Colts vs. Giants: 5 Pressing Questions Ahead of Sunday

Horseshoe Huddle caught up with Giants Country writer Patricia Traina and asked five questions about Sunday's Colts-Giants matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts have just two opportunities to conjure some good vibes before their tumultuous season is put to rest; this Sunday against the New York Giants is next.

Already eliminated from the playoffs, the Colts are playing for pride, but the Giants will claim a spot in the postseason with a win at home at MetLife Stadium.

This week, Horseshoe Huddle caught up with writer Patricia Traina of Giants Country to find out a little more about the Colts' latest opponent and to see how this matchup might turn out.

HH: These aren't the Giants we've become accustomed to; they're actually a probable playoff team in 2022. What's behind the shift, and do you think they're a legitimate contender?

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PT: Coaching has been huge for this Giants team. Seriously, look at all the guys this team picked up off the scrap heap and have turned into viable contributors. Look at the big step forward Daniel Jones has taken under Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka, the return of Saquon Barkley to his 2018 form in this offense, the defensive system, and so forth. Coaching makes a difference, and this staff has been instrumental in turning things around.

As for whether the giants are a legitimate playoff contender, I still think they’re a one-and-done team. If they draft the San Francisco 49ers, I don’t see them beating them. I could see them beating the Minnesota Vikings, but I don’t think they’d draw them. But you know what? I’m okay with the Giants being one-and-done because who thought they’d be in this position, to begin with? I sure didn’t. And I think even brighter skies are ahead for this Giants team.

HH: Daniel Jones went from a national afterthought to someone who looks like a pretty good starting quarterback. What's improved in his game where he's turned things around?

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PT: Several things. We can start with his pocket presence and awareness—he’s done a much better job feeling the rush and moving out of harm’s way. He’s finishing drives off in the red zone, and he’s cut way down on the ill-advised throws that resulted in interceptions. He’s playing with far more confidence, and five of his eight career come-from-behind wins have come this season. He has career highs in completion percentage and passing yardage and has posted his second-highest touchdown total. And he’s made his receivers, who arguably would be lower on the depth chart (if on an NFL roster at all), look like viable options.

I haven’t even talked about his rushing ability—he set a new career high in rushing yardage and has done a great job with the zone reads, RPOs, and his overall decision-making. His growth has been remarkable to watch, and you wonder how much higher he can go if he gets better receivers.

HH: This offense lacks a true top receiver. How have they been able to make things work in the passing game?

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PT: By not relying on it as heavily as one might have thought would be the case. The Giants have rushed 304 times this year and have attempted 456 passes between Jones and Tyrod Taylor. That’s only a difference of 152 between the run and the pass in a passing league. The other thing they’ve done is get the ball out of Jones’s hand quickly and work the receivers into the soft spots in coverage, where they’ve had some success.

Another huge factor has been Jones’s ability to extend plays with his legs, which has allowed receivers to wiggle open at the last second.

HH: Is there anything in particular that a weak offense like the Colts' can exploit in the Giants' defense?

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PT: Probably the inside linebackers, who have struggled in coverage, especially against tight ends. I don’t know if it’s a lack of speed or just the act that they have been forced to play a rookie (Micah McFadden) before he’s ready, but the inside linebackers this season are arguably the weakest link on the Giants' defense.

They did bring up Landon Collins from the practice squad—Collins is a safety by trade, but they’ve had him playing mainly in the box as a sort of pseudo-linebacker to help stop some of the bleeding. He did a nice job last week against the Vikings, so hopefully, that can continue. But per Pro Football Focus, the only inside linebacker with a semi-decent coverage rating is Jaylon Smith (96.0). The Giants just seem to get burned far too often underneath of late, so I expect that to be addressed this off-season.

HH: It's win, and they're in the playoffs for the Giants this week. Are they the type of team to take care of business in games that they should, or do they tend to play down to their competition?

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PT: They haven’t been a team that has played down to their competition, at least not under this current coaching staff. Daboll has been consistent all year long with his message: each week is a new week, and the team is 0-0. Win the current day, stack good days on top of one another, and everything else should fall into place.

But more importantly, if you look at most of the Giants games played this year, most have been decided by one score or less, which means they’ve fought tooth and nail (the exceptions were against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions). Although Daboll and the players have downplayed the opportunity to get into the playoffs for the last couple of weeks (which I agree with, for what it’s worth), they know what’s at stake, and I think they’re going to be ready.

Check out Jake's answers for Patricia in this matchup on Giants Country!

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