The New York Giants open the 2021 regular season at home against the Denver Broncos. This game will mean a lot, as a starving Giants fanbase believes this team is poised for a playoff run. The Giants have not won their season opener since the 2016 season, where they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-19. The team is hoping their offense can finally match the output of the defense and put points on the board. Here are three New York Giants storylines to follow as Week 1 approaches.
Three Week 1 Storylines to Follow For New York Giants
The Offensive Line Will Be Under Pressure
The Giants offensive line has fans worried, and likely has the coaching staff worried as well. On final cut-down day, the team released most of their backup linemen, only keeping a handful, while adding two more through trade and signed one to the practice squad.
The starting offensive line still raises some questions. Will Andrew Thomas take the second-year leap? How will Will Hernandez adapt to right guard? Will Shane Lemieux be able to play through a partially torn patellar tendon?
One intriguing theory is at the right tackle position, where Nate Solder may end up starting instead of Matt Peart. Now, nothing has been said to determine this for sure, but Peart has not looked great this summer, and the Giants could end up choosing veteran experience over young growing pains.
If this offense wants to go far and help the team win games, the offensive line needs to do their job at least to an average extent. Give Daniel Jones enough time in the pocket to make plays and also create holes in the run game. The Broncos defensive line is coming with Bradley Chubb and Von Miller, so this unit needs to be prepared.
The Health of Skill Positions
The Giants went into the offseason hoping to revamp their offensive firepower. They did so, adding Kenny Golladay, Kyle Rudolph, and John Ross in free agency, then drafting Kadarius Toney in the first round.
WR Kenny Golladay practicing again Thursday. This is a big one for him, Saquon and Kadarius Toney in full pads. #giants pic.twitter.com/UGp9Gm2nLb
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 2, 2021
All of the players mentioned above have been hurt or missed practice sometime this summer. The real question is if all of these guys can stay healthy. Not just the new acquisitions either, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton both have injury histories as well. Even Daniel Jones has missed games in each of his first two years.
Another critical part of the offense’s success relies on the skill positions being available on game days. If this unit can stay healthy, they can potentially go far and maybe show what they can do against a strong Broncos defense in a few days.
The Anticipated Return of Saquon Barkley
The one storyline everyone is watching is the highly-anticipated return of star running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley tore his ACL during a Week 2 matchup against the Chicago Bears last year.
Barkley has been on a pitch count all summer, being taken off the PUP list just a few weeks ago, and took his first contact in almost a year this past week in practice. He will likely be limited if he plays Week 1, but nonetheless will be exciting to see 26 back on the field.
While the team has not won a ton of games since Barkley was drafted, he simply makes the offense better. Daniel Jones plays better when Barkley is on the field. Getting Saquon back will do wonders for an offense that was almost dead last in every statistical category in 2020.
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