The Indianapolis Colts (7-8) will look to keep their playoff hopes alive as they travel to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to take on the New York Giants (2-13) Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The forecast for Sunday calls for rainy, dreary conditions — and dreary would be the perfect adjective to describe the Giants’ 2024 season. If the Giants are defeated, they will set a franchise record for losses in a season. New York would also become the first team in NFL history to go 0-9 at home if they’re not victorious on Sunday.
Everyone expects the Colts to win comfortably, but perhaps head coach Brian Daboll can find the right buttons to motivate his team as they look to avoid two embarrassing records.
Here are five bold predictions for the game.
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Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will have his second consecutive 200-yard rushing game
The Colts have one of the top running backs in the league in Jonathan Taylor. He’s coming off his best performance of the season when he gained 218 yards on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns in the Colts’ 38-30 victory over the Tennessee Titans last week.
This week, Taylor will go up against the Giants’ 31st-ranked run defense. Expect the 25-year-old running back to have another memorable afternoon as he will rush for over 200 yards in consecutive weeks.
Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton will score two TDs
There are a couple of players who could be playing their last home game for Big Blue on Sunday, and one of those players is Darius Slayton. The six-year veteran receiver will be a free agent, and it’s uncertain if the team will bring him back.
For the season, Slayton has 38 receptions for 541 yards and one touchdown. He might be poised to see a higher number of targets than usual as Malik Nabers’s status for the game is in question due to a toe injury. Slayton will respond with his best game of the season as he will find the end zone twice on Sunday.
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Colts defense will sack Giants QB Drew Lock six times
The Giants’ offensive line has been decimated with injuries and could be without tackle Jermaine Eluemunor on Sunday. For the season, the Colts’ defense has registered 34 sacks, led by Kwity Paye who has seven.
New York’s line had shown promise earlier in the season, but as the injuries began to mount, the line began to struggle protecting the quarterback. For the season, they’ve allowed 48 sacks and could be in for another long afternoon. Indianapolis’s defensive front seven will have their way against New York’s offensive line and will sack quarterback Drew Lock six times.
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Giants defense will have a pick-six
New York’s inability to create turnovers in the secondary has been an issue for years, but it has reached new lows this season as the defense has just three interceptions on the season. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is questionable with back and foot injuries, which means veteran Joe Flacco might start in his place.
Whether it’s Richardson or Flacco, the Giants’ secondary will pull off its best play of the season as they will record their first pick-six of the year.
Two planes will fly over MetLife Stadium with signs directed at Giants owner John Mara
In each of New York’s last two home games, a plane circled over MetLife Stadium with a message for John Mara. The first plane’s message ahead of New York’s 14-11 loss to the New Orleans Saints read, “Mr. Mara enough – plz fix this dumpster fire.” Then two weeks ago, before the team’s 35-14 defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, the plane’s message read, “MR MARA ENOUGH – WE WON’T STOP UNTIL YOU FIRE EVERYONE.”
With Sunday being the final home game of the season and the team on the brink of setting two dubious records, expect not one but two planes to circle around MetLife Stadium at some point before the game with another message for Mr. Mara.
Prediction: Colts 35, Giants 21