Scouting the Jets' Opponent: Five Questions for SI's Giants Reporter

Giants Country's Patricia Traina talks Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, O-line woes and more

MetLife Stadium will host the game formerly known as the "Snoopy Bowl" on October 29, and this one counts for the NFL standings.

Meeting once every four years during the regular season, the New York Jets and the New York Giants will clash in a Week 8 non-conference contest that kicks off at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday. 

While the Jets (3-3) enter off a bye week, the "host" Giants moved to 2-5 overall by hanging on for a 14-7 victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 7. Big Blue's blitz-happy defense has limited the opposition to three total touchdowns over the past eight quarters. 

On offense, the Giants appear likely to be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the third game in a row. As Jones fights through a neck injury, veteran backup Tyrod Taylor has taken the reins. 

The Jets, who posted back-to-back victories prior to the bye, opened the week as the betting favorite for the first time this season. The thought of Taylor playing won't intimidate a defense that has already shut down the likes of Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.

In an effort to learn more about the team standing in Gang Green's way this week, I asked Giants Country editor Patricia Traina to answer five important questions ahead of the rivalry game.

Here is the Jets Country Q&A with the Giants Country's Patricia Traina.

Will we see Daniel Jones or Tyrod Taylor at starting quarterback? Should Jets' fans be worried more about one than the other?

PT: My guess is it will be Tyrod Taylor, as Daniel Jones still hasn’t been cleared for contact. Both are decent enough quarterbacks, but I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say one is more problematic than the other. I think Jets fans might want to worry about Saquon Barkley, as he’s the straw that stirs the Giants offense’s drink. When you have Barkley on the field, he must be fully accounted for, as he can open things up for others to make plays, including a mobile quarterback like Jones or Taylor.

What has sparked the Giants' defensive success over the past two games?

PT: I think it’s a combination of things. For starters, the younger guys are starting to hit their stride. Then you have some minor adjustments that defensive coordinator Wink Martindale made, such as not overdoing the blitz against the faster teams. Other tweaks have included having Kayvon Thibodeaux in hunt mode more often and lining Dexter Lawrence directly on the nose of smaller, less experienced centers. You also have rookie cornerback Deonte Banks playing lights out—he’s lived up to his billing. In the middle, you have inside linebacker Bobby Okereke finally playing up to his billing after feeling his way in this defense, and that’s had a direct impact on Micah McFadden, his partner in crime. So, it’s been a combination of all these things that have led to growing confidence and this defense getting its bite back that had been missing at the start of the season.

How have the Giants dealt with defending elite receivers like Stefon Diggs and Garrett Wilson?

PT: Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has long been known for his penchant for blitzing opposing quarterbacks. But what he did against offenses with pure speed, such as the Dolphins and the Bills, is he dialed back the blitz significantly—we’re talking well under 20 percent. This allowed them to put more into the coverage to try to neutralize the speedier receivers, and against the Bills, it worked as we barely heard from Stefon Diggs.

What is the current state of Big Blue's offensive line, and how will they hold up against the Jets' vaunted defensive front?

PT: Great question. We could be looking at another starting combination come Sunday, depending on what happens with left tackle Andrew Thomas (whom I doubt returns) and center John Michael Schmitz (who I think does return). If that’s how it plays out, we’re probably looking at Justin Pugh at left tackle, Ben Bredeson at left guard, Schmitz at center, Mark Glowinski at right guard, and Evan Neal (assuming he can go with that ankle issue that kept him out last week) at right tackle.

Regarding how the offensive line will hold up, Tyrod Taylor, who's expected to get the start, has done a pretty good job helping out his offensive line by sliding around the pocket. We'll also see if they deploy more max protection schemes to slow down the Jets pass rush.

Who is an under-the-radar Giants' player that could potentially impact the outcome on Sunday?

PT: Let’s start with tight end Daniel Bellinger. When people think of the Giants tight end, they immediately identify Darren Waller. Still, I think Bellinger is going to be an under-the-radar type because he’s the third-best pass blocker this team has, and I think they’re going to lean on him a lot to slow down that Jets pass rush.

Then, if you want to go with a pure “revenge” perspective, look for safety Jason Pinnock, whom I believe got his start with the Jets, to be extra fired up in a quest to show the Jets that they made a mistake cutting him.

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