The New York Giants are looking to continue their hot start to the season with another win on Sunday, which would bring their record to 2-0. But beginning the year with two straight wins has been a rarity in New York as of late. The Giants have only been able to accomplish this feat once in the last 13 years. The good news is, they have done the hard part. Beating the Titans in Nashville was a huge upset. The Titans had the best record in the AFC last year and were rewarded with a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The 2021 Giants, meanwhile, finished 4-13 and fired their coach. So the Giants should be riding some momentum into their home opener against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. A game that the Giants are actually favored in.
How the New York Giants Can Ensure A 2-0 Start
Slow Down Christian McCaffrey
Much like Tennessee, the biggest offensive threat for Carolina is in their backfield. Christian McCaffrey is one of the elite running backs in the NFL and is just as dangerous in the passing game as he is in the run game. His last year healthy, he racked up over 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. Stopping him is next to impossible but the Giants need to do their best to slow him down and make Baker Mayfield throw the ball.
Feed Saquon
Saquon Barkley was a huge factor in last week’s victory. He was the spark for the Giants offense with 194 total yards and multiple game-changing plays that led to the win. It is critical to the success of the offense that Barkley gets the ball in his hands a lot. The Panthers were gashed for 217 rushing yards against last week. Expect another big day for Saquon in the home opener.
Win the Turnover Battle
Daniel Jones had an efficient game last week but did make a big mistake in the red-zone that could have cost his team the game. He forced the ball to Saquon in the end-zone for an easy pick, late in the forth quarter. Those are the plays that have haunted Jones and the Giants during the last few seasons. Fortunately, this one didn’t cost them the game but it very well could have. Baker Mayfield struggles with interceptions as well. If the Giants can turn the ball over defensively and take care of it on offense, they will control the outcome of the game.
Start Faster and Stay Aggressive
The Giants dug themselves into a hole that they were barely able to overcome in Week 1. They went into halftime down 13-0 and if it weren’t for a couple of defensive stops, it could have been worse. But in the second half they played aggressively and confidently. They picked up fourth downs and, to cap the game off, they went for a two-point conversion to take the lead with a minute to go in the game. This instills confidence in the players and the team. It shows that the coaching staff believes in them. If the Giants can start faster and keep their aggressive style, they will come out of this game with a win.
