Giants Week One Preview Against The Titans
The Giants enter an important year for their whole roster as a new regime looks to build a winner in New York. They face a tough test right out of the gates with the Titans and this is a game that will tell you all you need to know about the Giants’ season ahead.
The NFL regular season has officially begun and the Giants will be looking to improve on a disappointing season a year ago when they fell flat of all aspirations. They came into last season a team that had a shot to make some noise in the NFC as they finished the 2020 season strong. That didn’t happen at all as they went 4-13 and lost their last six games of the season, all by at least ten points. It was a disaster and the reason for the firings of Head Coach Joe Judge and General Manager Dave Gettleman.
Now a new regime comes in looking to bring long-awaited success back to the Giants. New Head Coach Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen bring a modern way of thinking to the team that they established together in Buffalo for the past four seasons. They helped reshape that franchise into being the Super Bowl contender it is today. They have rebuilt the Giants roster this offseason and a Week One test against the AFC’s number one seed last year, the Titans, will give a glimpse into the season the team will have.
Titans Prove To Be A Tough Matchup For The Giants In Week One
A year ago, the Titans started out the season 6-2 thanks to the rushing of Derrick Henry. He was putting up historic numbers in the first half of the season and was on his way to breaking multiple records. That was until he injured his right foot in week eight against the Colts forcing him to miss the rest of the regular season.
The Titans won their next two games but struggled the next four weeks. They regained their composure and finished the season as the number one seed in the AFC. However, they lost in the divisional round to the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals.
During the offseason, the Titans made some major changes, trading wideout AJ Brown to the Eagles for a 2022 first-round pick which they used to draft wide receiver Treylon Burks out of Arkansas. They also added WR Robert Woods and TE Austin Hooper during free agency.
Gauging The Giants’ Gameplan For Week One Against The Titans
The defense mostly stayed the same and the Giants will have to put together a careful strategy to not get bitten by a feisty group. They have stars up front and in the secondary starting with defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons and safety Kevin Byard. Simmons is a key reason why the Titans ranked second in rushing yards per game allowed.
They though ranked in the bottom half of the league against the pass so for the Giants to be successful Sunday, they have to put trust in quarterback Daniel Jones and use running back Saquon Barkley more in the passing game. In the red zone, the Giants have to cash in as they were dead last in the red zone TD scoring percentage at just 44.74%. Wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney have to step up in that area and finally score their first touchdowns as Giants.
The Giants’ defense will of course be putting their main focus on Derrick Henry this Sunday. He runs their offense and if the Giants have any chance, they have to make contact with him at the line of scrimmage. If you let him get beyond the line of scrimmage untouched, even though he’s big, he has some burst and will bump off smaller defenders for big gains. Look for the Giants to put a lot of defenders in the box to limit Henry and force the Titans to throw the ball.
Updating The Giants Injury Report Ahead Of Week One
The key injuries surrounding the Giants are starting EDGE rushers Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Both are dealing with injuries that they suffered during training camp and are at risk of missing Sunday’s game. They have been limited all week at practice and the chances of them playing Sunday are slim.
One Giant who has a realistic chance of suiting up is wide receiver, Sterling Shepard. Recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered late last season, Shepard is ahead of schedule and stated earlier this week that he is ready to go. He’s also been limited in practice this week but has the best chance among the injured group to play against the Titans.
Sunday’s game will be a litmus test for the Giants. If they find a way to win, it’ll boost the confidence of so many around the organization that the rebuild might be taking place quicker than they anticipated. More in-depth, if Daniel Jones has a really good performance, it’ll quiet some of the chatter that this will be his last year in New York. The Titans are favored and deservingly so, however, the Giants will be bringing a new brand of football to Tennessee Sunday that many have been clamoring to see for a long time.