3 Key Matchups NY Giants must win vs. Broncos

NY Giants special teams vs. Broncos special teams

To many, this is a very boring matchup, and considering that special teams often takes up very little of the action in any given game, it could prove to be a huge difference-maker on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

I don’t think anyone has this game as a shootout,  as WynnBet has the total points line set at 41.5, the lowest of the week 1 slate. Daniel Jones and Teddy Bridgewater won’t be lighting the world on fire, which entails that we’ll see plenty of punts and some field goal tries.

Bad field position, missed kicks and blocked punts can change a game, especially one that’s low scoring. The 2010 San Diego Chargers, a team that ranked first on offense and defense, went 9-7 due to poor special teams play, which cost them a playoff spot. They allowed four blocked punts, three kick return TDs and a punt return TD. It’s an extreme example of special teams playing a large role in a season, but it’s proof that it can have a significant impact.

This could be a game where each team is waiting for the opposing defense to blink first. If the Giants want to win that staring contest, they need to put the defense in positions to succeed. So, when the Giants inevitably have numerous drives stall out, they need to do their best to pin the Broncos as far as they can, allowing the defense some room for error.

On the kicking side, Graham Gano had a career year in his first season in New York, converting 31 of 32 kicks, with no misses inside the 50 yards. On the other side, enters his eighth season with the Broncos, knocking through 28 of 34 tries, which is on par with his career average success rate.

In what could end up as a low scoring game, as aforementioned, it could come down to a pressure-packed field goal attempt late in the game that could decide which team starts its season off on the right foot.