Jason Leach
The (5-8) New York Giants will travel to New Orleans to take on the (6-7) Saints on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. This will be the 32nd meeting between these two franchises, with Giants holding a 17-14 edge.
Both teams are currently outside of the playoff picture, which makes Sunday a must-win for both teams.
New York comes into this contest riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak thanks to the heroics of their undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito. New Orleans, on the other hand, has lost three of their last four games, and quarterback Derek Carr has come under fire for his subpar play.
In what will be the biggest game of the season for both teams, here are our four bold predictions for Sunday’s matchup.
Related: 3 rookies the New York Giants must play as much as possible to close out the season
Tommy DeVito will have 100 yards rushing
DeVito had the most impressive game of his young career on Monday night against the Green Bay Packers, completing 17-of-21 passes for 158 yards with a touchdown. But he saved the best for last when DeVito engineered a game-winning driving in the final moments to give Big Blue its third straight victory. Thanks to his accuracy and poise, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
What stood out most about his play on Monday was how efficient he was at running the ball. He gained a season-high 71 yards on the ground on 10 carries, and his 26-yard run set up a Saquon Barkley one-yard touchdown.
It was obvious that head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka wanted DeVito’s athleticism to be a huge part of their game plan. Look for a similar strategy on Sunday but with even better results, as the 25-year-old rookie quarterback will have his first career-100-yard rushing performance.
Related: NFL QB Rankings 2023: See where Tommy DeVito and Derek Carr rank
Alvin Kamara will have over 150 all-purpose yards
Since New Orleans’s leading receiver, Chris Olave is questionable with an ankle injury, the Saints are going to rely heavily on their all-purpose running back, Alvin Kamara.
By his standards, Kamara is having a down year, as he’s averaging 3.9 yards per carry, and his longest run this season was for a mere 17 yards. Although he’s second on the team in receptions, he’s averaging a career-low 6.4 yards per reception.
So far this season, the 28-year-old running back has just one game where he had 150 all-purpose yards. However, this week presents an opportunity for Kamara to have a breakout game, as New York has the 29th-ranked run defense (135.1 yards per game).
Even if Olave plays, expect Kamara to be the focal point of the offense as a runner and receiver, and he’ll have over 150 all-purpose yards.
The Giants defense will intercept Derek Carr three times
In addition to DeVito’s play, a big factor in New York’s three-game winning streak has been their ability to create turnovers. In the last three games, New York has forced 12 turnovers and seven of those have been interceptions.
Rookie cornerback Deonte Banks seems to get better every week and is quickly developing into one of the best cornerbacks in the league. The 22-year-old corner and the rest of the defense have their sights on Carr, who has thrown an interception in three consecutive games. Carr’s turnover woes won’t improve this week as the Giants will intercept him three times, and at least one of those picks will be by Banks.
Related: 2023 NFL offense rankings: How do the Giants and Saints stack up?
Cameron Jordan will have his first multi-sack game of the season
Usually, Cam Jordan is one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the NFL, as his 117.5 career sacks indicate. But this season, the 34-year-old pass rusher has just two sacks.
Fortunately, he and the rest of the Saints front seven get to go up against a Giants offensive line that has allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked 69 times this season. Although New York’s offensive line didn’t give up a sack last week, and the Saints’ defense only has 23 sacks this year, you would have to give the New Orleans front seven the edge in this matchup. Expect Jordan to have his best game of the season, as he’ll sack DeVito at least twice on Sunday.
Prediction: New Orleans is one of the toughest places for opposing teams to play in. But New York won their last time there in 2021, and they’ll do so again on Sunday.
