The New York Giants hit the Dirty South on Sunday when they face the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 1:00 p.m. ET.
The Falcons (7-7) benched Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. with three games left in the season. The change comes after several poor showings by Cousins in recent weeks, and while the Falcons haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, they need some help to get there. Putting Penix in against the Giants gives the Falcons a way to test out what he can do without it being a high-pressure situation.
The Giants (2-12) are having one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Not just for the record, but the way the administration has handled personnel, the number of season-ending injuries, and the clear disconnect between the coaching staff and the players. It’s not fun to be a Giants fan right now, and it doesn’t feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
That said, the Giants have an opportunity to win again this week, and despite the doom and gloom surrounding the organization, there are six things the Giants can do to help them earn a victory over the Falcons in Week 16.
Guard against the long ball
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Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix likes to throw the deep ball, and he can do it with accuracy. The Giants’ secondary cannot let the Falcons’ receivers get behind them. They must be ready for 50-50 balls and be ready to defend them without committing a penalty. Effort cannot be lacking (we’re looking at you, Deonte Banks).
Stiffen up in the red zone
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The Falcons average 352.3 offensive yards per game but score less than 21 points per game. Getting down the field isn’t the problem for them, but scoring is a problem. The Giants must tighten up in the red zone and force field goals, not surrender touchdowns. Not letting them down the field would be better, but in the likely event that the Falcons are in the red zone, the Giants need to prevent touchdowns.
Confuse Michael Penix
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Predicting how good a rookie is going to be isn’t an easy task because the NFL is a very different environment than the NCAA. Penix has only appeared in two games this season, throwing three passes on five attempts for 38 yards. He doesn’t have a real sense of what it means to run the offense for an entire game in the NFL, so Shane Bowen needs to disguise his pressures, blitzes, and coverages as much as possible. Give the rookie a ton of different looks, confuse him, and watch the fallout.
Be prepared for 4-down play
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The Giants’ defense has to be ready for four plays on every possession. The Falcons only convert roughly 37 percent of their third-down tries, but they go for it on fourth-down frequently where they are wildly more successful. The Falcons convert an astonishing 65.3 percent of their fourth-down tries. With that kind of success, it would be silly not to go for it fairly often, so the Giants better be ready.
Coverage teams be ready
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Special teams plays can make or break a game. Atlanta returns more punts than it fair catches, and they average over 9.5 yards per return. The Giants’ punt and kick coverage has been underwhelming this season, and if they aren’t careful, the Falcons will destroy the field position battle with ease. The Giants’ coverage will be tested on Sunday, and they must be ready.
Find peace in the pocket
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Drew Lock returns to the starting lineup this week after missing last week’s game with injuries. The Falcons rank at the bottom of the league, as in 32nd, in sacks this season with 23. They only apply pressure on 19.8 percent of their defensive snaps, so the Giants offensive line will be able to give Lock the time he needs. There’s no need to rush things for once, and with an experienced quarterback in the pocket, the Giants might actually be able to move the ball.
