New York Giants-Cincinnati Bengals: Keys to victory, prediction

The New York Giants will look for their third consecutive win on Sunday as they travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.

After having time off to re-energize during their bye week, the New York Giants (3-7) will be looking for their third win in a row. The Cincinnati Bengals (2-7-1) are going to try to end this Giants hot streak.

If the Giants defeat the Bengals, coupled with the Seahawks defeating the Eagles on Monday night, New York would be tied with Washington for first place in the NFC East. The Giants, of course, would have the tie-breaker advantage over Washington since they swept the season series.

The Giants enter Sunday’s game against the Bengals as the clear favorite to win. Cincinnati will be without rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, who was lost for the season last week due to a torn ACL and MCL.

Giants warming up before practice. pic.twitter.com/OBZjHzSOt5

— Jason Leach (@JasonKLeach) November 27, 2020

But head coach Joe Judge knows his team cannot overlook the Bengals. A loss on Sunday would be damaging to their playoff chances.

Here’s what Big Blue will need to do in order to win on Sunday.

Win the Turnover Battle

Turnovers are the biggest reason for upsets in the NFL. The Giants can ill-afford to be sloppy with the football on Sunday or they might let the Bengals steal this game.

Luckily for the Giants, the Bengals are one of the worst teams in turnover differential at -4. The Giants are even with 15 takeaways and 15 giveaways. During the Giants’ two-game winning streak, Daniel Jones has not committed a turnover. If he keeps this up, the Giants will win their third game in a row.

Pressure Brandon Allen

Allen will make his first start of the season in place of the injured Burrow, and the Giants will need to pressure him early so that he has no time to shake off the rust. The Bengals do have playmakers at the wide receiver position in Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and A.J Green. It’s imperative that the Giants’ front seven doesn’t allow him time to find his receivers.

The Bengals offensive line has struggled, giving up 36 sacks on the season. If Leonard Williams, who leads the Giants in sacks with five, and the rest of the front seven can harass Allen, they’ll win.

Let the Running Game Lead the Way

The Giants have rushed for over 100 yards in five consecutive games, averaging 137 yards during this span. This is due to Daniel Jones utilizing his legs, and the offensive line opening holes for Wayne Gallman.

The offensive line seems to improve each and every game, and they should be able to take advantage of a Bengals defense that allows 136.2 yards on the ground. The NFL is a passing league, but the easiest path to victory on Sunday will be to run the ball down the Bengals’ throats.

Stay Ready for Trick Plays

The Bengals are playing with house money at this point. Few expect them to win with a backup quarterback and they have no shot of making the playoffs anyway. When teams are in this predicament, they can be dangerous. Teams with nothing to lose tend to be bold and daring with playcalling and decision-making.

The Giants must stay focused at all times on defense and special teams, as the Bengals will surely have at least one trick play up their sleeves.

Prediction: Bye weeks can sometimes lead to early rust in games. But if the Giants have any rust, expect them to shake it off quickly and show that they’re the better and more fundamentally sound team. The Giants will play with the same intensity as they did prior to the bye and come away with another win. Giants 23, Bengals 13.