An inside take a look at Sunday’s Giants-Cardinals NFL Week 2 matchup in Glendale, Ariz:
Marquee matchup
Cardinals RB James Conner vs. Giants MLB Bobby Okereke
This is not going to be a one-on-one battle, in fact, however Okereke is the centerpiece of the run protection.
Conner shouldn’t be a star operating again — he has by no means reached 1,000 speeding yards in any of his six NFL seasons — however he figures to be a central determine on an offense that doesn’t wish to rely too closely on the precise arm of quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
Conner had 62 yards final week at Washington and caught 5 passes, although for simply eight yards.
Aside from a 25-yard run by Tony Pollard, the Giants had been sturdy towards the run versus the Cowboys, with Okereke (5 tackles, one compelled fumble) pretty quiet in his Giants’ debut.
Paul’s choose
No group will get a redo or a reset, however the Giants do get to indicate what they’re after placing on show within the opener what they insist they aren’t.
If this protection can’t maintain down the Cardinals, what group can it subdue?
It’s time to shield Daniel Jones, put a cohesive offensive assault on the sector and discover the top zone a few times, for the primary time this season.
Giants 24, Cardinals 16
4 downs
Acquainted foe: When he was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator the previous few seasons, Jonathan Gannon’s guys gave the Giants suits.
Gannon is now the Cardinals’ head coach, and he introduced his system to Arizona.
There will likely be loads of quarters protection, with four-deep throughout the back-end, that means the Giants could possibly be enticed to run the ball.
“They do a very good job with the fronts and the way they use form of edge gamers in numerous methods to nonetheless be sturdy towards the run,’’ Daniel Jones stated. “Yeah, they’re sensible, they perceive what they’re doing and current some issues for the offense that manner.’’
Glow within the circulate: Mark Glowinski was not presupposed to be a significant query mark this season for the Giants.
He was signed in 2022 to a three-year contract price $18.three million to carry down the precise guard spot.
The 31-year-old struggled within the opener, permitting three of the Cowboys’ seven sacks, and 9 complete pressures, in accordance with Professional Soccer Focus.
“It was very disappointing,’’ he stated. “All I can do is transfer on from that and be higher.’’
The precise facet of the road, with Glowinski and deal with Evan Neal, is off to a tough begin. Neal gave up one sack and eight pressures to the Dallas move rushers. Shifty, diminutive Cardinals outdoors linebacker Dennis Gardeck had two sacks final week.
Steer the ship: Everybody appears to be like to see how the person in cost reacts, in good occasions and in unhealthy occasions.
There have been solely unhealthy occasions after Week 1, and gamers and coaches alike waited to take their cues from head coach Brian Daboll.
“The most important factor is, and Dabs hit on this proper after the sport, you possibly can by no means let one recreation beat you twice,’’ defensive coordinator Wink Martindale stated. “So, you’ve bought a alternative in life. Get up, mud your self off and go play. That’s what our guys are going to do. I understand how they’re, and I understand how they’ll react to it.’’
Particular groups coordinator Thomas McGaughey stated Daboll set the correct tone: “You anticipate the pinnacle coach to be doing these varieties of issues to make it possible for the ship is tight and that it’s getting in the precise course.”
Look to the vets: Think about that 40-point shellacking coming in your NFL debut.
“In your first recreation to go like that, it’s not the way you anticipate your NFL profession to start out,’’ Saquon Barkley stated.
As one of many group captains, Barkley stated it was vital to ship the precise message to the rookies.
In 2018, his first 12 months with the Giants, Barkley noticed how Eli Manning dealt with adversity.
“That was in all probability one of many greatest issues I revered about Eli probably the most, particularly on this market being a quarterback in New York, and on the time, we weren’t having numerous success,’’ Barkley stated. “Coping with the media, how he would are available each single week, how he would are available each single day.’’