New York Giants Week 14 Storylines: Desperate for a Win

The New Orleans Saints come marching into MetLife Stadium, looking to keep the Giants winless at home. Can the Giants take advantage of a struggling Saints defense?

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the New Orleans Saints football helmet before the game against the Carolina Panthers during the pregame at Caesars Superdome. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Judging from the responses on social media, as far as fans of the New York Giants are concerned, the team should just get the season over with--and who cares if it doesn’t win another game this year?

Ah, but the players and coaches care, which is why they’re going back to the drawing board to salvage what they can from a lost season.

“I think it would do a lot just for the vibe within the building and the locker room, especially,” said inside linebacker Micah McFadden. 

“For everybody on the team, I think we've been through some tough games here. I think everybody on the team and everybody on the field has continued to battle through every game. But, for these other guys who are getting more reps due to injury or other factors, I think it would be good for everybody who's playing their tail off every Sunday to get a win.” 

Tanking, as so many fans want to see the Giants do to ensure they have the best possible draft slot, is not an option, as it’s the job of the players to play for today rather than next year.  

“Obviously, this season is not where we want it to be. But, at the end of the day this is our job, and we all get paid to do this. But, on a deeper level, there's a sense of pride,” said McFadden. 

“Every time I step out on the football field, I have an appreciation for the opportunity to play in the NFL, be out there with my teammates, support them, and play alongside them. It's a true honor. I think that's what we're all playing for.”

They’ll try to get that elusive first win at home and first win since Week 5, when they upset Seattle against a New Orleans Saints team that’s 1-4 on the road. After snapping a seven-game losing streak by winning back-to-back games against Atlanta and Cleveland following the firing of head coach Dennis Allen and the promotion of special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, the team dropped its most recent game, a 21-14 decision to the Los Angeles Rams.

The Saints, at 4-8 and in third place in the NFC South, are still in the hunt in their division, so there’s a little more on the line for them than there is for the Giants. But their defense has been atrocious this year, as we’ll get to it in a moment, leaving the tiniest bit of hope that maybe the Giants can sneak out of MetLife Stadium on Sunday with a win.

Here’s a look at some of the other storylines related to this next game that we’ll be watching unfold this week.

Tommy or Drew?

Giants head coach Brian Daboll is expected to announce whether Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock will start at quarterback this Sunday. And the decision might not necessarily come down to whether DeVito (forearm) is healthy, either.  

Lock, filling in for DeVito in the 27-20 loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, had a mostly positive performance. 

He finished 21 of 32 (65.6%) for 178 yards and one interception (that coming on a tipped screen pass attempt) despite being under pressure on 45.3% of his dropbacks in that game. 

His receivers also dropped three passes, two of which came from rookie Malik Nabers, but Lock, per NextGen Stats, also finished with a 6.3% on tight-window throws, topping DeVito’s 6.5% recorded the week prior in a blowout loss to the Bucs.

Lock also finished as the team’s leading rusher with 57 yards on four carries, a touchdown, and one fumble. Two of his scrambles went for 29 and 21 yards and were among the Giants’ two biggest plays of the day.  

Interestingly, the initial thought was to stay with DeVito and see if he might be good enough to be the No. 2 quarterback next season or perhaps even a bridge quarterback while the Giants search for a more long-term option. But at this point, the Giants have film on DeVito in their system, whereas they don’t have as much from Lock to really evaluate. 

Maybe Lock is just as bad as the other Giants quarterbacks this season, but they can’t make that decision based on one full starting assignment.

Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) carries the ball on a 32-yard touchdown run against the New York Giants in the second half during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Run, Baby, Run! 

I’m somewhat reluctant to say this because the Giants have come up against a poor defense every time this season, and that opposing defense suddenly turns into a juggernaut. 

At the risk of jinxing things, the Saint's defense hasn’t been very good this year.

Let’s start with the run defense. New Orleans has allowed opponents 136.0 yards per game this year, 26th in the league. They are tied for dead last with the Giants in average rushing yards allowed per play (5.05). 

The Saints run defense has also allowed 39 runs of 10+ yards, 15th in the league, and have the league’s third-worst stuff rate (24%).

If the Giants run blocking game is on point, and they don’t continue shooting themselves in the foot with penalties and turnovers, there is certainly potential there for the running game to have its way against a Saints run defense that also has allowed opponents 2.18 yards before contact (worst in the NFL) and 2.92 yards after contact.

Nov 28, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) lines up during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT& Stadium. / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Speaking of the Run Defense

The Giants are about to find out what life after Dexter Lawrence, who was placed on season-ending IR after dislocating his elbow against the Cowboys, will be like these last few games. And if those times when Lawrence came off the first for a blow were any indication, it ain’t gonna be pretty, especially for the league’s worst run defense that has to try to slow down Saints running back Alvin Kamara. 

“He's our rock in the middle there. Not only on the field, but he's our captain and our leader off the field,” said McFadden. 

“It's a big blow to us. … It's difficult when you don't have that caliber of a player on the field. He's always doing his job and will make sure that A-gap is closed every time he's in there.”

While Lawrence cannot be replaced, the health of the other defensive linemen should be monitored. This week, Rakeem Nunez-Roches (stinger) and D.J. Davidson (shoulder) will likely be on the injury report. 

If one or both can’t play, the Giants' defensive line will be extremely thin, particularly in the middle, where their options include Jordon Riley, Elijah Chatman, and newcomer Cory Durden.

Nov 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) stopped by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Big Play Day

Tracy isn’t the only Giants rookie who could have a big day on Sunday. Receiver Malik Nabers and friends face a Saints pass rush that has allowed opponents an average of 2.98 seconds to throw (second highest in the league). 

If the Giants offensive line can hold its pass protections long enough, that should give the Giants’ deep threats an opportunity to streak down the field against a Saints pass defense that has allowed 43 pass plays of 20+ yards (the fourth-most in the league) and is tied for first on pass plays if 40+ yards are allowed.  

By the way, Nabers hasn’t had a touchdown reception since returning from a two-week absence due to a concussion that kept him out of Weeks 5 and 6, nor has he had a 100-yard receiving game in that span either.

His best showing was in Week 8 against the Steelers, when he recorded 71 yards on seven receptions. 

With this Saints pass defense having its issues, Nabers could be in a great position to end both streaks this Sunday. 

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