Three Matchups That Could Decide Giants-Steelers Monday Night Battle

Here are some notable battles to watch on Monday night.

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) walks up to greet New York Giants guard Jermaine Eluemunor (72) during warm-ups before the game at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The New York Giants continue what has been a disappointing 2024 season up to this point. At 2-5 heading into their Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the struggling Giants face a multitude of challenges.

Starting with their abysmal 1-14 primetime record with Daniel Jones under center, things aren't shaping up to be a favorable matchup. The Steelers also boast a 21-game winning streak at home on Monday night dating back to 1991. 

Pittsburgh's strong defensive front will also pose various problems for a Giants offense that has looked lost for most of the season, even more with left tackle Andrew Thomas out of the lineup.

There are three games left before the Giants' bye week, and they'll need to win out in that span if they want to save their season. Starting with the Steelers, things certainly aren't going to be easy. 

Here are three key matchups to watch for this Week 8 primetime clash.

Giants RT Jermaine Eluemunor vs. Steelers OLB T.J. Watt

Eluemunor has anchored the right tackle spot this season and has done well. But now dealing with a groin issue and going against Watt, Eluemunor faces the hardest task he'll take on this year. 

Watt, the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has 4.5 sacks this year and is part of a Steelers front seven that will pose issues for the Giants' offensive line.

Under normal circumstances, Eluemunor probably won’t need much help dealing with Watt, but again, it remains to be seen how his injury affects things.

Giants CB Deonte Banks vs. Steelers WR George Pickens

Banks has made headlines a few times this season for the wrong reasons. In Week 4, he was seen jogging after allowing Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb to catch and run for a 55-yard touchdown. The next week, he came out with a statement performance against D.K. Metcalf and the Seattle Seahawks, breaking up three passes and forcing a fumble.

Banks's effort issues came up again last week when he made a business decision not to tackle Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter. The issue was addressed within the building, and Banks vowed there wouldn’t be a repeat.

The Giants hope Banks sticks to his word, as he'll be going up against Steelers top receiver George Pickens. Pickens has 31 catches, 474 yards, and one touchdown this season and is coming off an 11-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Jets last week. With Russell Wilson now as quarterback, he'll be looking to get his best playmaker on the ball more often than not.

Banks has shown he can keep up with the game's best receivers; he just has to stay committed for the entire game.

Giants Run Game vs. Steelers Defensive Front

In the Giants’ two wins this season, they could field a balanced offense that featured both the run and the pass, something they didn’t do over the last two games.  

Tyrone Tracy, Jr. seems to be the lead back, taking over most of Devin Singletary's reps. The Giants are averaging just 3.9 yards per rush, while the Steelers allow the second least yards per carry in the league at 3.6. 

The middle of their defensive line, led by Cameron Heyward, Patrick Queen, and rookie Payton Wilson, as their inside linebackers, will pose problems by clogging running lanes throughout the entire game.

Leaning on the run game, even if things go bad early, needs to be a focal point in this game. Even using Jones' legs on designed runs to extend drives can be the difference between winning and losing. Hopefully, this can also lead to setting up the passing game for more favorable matchups.

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