The Giants hope to keep the good time rolling as the Arizona Cardinals visit MetLife Stadium. While last week may not have been the prettiest, they pulled off a 12-7 victory over the Titans. But this week should be more of a challenge, as the Cardinals bring more high-end talent. While they are 1-2 this season, they have been more competitive than their record suggests. They knocked off the Chargers and were in a shootout with the 49ers. This is not a game the Giants can just look over. Here are three things to watch during the game?
How Much Leash Will Jameis Winston Have?
To say the offense hasn’t looked great the past couple of weeks would be an understatement. Ever since Jameis Winston took over for Jaxson Dart, the offense has been stuck in neutral. They show flashes, whether in the run game or a solid drive that gets them on the doorstep of the end zone. But then you have moments like Winston and Skattebo running into each other, or not being able to punch the ball in and having to settle for field goals. It feels like Winston can’t command this offense effectively.
With the acquisition of JJ McCarthy, the Giants seem willing to make a change at quarterback. While John Harbaugh has said Winston is the starter for now, how much longer will they tolerate his inconsistent play? If Winston comes out flat and his throws look weak again, do they decide to make the change and play McCarthy against the Cardinals? Or do they want to give McCarthy more time to learn the offense, so no matter how bad Winston plays, we won’t see McCarthy until at least next week? Only time will tell.
What Will the Giants Receiving Game Look Like?
While the question marks at quarterback take all the headlines, there are just as many in the wide receiver room. This week, the Giants decided to cut ties with Odell Beckham Jr. Although he had a great career with the Giants, he was becoming too much of a distraction to keep on the roster. But that leaves them with only five wide receivers on the roster. Two of them are return specialists and shouldn’t be seeing more targets. This doesn’t inspire much confidence in the receiving corps.
Now, Isaiah Likely is pretty much a wide receiver at the tight end position, but that still leaves them with four players they can trust to catch the football. One of which is banged up in Malik Nabers, and another is still adjusting to the NFL in Malachi Fields. It’s a group that does not inspire much confidence. This, plus the uncertainty at quarterback, makes you question how efficient the Giants can be at passing the ball. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will have to put together a scheme that makes this work.
What Can Arvell Reese Do For An Encore?
We finally saw Arvell Reese play like the player who was arguably the best player in the draft last season. Against the Titans, he had 13 tackles and deflected a pass, helping the Giants clinch the victory. He also looked much more comfortable in his new role at inside linebacker. After a couple of weeks of struggling and adjusting to the new position, he appears to have gotten the hang of it. It appears he has finally figured out how to translate his college skills to the NFL level.
Reese finding consistency is even more important now that Brian Burns has been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL and Meniscus. This will leave a huge hole in the Giants’ defense. With how inconsistent Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux have been, you can not rely on them to pick up the slack. But if Reese can perform like last week, he can fill the hole Burns leaves. Sure, he may not be able to generate the pressure Burns did, but he can limit the Cardinals to short gains.
