Giants Country

New York Giants: Week 8 Storylines to Watch

The Giants begin the toughest part of their schedule this week when they visit Kansas City, But with the Chiefs struggling of late, will New York catch a break?

Patricia Traina

New York Giants: Week 8 Storylines to Watch
New York Giants: Week 8 Storylines to Watch /

It's time for the New York Giants to turn the page on last week's win over the Carolina Panthers and look ahead to the next opponent on the schedule, the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs, on Monday Night Football.

Historically, Monday Night Football hasn't been kind to the Giants. They hold a 25-43-1 overall record and are 16-30-1 on the road. Their last win on Monday Night Football came November 12, 2018, when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers on the road, 27-23.

Since then, the Giants have lost their last four games on Monday Night Football, most recently a 25-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last November 2, 2020.

Will the Giants be able to parlay the confidence and momentum they found in last week's win over the Carolina Panthers into a better showing on primetime? We'll find out in less than a week, but for now, here's a look at some of the emerging storylines for the week ahead.

Who's In, Who's Out?

If there was ever a week for the Giants offense to be at full strength, this would be it.

The Chiefs defense, as led by old friend Steve Spagnuolo, has struggled this year. They're ranked 28th overall (404.6 yards/game), 26th against the pass (275.7 yards/game), 27th against the run (128.9 yards/game), and are tied for 27th in most points allowed (29/game).

 The Giants hope to get one or more of injured offensive starters Saquon Barkley, Kadarius Toney, and Kenny Golladay back into the lineup. 

Head coach Joe Judge was non-committal regarding which players might be available to practice starting Wednesday, and rightfully so, considering no decision had to be made on a Monday when he last spoke to the media.

But again, given how much the Chiefs defense has struggled in every facet of the game, having an offense that's at full strength would sure go a long way for these Giants who are looking to win their second game in a row under Judge for the first time since last year when they went on a four-game winning streak right around this time last year, during Weeks 9-13.

How Much Carryover Will There Be from Last Week?

Win or lose, Judge is always preaching to his players to put aside the previous week's game results and stay in the moment, eyes firmly on the next opponent. But who could blame the Giants if they take a little something from last week's win over the Carolina Panthers?

The Panthers, remember, challenged the defense, particularly the run defense, which rose to the occasion and limited Carolina's rushing attack. And for the first time this season, a case could be made that the Giants played above their level of competition, something they'd surely want to take into their game against a reeling chiefs team that stands 3-4 and who were embarrassed last week by the Titans.

Don't Forget the Trade Deadline

Tucked away in the week of preparation ahead is the possibility of the Giants being sellers before the November 2 trade deadline.

Judge told reporters on Monday that he anticipated the Giants would receive calls, but he didn't indicate anything that might be pending.

But here's the thing. If the Giants are planning to trade a player, it might behoove them--especially given their rotten luck of late with injuries--to hold any potential trad targets out of practice to not jeopardize any deals in the works.

New York will be on the practice field starting Wednesday and will work through Saturday before flying to Kansas City. You can bet all eyes will be on who's present and who isn't during practice this week as reporters scan for potential clues for transactions.

Will Eli Manning Get "the Call"?

Eli Manning and his brother Peyton have been adding a little extra something to the Monday Night Football broadcasts thanks to their deal with ESPN/Disney for a Megacast in which they provide some lighthearted commentary and have guests join them throughout the broadcast.

However, the deal was for select games, and the Manning brothers just did an MNF broadcast last week. Will they be on call this week for a game featuring Eli's old team? Probably not, but if they are, it could make for some interesting and entertaining viewing if the game should go south in a hurry.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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