Despite their 5-1 record, the New York Giants enter their game on Sunday against the (2-4) Jacksonville Jaguars as three-point underdogs.
Not that Brian Daboll and his team needed any additional motivation coming into Sunday’s game, the players will just use the fact that they’re underdogs as another opportunity to silence their critics.
On Friday, Daboll was asked why he believes his team are underdogs.
“We don’t focus on that. We focus on what we can do each day to get better. I don’t really think it matters one way or the other. It matters how you play, how you coach, how you get ready. We try to focus on trust our preparation, trust the things we need to do each week, and that’s what we focus on.”
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll
Coming into this season, some thought the Giants would be fortunate to win six games all season. The fact that they can achieve this feat on Sunday shows how far this team has come under their rookie head coach.
It won’t be easy for New York to win, as Jacksonville has some young and talented players on both sides of the ball.
It won’t be easy, but here’s what Big Blue will need to do in order to defeat the Jaguars.
Related: NFL picks against the spread: San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants pull off upsets in Week 7
Open lanes for Saquon Barkley against the Jaguars’ third-ranked run defense
Jacksonville’s run defense has been stellar, as they’re giving up just 89.3 yards per game on the ground, which is the third-fewest in the NFL. In four of their six games, they’ve held their opponent to under 86 yards on the ground.
Saquon Barkley is vastly more talented than any running back the Jaguars have faced this season, as his 771 all-purpose yards leads the league heading into Week 7. Barkley is also averaging a career-best 5.2 yards per carry and is one of the favorites to win league MVP.
But the offensive line must win the battle of the line of scrimmage and open holes against Jacksonville’s talented front seven that includes rookies Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd, and fourth-year linebacker Josh Allen.
If New York’s offensive line can win the battle at the line of scrimmage and create holes for Barkley, the Giants will win their fourth straight game.
Related: New York Giants: 3 X-factors to watch vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7
Get pressure on Trevor Lawrence
Daniel Jones isn’t the only quarterback that will be on the field Sunday that has made huge strides this season, as Trevor Lawrence is miles ahead of where he was last year as a rookie. His completion percentage is up six percent, and his quarterback rating is up 20%.
Much of this can be attributed due to the fact that Lawrence has only been sacked ten times this season. That’s why it’s imperative New York gets pressure on the second-year quarterback.
The Giants will be without two of their pass rushers on Sunday in Oshane Ximines (quad) and Azeez Ojulari (calf) who the Giants placed on injured reserve on Saturday. But Dexter Lawrence has four sacks in the last three games, and Kayvon Thibodeaux is beginning to look like the disruptive force rushing off the edge that New York has been looking for.
With Ojualri on IR, the Giants elevated Landon Collins from their practice squad, and the expectation is that he’ll play on Sunday. Collins was New York’s second-round pick in 2015 and made three Pro Bowl teams from 2016-2018. He spent the last three seasons with Washington, but now he returns to the team that drafted him to play linebacker.
Having a versatile player such as Collins is a perfect fit in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s aggressive scheme. Look for Martindale to use Collins along with other linebackers and defensive backs to pressure Lawrence and keep him off rhythm.
Related: New York Giants rookies have been the X-factor in stunning 5-1 start
Win the turnover battle
Despite coming into this game as underdogs, if you look at these two teams, it’s clear that the Giants are the more talented of the two. In fact, if New York can avoid making self-destructive mistakes such as turning the ball over, they should win.
If New York does not turn the ball over and creates some turnovers of their own late in the game, as they did against the Ravens last week, they’ll leave TIAA Bank Field on Sunday with a win.
- New York Giants vs Jaguars game prediction: Giants 23, Jaguars 19
New York has had a knack for making plays when it matters most this season, especially in the second half of games. Expect that trend to continue on Sunday as they come away with another hard-fought victory.
Related: Daniel Jones out to prove he’s not the chink in the New York Giants’ armor