In order to come out victorious in its bout with the Broncos, the NY Giants have three key matchups to win in order to start 1-0 on the season.
Following an offseason in which NY Giants general manager Dave Gettleman made a flurry of moves to improve the roster, the Giants had an uninspiring training camp, to put it lightly. Whether it’s regarding the offensive line or the myriad injuries, we’re left with more questions than answers entering the 2021 season.
Despite the concerns, there’s plenty of talent on the roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Given that the Broncos aren’t entering this season with a particularly scary team, there are a few matchups the NY Giants can exploit to give themselves an edge on Sunday.
There are several key players that have a crucial role in defeating Denver.
But, there are several matchups the NY Giants must win if they are going to beat the Broncos:
Giants front-seven vs. Broncos RBs
The Broncos biggest offseason addition on the offensive of the ball wasn’t made in free agency, but rather in the draft when they selected RB Javonte Williams early in the second round out of North Carolina. Veteran RB Melvin Gordon returns for his second year in the Mile High City coming off the heels of a productive season in 2019-20, tallying 986 yards on the ground with 10 total TDs.
The drafting of Williams comes as a much needed move after the departure of RB Phillip Lindsay, who contributed 2,550 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns across 42 games in his tenure in Denver. What stands out about Lindsay is his zero fumbles in 534 carries, proving to be an extremely reliable asset for the Broncos.
Gordon and Williams have combined for 12 fumbles over their last two seasons combined, which isn’t too alarming, but it’s something to note for a Giants defense that forced 14 fumbles last season, tied for 12th in the NFL, and 10 of which coming on rushing attempts, which ranked tied for 3rd in the NFL.
The NY Giants’ front-seven from last season, which contributed to an 8th best 4.1 opponent yards per carry, returned a majority of its core players such as Dexter Lawrence, Blake Martinez and Leonard Williams, but they did lose Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency, who had been an anchor for them up the middle for the last few seasons.
Replacing Tomlinson at that nose tackle spot is Austin Johnson, a five-year veteran whose had a mostly up-and-down career as a rotational player with the Titans before joining the Giants ahead of last season. As a former second-round pick out of Penn State, Johnson will get the chance to start from the get-go alongside Williams and Lawrence, which could prove to remain a stout front-3.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham should try to neutralize the the Broncos rushing attack, and force Teddy Bridgewater to throw the ball, letting a very capable secondary make plays. On top of that, stuffing Javonte Williams in his first NFL game should be a priority, and maybe getting a couple punches on the ball as well.