Week 3: San Francisco 49ers
It gets no easier in week three as the reigning NFC Champions make their way to the Meadowlands.
The 49ers will enter 2020 as arguably the most well-rounded team in the NFL with expectations of another Super Bowl run.
This will be a huge test for the G-Men front seven, especially the linebackers, who will face one of the best offensive lines and run offenses in the league.
Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey will be at tackle protecting Jimmy Garoppolo, trying to slow down the backfield committee of Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Jerick McKinnon.
Trying to keep the lid on the run game while containing the number one tight end in the NFL in George Kittle and deep threat Deebo Samuel will be a tall task.
A reoccurring theme of the first few weeks will be the baptism by fire approach Andrew Thomas and the offensive line will be experiencing. It gets no easier with Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, and Dee Ford coming to town.
With the addition of linebacker Kwon Alexander from Tampa Bay and the entire secondary returning – one that allowed the fewest passing yards in the NFL since 2009 last year – Daniel Jones and company will have another huge opportunity to prove where they are at.
I see this game as being a huge test to gauge what Joe Judge can bring to the table for Big Blue. A win or even a competitive loss would be encouraging given the differences of where these two franchises are at the moment.
The talent is there, as it has been a lot of times the previous two years. What hasn’t been there is the coaching, the play-calling, the situational awareness, etc. It’s this area that separates the elite from the good, the good from the bad, and close losses from close wins.