The New York Giants (1-3) hit the road this week to face the 0-4 New Orleans Saints. Here are some of the storylines to follow.
Two in a row?
The Giants are, of course, coming off their only victory of season, a 21-18 upset of the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers. New York has not had a winning streak since Weeks 11-14 of 2023, when they won three straight games with Tommy DeVito at quarterback. The Giants are 5-20 since that streak ended.
The incredible morphing point spread
When we took long-range looks at the Giants’ 2025 schedule during the offseason, this week’s game against the Saints was the only one in which oddsmakers favored the Giants. Even Sunday night, the Giants were 1-point favorites after defeating the Chargers.
Now? As of Wednesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook has the winless Saints as 1.5-point favorites. Across the board, Las Vegas oddsmakers have New Orleans favored by anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 points.
Why? Almost certainly, that has everything to do with the season-ending torn ACL suffered by Malik Nabers, the Giants’ best offensive player. Maybe it also has a little do with uncertainty about how well Jaxson Dart (hamstring) will be moving around this week, and with the Saints being at home.
Mostly, though, it has to be the Nabers’ effect.
How will the Giants replace Nabers?
The short answer is, they won’t. There isn’t another player on their 53-man roster or practice squad who can do what Nabers can do. There isn’t one on the street. There isn’t one available via trade. As Dart said Sunday evening, Nabers is “one of one.”
Yes, once upon a time Odell Beckham Jr, could do those things. Not now. Signing Beckham is an option, until it isn’t. Reality is, though, Beckham has not been a dominant NFL receiver since 2019, his last 1,000-yard season. He caught nine passes in nine games for the Miami Dolphins a season ago, averaging a mere 6.1 yards per catch.
He’s not BECKHAM any longer.
- Jalin Hyatt will get increased opportunities. Maybe he will catch a few balls. Occasionally, perhaps even a deep one that makes a difference. Still, the Giants have told you what they think of Hyatt by barely using him last year and the first three games of this year. He’s not the game-changer they hoped he would be.
- Beaux Collins. Every Giants’ fan is still looking for the next Victor Cruz, a free agent wide receiver who becomes a star. Hopes have been raised before. Remember Corey Washington? Bryce Ford-Wheaton? Alex Bachman? Tight end Chris Conrad? Now, Collins carries those hopes. Maybe there is something there. Remember those two preseason interceptions Colllins caused by running the wrong routes, though.
- Gunner Olszewski. Yes, he is listed as a wide receiver. Yes, he and Dart hooked up for a nice play or two in the preseason. Olszewski, though, is a former Division II defensive back with 15 career receptions in 69 games. Don’t expect him to suddenly morph into something he’s never been.
- Practice squad guys. The Giants have Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Ihmir Smith-Marsette and undrafted rookie Dalen Cambre on the practice squad. Humphrey seems like the one who could help the most as a receiver. He has 62 career receptions, 31 of which came for the Denver Broncos last season. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, maybe he can provide a jump ball option to help in the red zone, where the Giants have been the worst team in the NFL so far this season.
- The Giants could, perhaps should, dust off Daniel Bellinger. After a promising 2022 rookie season in which he caught 30 passes, Bellinger has been mostly an afterthought in the Giants’ passing attack. He is, though, a reliable chain-moving target who almost always catches the ball. He has just two drops in 83 career targets (2.4%). Perhaps more 12 personnel with Bellinger and Theo Johnson on the field together should be a consideration.
The reality is that head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka now face a huge challenge. They have to help a rookie quarterback with one start under his belt run good offense and score points without the player who could have helped him do that more than any other player they have. Can they be creative enough to scheme opportunities for the players they have, or will the offense bog down because they don’t have enough difference-makers to get the ball to?
Jaxson Dart, Part 2
Dart’s second NFL start, and first road start, comes against an interesting opponent. The quarterback-needy Saints, with rookie head coach Kellen Moore, could have drafted Dart No. 9 overall. There are plenty of NFL Draft analysts who think they should have.
Instead, they drafted offensive tackle Kelvin Banks at No. 9 and selected quarterback Tyler Shough at No. 40.
Banks has shown promise so far, although per Pro Football Focus he has given up 16 pressures in four games, and franchise tackles don’t grow on trees.
Still, quarterback is the most important position in the sport. If Dart becomes a franchise one, will the Saints look back on letting him pass by as a mistake. In the present, can Dart play well enough to help the Giants win another game and keep the Saints winless?
Will the Giants’ reliance on the quarterback run game be hindered at all by Dart’s left hamstring? How will Dart handle the noise in the Caesar’s Superdome? How will he react to the loss of Nabers?
Can the defense do it again?
Against the Chargers in Week 4 the Giants’ defense played for the first time the way it was anticipated to after the Giants made several high-profile additions to it during the offseason.
The Giants edge trio of Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux was dominant. Burns had a sack and six pressures in 33 pass-rushing snaps, per NextGen Stats, an 18.2% pressure rate. Carter had eight pressures in 32 pass-rush snaps, a 25% pressure rate. Thibodeaux had a sack and six pressures in 36 pass-rush opportunities, a 16.7% pressure rate. Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence had an interception. Cornerback Dru Phillips had an interception. Both of those were returned inside the Los Angeles’ 5-yard line, leading to 10 Giants points.
In all, NextGen Stats had the Giants pressuring Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on 47.7% of his dropbacks.
The Giants took advantage last week of a wounded Los Angeles offensive line. The Saints are also not whole on their offensive line. Starting guard Cesar Ruiz is out 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain, and starting guard Dillon Radunz has not played since Week 2 due to a toe injury.
The run defense remains a concern for the Giants. They are surrendering 6.1 yards per rushing attempt 31st in the league. The Giants gave up 152 yards on just 13 carries (11.7 yards per attempt) against Los Angeles, including a 54-yard touchdown run by Omarion Hampton.
That, obviously, has to get better.
The Giants, though took a massive step in Week 4 toward becoming the defense they were expected to be — and will need to be going forward for them to have a chance to win games.
Let’s see if that continues vs. New Orleans.
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