The Giants are heading into Thursday’s matchup with Washington with a few big storylines hanging over the week, and the biggest one might be the trade deadline. League chatter has already put New York in the mix for running back Jonathan Taylor, with the idea being that the Giants could be active for more than one reason.
They’re sitting in the driver’s seat in the NFC East, Cam Skattebo missed the previous game with a hamstring injury, and even when he has been on the field this season, ball security has been an issue. Skattebo has four fumbles in seven outings, including six starts, and he was benched in Week 6.
The case for Taylor is pretty straightforward in the reporting that’s out there: he’s a three-time Pro Bowler who can handle a heavy workload and help the Giants keep building a physical identity on offense. The comparison being drawn is to Derrick Henry, who head coach John Harbaugh had in Baltimore during his last two seasons there.
Taylor isn’t Henry, but the fit is being framed as one that could give Big Blue another dependable option on the ground. The verdict from that report: buy.
At the same time, the Giants are coming off a win that did more than just break a streak. Their 19-11 victory over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field ended a 13-game losing streak there and pushed them further away from both ends of the NFC East standings, with the Giants now 5-2-1 and Philadelphia 2-7. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough, and it gave the team another reminder of how much this defense can carry on a given Sunday.
Arvell Reese was at the center of that. The rookie linebacker turned in a huge game, finishing with 12 tackles, three sacks, three quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
One of those sacks came in just 2.29 seconds, the fastest time to a sack by a Giants player in the past 10 seasons, and it came on a free run at Joe Milton that also forced the fumble. D.J.
Reader had plenty to say about what makes Reese different.
“Arvell proved yet again what I already knew, and I see it before every game, man,” Reader said. “He’s got this look in his eyes, he’s just ready to play.
He’s gonna be special. He is special.
I don’t know any young player that can do the things he does. I’m gonna be honest with you: you’ll have to find him.
Maybe the kid in Seattle [safety Nick Emmanwori]. Because, you don’t find a kid that can cover the way he can cover.
Come down and fill gaps in the run game. Rush the passer.
Doesn’t miss tackles. He’s serious, man, and it’s special to watch.
It’s very special.”
Milton echoed that praise after the game, saying the Giants “played great today” and pointing to the defense’s approach. “They had great defensive calls and great players over there,” Milton told reporters.
“What they did today was just pressure and play over the top.” He added that it was “great calls by the defensive coordinator” and offered a shout-out to the unit for stopping Philadelphia and making plays.
Elsewhere, Cam Skattebo is expected to be “full-go,” and J.J. McCarthy is also in the mix to face Washington after saying he’s “feeling pretty good.”
The Giants are also planning a “White Out” game against the Commanders, and the Week 11 matchup with Jacksonville has already had a scheduling change. The trade deadline remains the other major item on the board, with New York being linked to possible help and the market already buzzing around what the Giants might do next.
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Wilsons impact has shown up in the way players around him are responding, too, with Deonte Banks and Arvell Reese among the names who have benefited from the reset. The bigger story for the Giants is what that means inside the NFC East, where a defense built on accountability and consistency can change the way the rest of the division has to prepare for them the rest of the way. [Read more 🡒]
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Fans coming through the gates will get rally towels and wearable light bands for coordinated displays, adding to the atmosphere the team is trying to build against Washington. It is also the only home game this season in which the Giants will wear the vintage white jerseys, a nod to the 1980s era that included the franchises first Super Bowl title. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Still Hover Over Jonathan Taylor As Trade Market Tightens
The Colts are still trying to move Jonathan Taylor before the NFL trade deadline, and the market around the running back has not exactly come together. Denver, Green Bay and Minnesota have all reportedly looked into the possibility, but the asking price has been steep enough to keep those conversations from advancing, leaving the situation in a holding pattern as the deadline approaches.
For the Giants, the door has not closed, even if the path has grown narrower. New York remains in the mix as a potential trade partner, but talks have reportedly stalled, which leaves the team hovering over a move that would add a proven playmaker while also testing how far the Colts are willing to bend before time runs out. [Read more 🡒]