Game Preview: Giants set to make Germany debut

This game is the Giants’ opportunity to take their first step toward what they believe can be a second-half turnaround.

“It’s not the season that we were hoping for,” rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers said. “But you can’t sit around and look at all the losses that you’ve got going. You have to keep on moving forward week after week. I think it would be great if we start the next weeks off with a win. Go into the bye week, get our bodies back right and then after that go into the next week and hopefully keep that win streak going.”

“I think the best way for us to do that going forward is to focus just on this game and what’s immediately in front of us,” Jones said. “I think we’re still confident in what we can be as a team. Obviously, we haven’t been consistent enough overall, but I think we have what we need to get going and to build some momentum. That starts one game at a time, so that’s what we’re focused on right now.”

All NFL games have their matchups to watch and in this one perhaps none is more striking than this: The Giants are averaging an NFL-low 15.4 points a game. The Panthers are allowing an NFL-high 32.6 points a game. Something must give. Or not give.

“We’re always going to be aggressive,” Jones said. “We’re always going to prepare to play well. It’s not about the defense, it’s not about who we play against. It’s about doing what we do and executing well as a group consistently for four quarters.”

This is just the second time since 1970 that the Giants enter a matchup as the last-ranked scoring offense vs the last-ranked scoring defense. On Oct. 11, 2020, the Giants recorded their highest point total of the season, but lost in Dallas, 37-34. They scored one of their touchdowns on an interception return.

Since 2000, 112 games have pitted the last-ranked scoring offense and the last-ranked scoring defense entering Week 5 or later. The spotlight offense is 8-4 in those games, including the most recent meeting, Denver’s 24-15 victory against Arizona on Dec. 18, 2022.

The Giants will be without one of their starting wide receivers, Darius Slayton, who is second on the team with 469 receiving yards and third with 32 catches. He is in the NFL concussion protocol and remained in New Jersey.

“That means Jalin Hyatt is going to have an opportunity to play some more football,” Daboll said.

The second-year receiver has played 170 snaps this season, but has only one reception, a 6-yarder against Cincinnati.

“I didn’t take advantage of my last chance,” Hyatt said. “I’m frustrated in myself, because I had opportunities in the Bengals game that I didn’t come down with. For me, it’s just being ready when your number is called. It’s only frustrating for not plays.”

The Giants will get their first look at Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Young has a 3-17 record as a starter, 1-3 this season. He was replaced as the starter by veteran Andy Dalton after an 0-2 start this season. First-year coach Dave Canales said Dalton gave the Panthers the best chance to win. Dalton was 1-4 as the starter before suffering a thumb injury on his throwing hand in a minor car accident that sidelined him the past two games. Young stepped back in as the starter and has thrown for 395 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions since returning to the lineup.

Last week, Young completed 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and who engineered his first NFL game-winning touchdown in a 23-22 victory against New Orleans. On Wednesday, Canales named Young as his starter for the game tomorrow.

“He’s a little savvy guy,” defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence said of the 5-10, 204-pound Young. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t give him a lot of space so he can make great passes. The running backs are running very hard. The O-line are big guys and like to get physical, so I’m excited for the matchup.”

Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen faced Young last season when he held the same position with the Tennessee Titans. Young completed 18 of 31 passes for 194 yard and was sacked four times in a 17-10 Titans victory.

“If he’s in a rhythm and he’s comfortable, he’s really, really good,” Bowen said. “He’s on time, he’s accurate. I think the biggest thing with him is, we gotta make sure that we do a good job of not making it easy for him. We gotta challenge some guys, we gotta be able to take away some of these first reads, disrupt some of the timing. Don’t let him sit back in the pocket and hop and bat the ball and figure it out.

“So, big point of emphasis for us right now is just making sure we do a good job and were able to affect them and not let him be comfortable back there.”

Running back Jonathan Brooks, the Panthers’ second-round draft choice, is expected to make his NFL debut after missing the first nine games while recovering from surgery to repair his ACL, which he tore last year at Texas. He will team with Chuba Hubbard (665 rushing yards and five touchdowns) in Carolina’s backfield.

“We gotta be ready for him a bit different type of back, I think,” Bowen said. “We’re expecting him to be in there a few snaps, at least just to get his feet wet if, if anything and I’m sure they’ll take it from there in terms of how it’s going for him.”

How it goes for the Giants and Panthers the next two weeks will be determined by which team gets that much-coveted third victory.