The Giants are coming off a home win over the Texans and have another big game against a lackluster opponent when they host the 3-6 Lions Sunday.
Just like the Giants needed to beat Houston, Brian Daboll’s crew absolutely needs another victory over a beatable opponent. After this matchup, the schedule only gets tougher. They face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving before playing the Eagles (twice) and Vikings over the final six weeks of the season.
The Giants need to stack up wins now so they’re not forced to beat either of the aforementioned NFC powerhouses for a playoff spot. Will this 7-2 ballclub get the job done again?
Giants vs Lions
When: Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022.
Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET.
TV: FOX.
Radio: WFAN.
Giants’ keys to victory
Another heavy dose of Saquon. The Giants ran for 191 yards last week against the Texans, the NFL’s worst run defense. Now, they face the Lions, the league’s second-worst run defense.
Running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries last week. He might not assume that heavy of a load again, but the fifth-year back still should be a huge part of Sunday’s offensive game plan.
Play-action game. The Giants must also use a heavy run game to open up the play action, where Daniel Jones can thrive with his arm or on the ground. The Lions’ secondary is 27th in the NFL with 255.3 passing yards allowed per game.
More Slayton. Been banging this drum for weeks. With Sterling Shepard out for the year, Kadarius Toney now a Chief, and Kenny Golladay going through the worst stretch of his career, Darius Slayton needs to be involved.
Every time the Giants have relied on the fourth-year receiver, he’s made big plays, including touchdown catches in two of the last three games.
X-factor
Julian Love needs to step up Sunday. The fourth-year safety is the temporary play-caller while Xavier McKinney (hand) is on the non-football injury list.
The secondary (and overall defensive unit) will have a tough task going against a Detroit offense that’s sixth in total offense and eighth in passing. Love impressing in a leadership role for a second consecutive week would go a long way toward the Giants securing a much-needed victory.
Did you know?
The Giants have a long and storied history that includes four Super Bowl titles in five appearances. The Lions, on the other hand, have yet to reach the big game and have spent many years as one of the NFL’s laughingstocks.
Yet, Detroit actually has the lead in the overall series between these two teams. The Lions have a 24-21-1 all-time record against the Giants and have won each of the last two matchups (2019 and 2017).
The pick
Coming out of the Week 9 bye, the Giants had two huge games at home before enduring a rough part of the schedule that includes the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the Eagles twice, and the Vikings.
They won last week’s game over the Texans, and expect another victory this Sunday against the Lions.
New York is 7-2 based on great coaching, a dominant run game, a scrappy defense, and Jones limiting the turnovers. Luckily, the Lions sport the NFL’s second-worst run defense and are last in pass rush win rate (per ESPN). This should allow Barkley to find holes in the run game and Jones to manage the offense so they can take pressure off a Giants defense missing McKinney. Giants 23, Lions 10.
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