By: Nathan Nguyen

Big Blue may not make the Super Bowl this year (like they did in 2011). But, even with all the circumstances last night, they pulled off the 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears. It’s safe to say all three stages of the game made their mark on Sunday, and we’re going to break it down right now.

Let’s face it: the New York Giants do not need a quarterback.

Okay, that may be an overreaction.

Daniel Jones was obviously the starter at quarterback heading into the season. The same was the case against Chicago. He played well, even if he only threw for 87 yards. Call him Daniel Allen or Daniel Jackson, because his arm isn’t the only thing that can give defenses headaches.

You would think Chicago’s defense would adjust and prevent that from happening again. Well…

Yup, this team is a running team. Personally, I don’t blame coach Daboll for relying on the run. These wide receivers are not getting the job done. The best statline from a wide receiver on Sunday was Darius Slayton, who had one catch for 11 yards. The leading receiver against Chicago was Daniel Bellinger (three catches for 23 yards).

But, those shortcomings will be fixed soon. Hopefully. On the bright side, Saquon Barkley is officially back. 146 rushing yards plus 16 receiving yards? The Giants need to re-sign him ASAP because there is no running back out there that can make something out of nothing. For example:

Something to note: HOW ABOUT DANIEL JONES WITH THE BLOCK? This play was one to remember, as Barkley made something that looked like a big loss into a first down. It would lead to Daniel Jones’s second rushing touchdown of the day.

Unfortunately, Jones went down with an ankle injury in the second half. In stepped Tyrod Taylor. But, after 30 rushing yards and an interception, he would also get hurt himself.

So, who would step in and be the emergency quarterback? There was no other quarterback available to play. Right?

Well, that works.

How About That Defense?!

Yes, Justin Fields threw for more yards against New York than he ever did during the first three games of the season. Chicago still only scored 12 points.

This Giants defense is for real. Wink Martindale deserves all the praise in the world because of his defensive scheme. Fields was sacked six times and the offense was held to 5/15 on third down. New York also forced three fumbles against the Bears.

No wonder Justin Fields looked sad every time the camera pointed at him. Khalil Herbert was brought back down to earth, only putting up 77 yards on the ground after having 157 the week before.

Constant pressure on the quarterback and not allowing many big plays down the field was the theme for this defense against Chicago. It seems to be working, and this defense is having fun.

Up next, the Giants will travel to London to play against the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.

The post Why the New York Giants can win the NFC East appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Nathan Nguyen

When Richie James signed with the New York Giants as a free agent, no one expected him to be more than anything but a solid backup receiver. If anything, he would serve as a kick returner because of his experience with previous teams serving that role.

Fast forward to today, and James looks like more than just a guy. In fact, he may be the only one keeping this receiving corps afloat. With Sterling Shepard out for the year, Daniel Jones may need to rely on James more than ever this season.

James was drafted in the seventh round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018. Appearing in 13 games, he caught nine passes for 130 yards. He also caught his first career touchdown against the Rams in week 17. The wide receiver also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in his rookie season.

He set career highs in receiving yards and receptions in 2020. But, he would miss the entire 2021 season after being placed on the injured reserve list. This was due to a knee injury.

The 49ers decided to not bring him back for 2022 and let him walk into free agency. On March 25th, 2022, the New York Giants decided to take a chance on the former Middle Tennessee State receiver.

Through three games, James has shown that the 49ers may have made a mistake not bringing him back. He’s been clearly the best receiver on the Giants, leading the team in receptions and a close second in receiving yards.

Put this into perspective: Deebo Samuel leads San Francisco in receiving with 12 catches and 131 yards. James has 14 catches for 146 yards. He would have been the best receiver on the 49ers. Jimmy Garoppolo could have used him after leading his team to just ten points last Sunday night.

Thankfully, James has been as close to a star as possible for Big Blue. With the Giants having the most expensive receiving core in the NFL, they have underwhelmed in the worst way possible.

Shepard is out for the year, Kenny Golladay can’t catch, David Sills has lost his magic, and Darius Slayton has been in a reduced role. Oh, and both Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson are hurt. Daniel Jones cannot perform to the best of his abilities if his weapons can’t stay on the field or perform well enough to be reliable.

This is where James steps in. Take the Dallas game, for example.

This man is getting open for his quarterback, something the other guys have struggled to do.

This man is getting open for his quarterback, something the other guys have struggled to do. James has at least four catches through three games, and he may be targeted even more in the coming weeks. He’s not a superstar, but he is sure looking like one.

Joe Schoen: you got a bargain with this guy. Let’s hope Richie James continues to show out against Chicago.

The post Why Richie James is a sleeper appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Nathan Nguyen

When defensive coordinator Wink Martindale arrived in East Rutherford, a breath of fresh air blew around Metlife Stadium. His history of creating blitz-heavy schemes (similar to the former DC in the Big Apple, Gregg Williams) made it clear that the New York Giants defense would be different from years past.

So far, so good. After limiting Derrick Henry to just 82 rushing yards on 21 carries, New York held the Carolina Panthers to just 16 points in week two for the win. Even with a pedestrian day from the offense, the defense stood firm against Baker Mayfield (who was roasted by many Giants fans because of his comments on Daniel Jones in the past).

But, let’s think about this for a second. New York has yet to see Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari on the field in the regular season. But, Jihad Ward and Oshane Ximines have stepped in beautifully and gotten to the quarterback.

There were question marks at the cornerback position heading into the year, especially with Adoree Jackson being the only capable player safe as CB1. But, Darnay Holmes and Aaron Robinson have been serviceable. Xavier McKinney is holding his own back at the safety position, and Julian Love had a sack against Carolina that was key to the Giants’ win.

Overall, the Giants’ defense is very underrated. They don’t have the big-name players other teams have or perhaps top-end profiles that were present on the Giants Championship defense. But, the scheme has put these players in a good situation.

Fantasy-wise, they are the 16th best defense in the league, averaging 5.5 fantasy points through two games. They have yet to allow their opponents to score more than 20 points in a game, and that could continue as they head into a Monday night matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s early, I get it. But, this is a good start for a team with new schemes on both the offense and defense. But, to be 2-0 after many expected them to be a rebuilding team this year is a big morale boost.

The post Look Out For This Giants Defense in Week 3 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.