New York Giants-Atlanta Falcons Week 16 Storylines: A Look at What Might Have Been

The New York Giants get the first extensive look at Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.

Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Kevin King (32) celebrates with teammates after making a play against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

This weekend, the New York Giants will escape the (lately) unfriendly confines of MetLife Stadium for the sanctity of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons.

There, the Giants won’t have to worry about planes flying overhead urging team co-owner John Mara to fix a broken roster or to “fire everyone.” But that doesn’t mean the pressure is off head coach Brian Daboll and company.

The Giants are currently on a nine-game losing streak. They last won a game on October 6, when they played as complete a game as they have all year long, a 29-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks. 

Since then, in addition to the nine-game skid, the Giants are 1-9 against NFC teams, 0-1 indoors, and 2-4 on the road. Their 2024 season was over by early November, and their fan base was rightfully up in arms over the lack of growth in the third season of the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll era. 

They’ll face a Falcons team that, at 7-7, is in second place in the NFC South. However, the team would have still been stuck in its mini-losing skid if it had not been for the Las Vegas Raiders on their most recent game schedule. 

Despite pleas from the fan base to tank the rest of the way to keep up with the Raiders for the first overall pick in next year’s draft, the Giants are looking to win, as if they can squeeze out at least one more win, that should inject a little bit of joy into a battered and bruised (physically and egotistically) locker room.  

Atlanta has a 14-12 regular-season record over the Giants, whom it has beaten at home in the last two meetings, the most recent of which was a 17-14 win on September 26, 2021. 

Can the Falcons, who again have much more on the line as far as a postseason berth is concerned, pull off a third straight win at home (and a fourth straight win overall) over the Giants?

We’ll find out soon enough, but in the meantime, here are some storylines that will need to unfold before and during the game's end.

Here are the storylines to watch this week and into the weekend.

Who’s the Giants Quarterback?

When we last left the Giants, two of their three rostered quarterbacks, Drew Lock (heel/left elbow) and Tommy DeVito (concussion), were injured. Their respective injuries threatened their availability for Sunday’s road game in Atlanta. 

Head coach Brian Daboll declined to provide any insight into how the quarterback rotation would play out for Sunday, saying that he wanted to see how Lock and DeVito came through Tuesday and heading into Wednesday when the team returns to practice.

It will also be interesting to see if the Giants sign any reinforcement to their practice squad if DeVito is in the early stages of the protocol and Lock is still ailing.

Michael Penix, Jr. to Debut as the Falcons

Raise your hand if you didn’t see this one coming. The Falcons announced on Tuesday night that rookie Michael Penix, Jr., the team’s round draft pick, will get the start ahead of Kirk Cousins against the Giants. 

The move was a no-brainer. The Giants are struggling, and their defense is banged up, so what better team to let Penix cut his teeth against than a wounded Giants team against whom he might end up being just a little fired up to face, considering the Giants passed over him in the draft after spending so much time getting to know him before the draft? 

Injury Update

Last week, the Giants had over a dozen players on their injury report, including their three starting cornerbacks (Deonte Banks—rib, Cor’Dale Flott—quad, and Dru Phillips—shoulder). There was hope that Banks, who was limited in practice last week, would be good to go, but he didn’t make it.

Other members of the Giants' defense who remain sidelined due to injuries include defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck/shoulder) and linebacker Bobby Okereke (back). 

Those are just the injuries we know of from last week–lately, the Giants have been good for a surprise or two showing up on the injury report. 

Will Malik Nabers Hit the Century Mark Again?

Last week, Giants rookie receiver Malik Nabers caught his first touchdown reception since Week 3 before his concussion kept him sidelined for two games. But Nabers is still searching for his first 100-yard receiving game since September 26, a Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Nabers has been targeted at least 10 times in six of his last seven games, but the closest he’s come to 100 receiving yards in a game was the 82 he posted last week against the Ravens (ten receptions out of 14 pass targets). 

Can Giants Stop Falcons from Scoring?

The Falcons haven’t been a scoring juggernaut, but according to Pro Football Network, Atlanta has scored in seven of its last eight quarters. Oddly enough, the Giants have scored 25 points in their last two games, but their defense has given up 26.5 points per game since returning from their bye week. 

While some fans want to see the team continue to lose so they can have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, the Giants could potentially steal a win in the game against the Falcons if they can keep this one from getting away from them. 

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More Giants Coverage

• Ranking Giants’ Most Impactful Injuries from This Season

• Should One More Win Really Justify Return of Giants GM/Head Coach Duo?

• Brian Daboll Unsure Which Quarterback Will Start for Giants on Sunday 

• Injuries? Performance? Talent? What Gives with the New York Giants Defense?

• Giants WR Malik Nabers Shows His Grit in Tough Times

• Giants to Host Colts on Dec. 29

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