Sometimes the hardest win to get is the first one. The New York Giants will look to make it two in a row on Sunday vs. Seattle.
The New York Giants shocked the world by winning their first game of the season last week against the Denver Broncos. Getting their second win of the season on Sunday, when they host the Seattle Seahawks, won’t be easy.But a win would be huge for Big Blue heading into their bye week. Not only would it build momentum, but it would give the team hope that their season is not over as many have claimed it to be.
Here’s what the Giants must do to beat the Seahawks.
Win The Turnover Battle
The Giants were plus-three in turnover differential last week—plus-three—a huge reason why they left Denver’s Mile High Stadium with a win in their pocket. This week’s game against the Seahawks should be close, so it’s imperative that Eli Manning and the rest of the GIants’ offense doesn’t turn the ball over.
Defensively, the Giants must force turnovers, whether it’s intercepting Russell Wilson or knocking the ball loose when Seattle tries to move it on the ground.
Stick To The Running Game
With Justin Pugh playing right tackle and D.J. Fluker inserted into the starting lineup, the Giants actually had a ground game for the first time in 2017, rushing for a season-high 148 yards on 32 carries against the Broncos’ vaunted run defense.
Orleans Darkwa had the bulk of those yards, rushing 21 times for 117 yards. carries, and once again needs a heavy workload as he faces a Seahawks defense that struggles against the run, giving up 127.2 yards per game, seventh-worst in the NFL.
Keep Russell Wilson In The Pocket
What makes Wilson such a dangerous quarterback is his ability to make plays with his legs. When he gets outside of the pocket, he’s a threat to either take off and run for a first down or to complete long passes while on the run.
It will be up to Jason Pierre-Paul, Kerry Wynn, and Olivier Vernon—if he’s able to play—to keep Wilson from slipping outside the tackles.
The Seahawks offensive line is poor, so the Giants should be able to get pressure on Wilson. They just need to make sure that he doesn’t escape their grasp once they get into the backfield.
Feature Evan Engram
With the receiving corps depleted, Evan Engram is the Giants best receiving option. Last week against the Broncos’ talented secondary, he had five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
The Seahawks secondary is talented but not as good as Denver’s, so Manning must target Engram often—especially when he’s matched up on safety Kam Chancellor. Chancellor is one of the hardest hitters in football, but he struggles in coverage when matched up against an athletic tight end like Engram. The Giants must take advantage of this mismatch.
Not only is Engram Manning’s most talented target, but pulling Chancellor downfield, away from the line of scrimmage, will help create more running room for Darkwa and the running backs.
