The battle for New York/New Jersey bragging rights will take place this Sunday as the (3-3) New York Jets take on the (2-5) New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
This will be the 15th matchup between these two franchises, with the Giants leading the series 8-6.
This is a pivotal game for Big Blue, as with a win, they’ll be in the mix with other teams for wildcard contention with a very winnable game against the Las Vegas Raiders next week. But if Big Blue should lose, their playoff hopes would be all but over, and they may elect to trade some veteran players before the October 31st trade deadline.
In addition to the team possibly being sellers at the trade deadline, here are four storylines heading into this game.
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Can Big Blue’s defense continue its dominance?
The biggest reason why the team has performed better in the last two games has been thanks to the play of their defense. Through the first five games of the season, the Giants defense was giving up an average of 378 yards per game. In the last two weeks, they’re giving up an average of 285 yards and held Buffalo and Washington scoreless in six of the last eight quarters.
Last week was by far the defense’s best performance of the season as they sacked Sam Howell six times. Now Wink Martindale’s unit faces a Jets offense that’s 30th in the NFL, averaging 277 yards of offense a game. Although they may not admit this publicly, Martindale and the defense have to feel confident going into this matchup. Quarterback Zach Wilson has thrown for under 200 yards in five of the Jets’ six games and has thrown more interceptions (5) than touchdown passes (4).
In a game that’s expected to be a low-scoring affair, the outcome will likely come down to which defense performs better. If Big Blue’s defense shines the biggest on Sunday, then they’ll have their first winning streak of the season.
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How will Tyrod Taylor fare against the Jets defense?
With Daniel Jones still not cleared for contact at practice on Wednesday, all signs point to Tyrod Taylor making his third consecutive start. In his two starts this season, Taylor has completed 42 out of 65 passes for 479 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he hasn’t turned the ball over.
The offense has run more efficiently with the 34-year-old quarterback behind center despite the offensive line being ravaged by injuries.
This week he’ll face the best defense he’s faced all season. The Jets defense has eight interceptions for the season and is expected to have All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner back this week after he missed their last game against the Eagles due to a concussion.
If Taylor can have another solid performance and lead the team to victory over one of the best defenses in the league, then you may hear more chatter about a quarterback controversy when Jones is cleared to play.
Related: See where Zach Wilson lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB rankings
Will Andrew Thomas make his return?
While Jones is expected to miss his third start game, the Giants may get their best player back this week in second-team All-Pro tackle Andrew Thomas. Thomas hasn’t played since Week 1 when he injured his hamstring trying to chase down Cowboys cornerback Noah Igbinoghene after a blocked field goal attempt that was run back for a 58-yard touchdown.
After suffering a setback a few weeks ago, Thomas participated on a limited basis on Wednesday, and there’s optimism that he will make his return on Sunday. Head coach Brian Daboll was asked what it would mean to have Thomas play on Sunday.
“It would be great. He’s a really good left tackle.” Daboll said.
With the exception of the team’s first offensive possession of the season, the Giants have been without their left tackle, which is one of the reasons the offense has struggled. Having him back would be a huge benefit for the team and will help open up the offense as they will know their quarterback’s blindside is protected.
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Will Saquon Barkley outshine Breece Hall?
This game features two outstanding running backs, Saquon Barkley and Breece Hall. Both are expected to have a heavy workload on Sunday as runners and pass catchers.
Last week, in his second game back from a high ankle sprain, Barkley carried the ball 21 times for 77 yards. But his most effective play came on a 32-yard catch and run for a touchdown in the second quarter that gave the team a 14-0 lead over Washington. This was a reminder to anyone doubting the 26-year-old running back that he’s still one of the best playmakers in the league.
Hall is also known for his big play ability as he already has runs of 83 and 72 yards on the season. He’s currently ninth in the NFL in rushing with 426 yards and is averaging an astonishing 6.5 yards per carry.
After Barkley said last week that he doesn’t want to get traded, Brian Daboll pulled him aside a few days ago and gave him reassurance that the team would not be trading him. Now that he has a clear conscience, Barkley can just focus on football. Barkley is a team-first guy and wants to help the team win. But he would like nothing better than to help his team win and show that he’s the best running back on the field on Sunday.
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