Despite only being off for one week, the bye sure felt like an eternity for NY Giants fans. Now, it’s time to get back on the field, as Brian Daboll’s men will be taking on the Houston Texans on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants have had a surprising start to the season, already eclipsing last year’s number of wins – they currently sit at 6-2. The bye week could not have arrived at a better time, as the G-Men lost on the road in their last outing to the Seattle Seahawks.
With a fresh slate of winnable games coming up, they will need to rely on every member on the roster to give their best performance vs. Houston. With that said, here are three under-the-radar Giants players who can make an impact vs. the Texans.
3. Safety Dane Belton
The fourth-round rookie has not had an ideal start to his NFL career. Belton broke his collarbone during training camp and missed the preseason and Week 1 opener in Tennesse. Belton made his NFL debut in Week 2 vs. the Carolina Panthers. The rookie made an instant impact in his debut, recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff and helping the Giants win 19-16.
Belton has been a great addition to the roster and greatly compliments starting safeties Julian Love and Xavier McKinney. The fourth-round rookie has mostly played in three safety sets. Through seven games, Belton has played 140 coverage snaps, allowing just six receptions for 88 yards and zero touchdowns.
Now, the pressure will be on for Belton, as Xavier McKinney suffered a serious hand injury during an ATV accident in Mexico. McKinney will be out for at least the next four games, but it’s up in the air if he’ll be able to get back on the field this campaign. With this, it will be on Belton to step up and fill that void. He’ll do so starting against the Texans.