By Michael Stewart @TheTruthNYG
The Giants will be hosting one of the hottest teams in the NFL this Sunday when they face the Los Angeles Rams. At 1-4 and slowly watching their season slipping away, the Giants will face a Rams team on the rise with a potent offense (28.8 ppg) and an opportunistic defense. The Giants could be short-handed this week with several starters on offense not likely to play. Here are my top 5 ways the Giants can pull off an upset at home and secure their 2nd win of the season.
- Giants Defense VS Rams Offense: This could be the number 1 category the Giants must figure out a way to win. I’m not expecting the reincarnation of the Steel current, but if the Giants defense can somehow slow down this offense and limit the scoring chances; then there’s a very slim chance they can steal a win.
- Giants Offense VS Rams Defense: The Giants offense could be without key offensive weapons; which will only make it more difficult to put points on the board. The backups most have the game of their lives to give the Giants any chance of a win.
- 3rd down and Red Zone Execution: The Giants have struggled in both departments this season with a 40.3% success rate on 3rd downs and a 46.34% in the red zone. The Rams stand at 48.21% on 3rd down conversions and 57.81% success rate in the red zone. Let’s face it Giant fans, if the Giants allow the Rams to continue success in both categories, the current spread could double.
- Time of Possession: Plain and simple, the Giants need to keep the Rams offense off the field as long as possible and the best way to do that is to have sustainable drives that eat the clock. This could be a lot to ask from a Giants team that has had trouble doing this over the years.
- Turnovers: The best way to halt an offense is to create turnover chances with your defense and in special teams. The Giants defense and special teams was projected to be their strongest attributes before the start of the season. Unfortunately; neither one has made a difference and unless DC Patrick Graham and ST Coach Thomas McGaughey can figure out a successful game plan, the results of this game could be a disaster for the Giants.
The last time the Giants hosted the Rams, they were embarrassed 51-17 back in 2017. The Giants will most likely be without the services of quarterback Daniel Jones, Running Back Saquan Barkley, and Wide Receiver Kenny Golladay. The Rams are currently 10.5 point favorites to win this game and it could be higher as we get closer to game time. If the Giants don’t win at least 4 of the 5 categories listed, this game could get ugly real fast and the Giants will suffer their 5th loss of the season. Final Score: Rams-42/Giants-13