These 5 New York Giants must step up against the Texans
By Henry Buggy
The New York Giants are already facing a must-win game in Week 3 after losing the first two games of the 2018 season.
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman spent his first offseason revamping the team’s roster to win now. He elected to pass on taking a quarterback with the franchise’s highest draft selection in over 30 years, choosing to select Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick instead.
Big Blue’s offseason moves have yet to make the impact needed, as the Giants have the league’s 28th rushing attack and have given up eight sacks through two outings.
The G-Men face an opponent, the Houston Texans, who are just as desperate for a win on Sunday after starting the season 0-2. Both teams’ offensive lines have struggled mightily. It has resulted in poor play from both quarterbacks, Eli Manning and Deshaun Watson.
On the defensive side of the ball, both teams rank near the bottom of the league in team sacks. The Texans have recorded just three sacks in two games, while Big Blue ranks dead last with just one quarterback takedown.
Something’s got to give for one of these clubs on Sunday, and the play in the trenches will once again have a determining factor in the outcome. The Giants are counting on multiple players to step up and head coach Pat Shurmur is confident in the team’s game plan, via New York’s team website.
"“We feel good about the plan we put in place, now we’ve just got to go out and execute it.”"
Giants top edge rusher Olivier Vernon will be sidelined for a third consecutive game with a high-ankle sprain. Eli Apple will also miss Sunday’s tilt due to a groin injury. The third-year cornerback has played well this season, and clearly, Vernon’s absence has impacted Big Blue’s pass rush.
The G-Men have had no shortage of flaws through two weeks. The offense has scored a collective 28 points in two games, and the defense has lacked a consistent pass rush despite James Bettcher’s heavy blitz scheme.
The Giants will need all 11 men on offense, defense, and special teams to execute their jobs if they hope to leave Houston with a win. If they can get these five players to step up, Big Blue’s chances of succeeding will significantly increase.