New York Giants - Week 15 Storylines to Watch

The Giants return home to face the red-hot Dallas Cowboys. Here's a look at the emerging storylines to keep an eye on this week.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Dec 15, 2021 8:00 AM EST

In this story:

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

As the New York Giants 2021 season continues to disintegrate before our very eyes, the next step, appropriately, would be an official elimination from the playoff race.

That can come as soon as this weekend against the NFC East's first-place Dallas Cowboys, a team that, while struggling on offense, has been playing lights out on defense of late.

That's not a very good match for a Giants offense that could be without quarterback Daniel Jones yet again, and who hasn't had a receiver record a 100-yard receiving game since Week 5 when Kadarius Toney (currently on the COVID-19 reserve list for the second time this year) broke loose for 189 yards on ten receptions.

The good news for Giants fans is that there are only four more games left to wallow in the misery of a season that began with so much hope but which had quickly transformed into the team's fifth straight losing season.

The Giants, who play three of their final four games against NFC East opponents, are playing for pride at this point, as head coach Joe Judge, who appears to be safe for next year, will be observing to see who's still in and who has checked out.

Here are a few other storylines on tap for the week ahead.

How close is Daniel Jones to returning?

Early reports indicate that Daniel Jones (neck) will miss his third game in a row. There is also a report by the New York Post citing unnamed Giants players who have expressed concern that Jones won't play again this season.

Jones, who in Week 5 suffered a concussion against the Cowboys before halftime, probably would have struggled against that Dallas defense. Still, at the very least, his presence might have forced the Cowboys to devote resources to covering him, which might have opened things up for others.

With each passing week Jones doesn't play, the harder it is for the team to evaluate the future of both him and new play-caller Freddie Kitchens.

Will Leonard Williams play?

Leonard Williams suffered an elbow injury that was initially feared to be a multi-week affair. However, ESPN reported that the test results came back better than expected to where Williams might have a chance of returning sooner than thought.

Williams hasn't come close to putting up the numbers he did last year, but that said, he's still been one of the Giants' best players on defense. Not having him for any period, especially against a Cowboys offensive line that has allowed five sacks in its last two games and whose quarterback has thrown three interceptions, would definitely hurt.

How will the Giants slow down that Dallas defense?

Mike Glennon projects to be the quarterback, and if there is ever a time you want to see the Giants offensive line wake up and deliver, it would be this week against a ferocious attacking Dallas defense that has been the star in each of their last two wins. The Cowboys have nine takeaways and seven sacks in two games in their previous two games, including five last week against Washington. If the Giants can't slow that Cowboys defense down, it's going to be a long afternoon.