New York Giants Week 8: Keys to an Upset Win Over Kansas City
If there is one thing last week’s victory showed New York fans and other organizations around the league, the Giants have not punted on this season. They are still fighting for wins and doing whatever’s necessary to get the job done.
They will travel to Kansas City on Monday night to take on a desperate team in front of a hostile crowd in prime time. Just because this Chiefs team has not performed as well as in years past does not mean that this is an easy opponent for New York.
What it does mean is that the -9.5 point spread in this game seems to be based on who the Chiefs have been in the past and not on who they are presently. That means there are opportunities for the Giants to be successful, and these are a few keys to a victory on Monday night.
Run the football
The Chiefs have been one of the worst teams against the run all season, with teams having averaged 129 yards per game on the ground against them (27th in the league). It is something the Giants must exploit if they want to win a game in which they're a big underdog.
The residual effects of running the ball will be felt defensively as well. The more success they have running the ball means they will also dominate the time of possession, which will be important against an explosive Kansas City offense.
A good run game will limit possessions for Kansas City and allow the Giants defense to be fresher when they are on the field. Regardless of whether the giants have Saquon Barkley for this week--and as of this writing that doesn't appear to be the case--using that running game to dominate the time of possession is going to be huge if they're to win this game.
Continue to let Daniel Jones be an athlete.
Daniel Jones's improvements this season have seemed to coincide with a more concerted effort to utilize his athleticism. It has also allowed him to stay more upright.
Play-action passes are more effective because the defense must account for the running back, but Jones himself running it, which creates the extra second to find a receiver downfield, or it allows a receiver to clear into an open space. Jones is also the team's leading rusher this season.
While that may not be ideal in the long run, Jones's ability to pick up chunk yards with his feet has given this offense enough balance to keep defenses honest. He’s averaging 5.6 yards per rush. That helps keep New York in mid to short-yardage situations. It also helps the Giants if they're looking to extend plays.
Jones has averaged 6.2 yards per carry his entire NFL career, so, strangely, they waited until this year to utilize that portion of his game, but it has been beneficial. The Giants should definitely look to run their zone-read schemes regardless of who is at running back.
Don’t let Patrick Mahomes Get Comfortable
Interestingly, while allowing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to scramble may seem like a recipe for disaster, the truth is that it is suicide to let any player sit in the pocket and distribute the football. Even the most freestyle passing offense’s success hinges on rhythm passing by the quarterback. That rhythm creates comfort for a passer, and allowing Mahomes to be comfortable is ill-advised.
Getting Mahomes on the move is when he is prone to having crippling turnovers. It is also the best time to get hits on him because quarterbacks are not as protected outside of the pocket as they are inside.
According to Pro Football Reference, Mahomes' 52 poor throws are on pace for his most poor throws in a season. His percentage of poor throws, 19.5 percent, is up two percent from last season.
Since Week 1, he has thrown an interception in every game this year, and has thrown two in three games. The Giants need to flush him and get him frustrated, so he begins to press and force throws.
Blitzing linebackers and defensive backs, especially up the middle, to change his focus would be effective. They don’t need to be sacks, although that would be ideal for the defense. At some point, he will give the Giants the chance to get a turnover.
Don't Allow the Chiefs Receivers/Tight Ends Free Releases
As much as you want to protect yourself from the big play, giving this corps of pass-catchers the opportunity to get up the field unabated is not wise. A free release means that the receiver can dictate his terms of engagements with the defensive back. He can run inside and out while keeping the timing and rhythm of his route in sync with the quarterback.
To get consistent pressure on Mahomes and make him uncomfortable, the Giants will need to make him go through his progressions. Sacks or disruptions don’t usually happen on the quarterback's first read.
They usually happens on the second and third read. Receivers can also become frustrated and feel claustrophobic by constant pressure in their face and jamming on the line of scrimmage.
The Giants have defensive backs who are quality defenders in close quarters. While they probably don’t have the foot speed to consistently run with the Chiefs receivers, they should have help over the top in cases where the receiver can get a decent release.
Finish Scoring Drives
Graham Gano is playing at an All-Pro level. He has been almost perfect this season. But it is disturbing that he has 15 made field goals and only eight extra points. That means the Giants offense is not getting into the end zone when they get into the opposition's territory.
That's because the Giants have the worst red zone conversion rate in the NFL, having converted just 45 percent of their trips inside hte opponent's 20-yard line into touchdowns.
The emphasis needs to be on finishing drives with touchdowns and increasing Gano’s extra point numbers. They can not afford to get behind the chains when they get into the red zone, which means there should be times when it is a four-down situation.
Field goals don’t usually get it done against an offense as potent as Kansas City’s, even when they are not firing on all cylinders.
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