Giants at Seahawks: Who'll 'Shock the World' in Week 8?
When the Seahawks and Giants exit their respective tunnels on Sunday at Lumen Field, two of the NFL's most pleasant surprises will duke it out in a Week 8 battle with major playoff implications.
What has been the secret behind New York's shocking 6-1 start? Patricia Traina of Giants Country provides plenty of intel on the G-Men and why they have quickly emerged as a contender in the much-improved NFC East.
1. Brian Daboll seems to be at it again working his magic with a young quarterback, this time getting the most out of Daniel Jones. Where have you seen his fingerprints most evident in Jones' progression so far this year?
Decision making. I think what Daboll did as to allow Jones to throw caution to the wind during the spring and summer to teach him firsthand what throws he could realistically make and what throws he couldn’t, and I think that lesson really resonated well with Jones. He’s not sitting there any making stupid decisions and he’s trusting what he sees. Jones has also learned as a runner to give himself up when there isn’t anything more to be gained rather than to be the tough guy and risk injury. That’s a significant step forward in his progress.
2. Injuries and lackluster blocking hindered Saquon Barkley early in his career. What has been the key to finally unlocking his immense talent? And how much do you attribute his play to the team's resurgence?
I think you must start with the scheme. There are more outside zone runs, some stretch runs and just designs that are better suited to what Saquon does well. What he doesn’t really do well - and what prior staffs have asked him to do - is run into the teeth of the defense. Saquon isn’t really one to lower his shoulder and plow through guys. So there have been fewer of those runs called and I think it’s benefitted him greatly.
3. Despite losing several starters in free agency, the Giants rank sixth in scoring defense this season and have slowed down some potent attacks on their way to a 6-1 start. What has been the biggest surprise on that side of the ball so far?
The biggest surprise has been how well they’ve played as a unit despite the injuries. Lose both your starting pass rushers? No problem; get pressure elsewhere. Lose Leonard Williams for a few games? Again, no problem as others have stepped up. The defensive secondary, which was a huge question mark to start the season, has played well. And you can trace that all back to the job Wink Martindale has done. The Giants never play the same defense two weeks in a row. They integrate the amoeba loop to create confusion and it’s been working. Even last week, when they didn’t play their sharpest game, they found a way to get it done. Really impressive showing by the players and coaches so far.
4. What do you view as the most concerning matchup for the Giants to deal with facing the Seahawks in a loud Lumen Field environment?
I’ll give you a couple. The first is the Giants offensive line vs. the “12s." The Giants are going to have two new starters this week in left guard Joshua Ezeudu and right tackle Tyre Phillips, and I’m concerned about false start penalties, which are known to happen in loud environments. The other one is running back Kenneth Walker III versus that Giants run defense. The Giants run defense just hasn’t been as crisp as you’d like it to be at this point in the season, and some of the tackling has been downright sloppy. Walker has been a bull for the Hawks offense, averaging close to four yards after contact per carry, and I’m concerned he’s going to run wild against the Giants.
5. How "real" is this Giants squad? Should they be viewed as a legitimate contender in the wide-open NFC? Or is the jury still out despite a strong start? Where are they in their rebuild going into this game?
The great Bill Parcells used to say, “You are what your record says you are.” That said, there are two games - the Titans and Jaguars - that could have easily gone the other way, and I think that’s why some people are struggling to accept that the Giants might be for real. I personally think we’re going to find out how real the Giants are after their bye week when they start taking on divisional opponents. I think we all know that if a team can win within the division, that is a true testament to how real they are. Right now, the Giants are keeping pace despite some glaring holes on the roster, and you can credit the coaching for that. But I don’t think if this team makes the playoffs (a real possibility), they will be able to go too far given the roster holes.
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