt (13.18 percent), and third, in interception rate (3.29 percent), making for a challenging task for Taylor and the Giants passing offense.
DL Justin Ellis
Giants Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence II has been exceptional this season. Despite having to learn a brand-new system under defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale, Lawrence found a way to meet and surpass expectations this season, leading the team in pressures (63), sacks (7.5), and run stops (28) to go along with his 68 combined tackles.
However, there is a good chance that Lawrence will be watching the game from the sideline on Sunday. If that is the case, one player who could see an increase in reps is veteran defensive tackle Justin Ellis.
Ellis, who’s seen a total of 314 defensive snaps this season, has struggled to produce the way the Giants had hoped despite the decent workload. In the 16 games he’s played, Ellis has 21 combined tackles, eight stops, two pressures, and a sack.
The Eagles have a stout offensive line, and that includes the interior of it as well. The Eagles starting guards, Isaac Seumalu and Landon Dickerson, have each only allowed a sack on the year, and both guards are sporting a 98.2 percent pass-blocking efficiency rating.
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