Why the Giants Will Beat the Saints, Why They Won't, and a Prediction

No team in NFL history has ever made the playoffs after starting a season 2-8 or worse. And with the New York Giants needing to win straight out to jump ahead of five other teams, that's asking an awful lot from them to become the first to break that streak.

But don't tell the Giants that. Although they probably realize the vast odds they're facing of running the table and sneaking into the playoffs are slim to none, they're still not giving up the fight--not with a chance to grow their current three-game winning streak to four, which would match the four-game winning streak they had last year (Weeks 4-7) under current head coach Brian Daboll.

Quarterback Tommy DeVito, who continues to author a feel-good season in an otherwise disappointing 2023 campaign for the Giants, will lead the way. Last week, DeVito threw for 158 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 71 yards, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week and Pepsi Rookie of the Week.

He'll, have running back Saquon Barkley (two rushing touchdowns), Wan’Dale Robinson (115 yards), rookie Jain Hyatt, and the return of tight end Darren Waller, who will be on a pitch count. The Giants offense was watchable against the Packers.

For all the love and credit DeVito has gotten in the Giants' three-game winning streak, let's not forget about the defense. Last week, New York forced two turnovers against Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Safety Jason Pinnock also picked off the Packers' quarterback, and outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux forced a fumble, which gave the Giants 22 takeaways for the season, tied for third-most in the NFL.

The Giants will be heading back to the Superdome for the first time since 2021, where they won an overtime thriller on the backs of quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. Playing in the Superdome hasn't been easy--the noise level is ridiculously loud, so the Giants will have to mind their Ps and Qs, especially on offense, so they don't jump early.

Will New York be able to come out victorious again and keep their winning streak alive? Let's play it out.

Why the Giants Will Win

The Saints will reportedly be without receiver Chris Olave, who has an ankle injury. In getting ahead of the possibility of being without their star receiver, the Saints signed Marquez Callaway off their practice squad.

This alone is significant as Olave is the Saints' best receiver and someone who opens up the field. That aside, the Giants' defense has been red-hot regarding forcing turnovers. New York has 12 over their three-game winning streak. That's not necessarily good news for Saints quarterback Derek Carr, who has thrown three interceptions in his last three games.

Then, there is a matter of pressure. By now, it's well known how Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale likes to come after quarterbacks with pressure packages. Again, that wouldn't be good news for Carr, who has only managed to throw three of his 13 touchdown passes when under any sort of pressure.

The Saints offense has struggled most of the year. Ranked 13th in total yardage with 337.5 per game, they've fallen victim to bad play-calling, poor execution (particularly on their own, where they are ranked 19th), and red zone (22nd) struggles. They're also averaging just 21.9 points per game.

If the Giants can keep their three-game streak of not turning the ball over alive and force a turnover or two via pressure against Carr and the Saints, they have as good of a chance as anyone of pulling this one out.

Why the Giants Will Lose

The Saints' best chance of beating the Giants is going to be on the ground against a Giants run defense ranked 29th in the league (135.1 yards per game), allowing opponents an average of 4.8 yards per carry (31st). The Giants have allowed 11 runners to gain at least 70 yards, including two 100-yard performers.

Last week, the Giants got Dexter Lawrence, a key member of that run defense, back from a hamstring issue that forced him to miss the previous week's game. Lawrence, however, was on a pitch count, and it's anticipated he'll be on a pitch count again this week, albeit perhaps playing just a little bit more than he did against the Packers.

Although the Saints' rushing attack hasn't exactly set the league on fire--it's ranked 20th in the league ((104.5 rushing yards per game) and 28th in average yards per rushing attempt (3.7) if their offensive line can control the line of scrimmage--and they might have to do so without tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who was listed as questionable with a knee issue--New Orleans has the ground game talent capable of gashing the Giants run defense.

Prediction

My head tells me to pick the Saints in a close one in the aforementioned Superdome, which has been a "House of Horrors" for the Giants in recent years. But my heart is saying go with the Giants, who have found a rhythm on offense, are playing pretty good ball on defense, and are the healthier team for the most part.

The Saints, 1-3 over their last four games, have the carrot that is the NFC South title dangling in front of them, but unless they clean up a lot of the internal issues they've been having and they get some of their key injured starters into this game, the heart wins this battle.

Giants 23, Saints 17

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