The Giants didn’t need a win in Week 5 to keep control of the NFC East, and that tells you a lot about how this first half of the season has gone in New York. John Harbaugh’s team battled Washington to a 27-27 tie on Sunday, rallying from a double-digit second-half deficit before overtime mistakes on both sides left the Giants with a result that felt more like a save than a setback.
That sets up an interesting Week 6 spot with Jameis Winston at quarterback and the New Orleans Saints coming to town. Winston gets a matchup with one of his former teams, and New York will try to keep building on a start that has the Giants sitting atop the division despite Jaxson Dart being on injured reserve with a knee injury.
New Orleans brings a different kind of pressure into the game. Tyler Shough and the Saints knocked off Baltimore in Week 2, but that upset now looks like the high point of a three-game skid.
Losses to Las Vegas, Atlanta and Minnesota have dropped New Orleans to 1-4, and Shough’s Week 5 performance against the Vikings was a rough one - he didn’t even reach 100 passing yards. He did flash early in the season, though, and his overall line still shows why he was getting buzz: 1,299 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions, plus 16 carries for 72 yards and a score on the ground.
The Saints need that earlier version of Shough back in a hurry. The numbers around the team are ugly, and the defense has been a major issue.
New Orleans ranks 29th in EPA/Play, 31st in success rate and 26th in yards per play allowed. That kind of profile is exactly why this looks like a spot where Winston and the Giants’ offense can keep finding openings.
And there should be openings. New York’s defense has had its issues, but it’s been more respectable against the pass, ranking 14th in EPA/Pass. Meanwhile, the Saints’ secondary sits 27th in the league in EPA/Pass allowed, which points to a favorable setup for Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely after both delivered big production in the Week 5 tie with Washington.
From a betting angle, the case against New Orleans is pretty straightforward. The Saints are being installed as slight road favorites, but New York has quietly been reliable at home, going 3-0 against the spread in the building this season.
Since Dart went down, the Giants are 3-0 against the spread, 2-0-1 straight up and have widened their lead in the NFC East. Winston has done enough to keep them afloat, and New York has already shown it can play in higher-scoring games.
There is risk with Winston, of course. He’s always a candidate for a bad turnover.
But New Orleans hasn’t exactly built the kind of defense that can force him into a tough day, and the Giants have been opportunistic when the ball has been put in harm’s way. Shough could also be vulnerable to a costly mistake or two against a New York defense that ranks fourth in the league in interception rate.
So the number feels a little heavy on the Saints side, especially with New York at home and still producing enough on offense to stay in games. Even if New Orleans gets a bounce-back from Shough, the Giants have the tools to hang around and maybe even get the better of the turnover battle.
I’d take the points with New York and the chance for the Giants to move to 4-0 against the spread at home.
In Other News...
Former Saints Kicker Suddenly Has A New Chance To Prove Himself
Harrison Mevis brief run with the Rams ended after their Week 5 loss to the Bills, when Los Angeles moved on from the kicker and made a change that carries a familiar name for Saints followers. The Rams turned to Blake Grupe, adding him to the active roster from the Jets practice squad as they continue sorting out the position.
For New Orleans, it is another reminder of how quickly the kicker market can turn, especially for a former Saints specialist trying to get back into the mix. Grupe has already worked through stops with the Saints and Colts before landing on the Jets practice squad, and now he gets another chance with a team that clearly needed help in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Pressure Just Reached Gayle Bensons Level
The early-season frustration around the Saints has now reached the top of the organization, with owner Gayle Benson using a public appearance to make clear how dissatisfied she is with the teams 1-4 start. Speaking at the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club Luncheon, Benson put the spotlight on coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis, making it plain that the results have fallen short of what the franchise expects.
Benson also framed the issue as one of accountability, saying she shares responsibility for making sure the organization is held to a higher standard. For a team trying to steady itself after a rough opening stretch, the message carried obvious weight, especially with the owner signaling that the current level of performance cannot simply be absorbed as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Kellen Moore Just Put Saints Offensive Identity Under A Brighter Spotlight
Kellen Moores first season running the Saints offense has put a brighter spotlight on just how little play action has shown up so far. New Orleans was among the leagues lowest-volume teams in that area, and the issue became even more visible in the recent loss to Minnesota, when the offense leaned almost entirely away from one of the most common tools for helping a passing game find rhythm and deception.
Moore said there were situational reasons for the limited usage, but he also pointed to his own play-calling decisions as part of the problem. For a Saints offense still working to establish an identity, the bigger question now is whether Moore can create more chances to use play action and build in the kind of looks that make the rest of the system harder to defend. [Read more 🡒]