The Giants head into Week 4 with a 2-1 record, and if you set aside the injury report - which is, as the source says, a flaming pile of chaos - they’ve looked pretty solid on both sides of the ball. A win over the Cardinals would push New York into sole possession of first place in the NFC East, but Arizona isn’t just showing up to be a speed bump. The Cardinals are 1-2, better than expected, and they bring enough trouble to make this one interesting.
For the Giants, the path to win No. 3 runs through three matchups that could tilt the whole afternoon.
The first one starts up front, where Abdul Carter has a chance to make his presence felt against Cardinals right tackle Elijah Wilkinson. New York’s pass rush has been more idea than reality so far, especially with Brian Burns out of the lineup.
The Giants have only one sack this season, which leaves them 31st in the NFL, and Carter needs to help prove the rush can become the problem it was supposed to be. Wilkinson, meanwhile, has given opposing pass rushers openings, allowing three pressures and a sack last week.
That makes him the clearest target for Carter to chase a breakthrough.
Another pivotal battle comes in the middle of the field, where Dru Phillips will spend plenty of time trying to slow down Trey McBride. McBride is the centerpiece of Arizona’s passing game, and he showed it last week with nine catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.
If he gets rolling again, New York could be in a spot where it doesn’t have enough offense to answer. Phillips has had a rough start in coverage and has already picked up multiple penalties, so this is a matchup that could quickly turn uncomfortable for the Giants if McBride wins early.
Then there’s the ground game, where Cam Skattebo will be asked to bring some stability to an offense that has been searching for it. With Jameis Winston at quarterback, the Giants haven’t found much rhythm, and in Weeks 2 and 3 combined they rank last in the league in EPA per play and 31st in success rate.
That puts even more weight on Skattebo’s work between the tackles against Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. This one may come down to who brings the tougher approach.
If Skattebo can generate yards after contact and help the Giants stay on schedule, New York has a much better shot at controlling the game.
In Other News...
Odell Beckham Jr. Just Reopened An Ugly Giants Decision
Odell Beckham Jr.s brief return to the Giants has already become another awkward chapter in a relationship that once defined the franchises offense. After limited playing time and just one target in three games, New York moved on after Week 3, a decision that coach John Harbaugh framed as a matter of fit and timing, saying Beckham did not match what the team had planned.
Beckham made it clear on social media that the mid-season exit stung, especially after what was supposed to be a meaningful homecoming. For the Giants, the episode only adds more weight to a move that was supposed to help in the short term but instead reopened one of the more uncomfortable conversations around how this reunion was handled. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Have Found An Unexpected Answer In A Chaotic Win
The Giants 36-24 win over the Cardinals in Week 4 was the kind of game that revealed as much about the roster as the score did. New York had already been forced to absorb the season-ending loss of pass rusher Brian Burns and the release of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., yet it still steadied itself after falling behind early and found a way to take control.
One of the biggest reasons was rookie linebacker Arvell Reese, who made multiple defensive plays and looked like he belonged in the middle of the chaos. For a team dealing with injuries and turnover, those kinds of contributions matter, and they helped push the Giants to 3-1 while also hinting that they may have stumbled onto an unexpected answer on defense. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Defense Faces A Rookie Test That Could Expose A Problem
The Giants are about to get a close look at the kind of rookie who can make a defense feel older than it is. After using the No. 5 pick on edge rusher Arvell Reese, New York now turns its attention to Arizona and the Cardinals No. 3 selection, Jeremiyah Love, a back who has already shown he can matter as both a runner and a receiver.
For a Giants defense dealing with injuries, the matchup comes at a tricky time. New York has done a decent job keeping opponents under control on the ground overall, but recent games have shown a weakness in the way yards are being given up, and Loves versatility creates the sort of test that can expose it if the front seven is a step slow. [Read more 🡒]