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Giants Seek First Road Victory: Four Keys to Upsetting Broncos in Denver
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- Giants Seek First Road Victory: Four Keys to Upsetting Broncos in Denver
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Week 6 of the NFL season couldn't have worked out any better for the New York Giants . First, they upset the Philadelphia Eagles 34-17 on Thursday night, and then the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders lost their matchups.
Despite being 2-4, there's an air of optimism surrounding the Giants because of their rookie tandem of Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo . This week, they'll face a tough challenge as they travel to Denver to take on the Broncos , who are undefeated at home.
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As expected, New York enters this game as decisive underdogs, and if they are going to earn their first road win of the season, there will be four things to keep an eye on.
Will Offense Get Off to Fast Start for Fourth Consecutive Week?
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Ever since Dart was named the starter, the offense has caught fire early. In his first game, they scored a touchdown on their opening possession, and in their last two games, they scored touchdowns on their first two drives.
Repeating this feat will be difficult as the Broncos defense hasn't allowed an opening-drive touchdown all season. Fast starts are what has propelled the Giants to win two of their last three games. It's clear that the team thrives off the energy that Dart brings, and if they can achieve this again, they might be able to ride the momentum to another victory.
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Can Offensive Line Keep Dart Upright Against Denver's Front Seven?
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In Denver's 13-11 win over the New York Jets last week, the Broncos defense sacked quarterback Justin Fields nine times. Some of the sacks were due to Fields holding onto the ball too long, but other times it was the front seven dominating the Jets offensive line.
The Giants pass protection has been solid over the last two games, allowing just three sacks. This is largely because left tackle Andrew Thomas is playing at an All-Pro level. Big Blue must be able to keep its quarterback upright and allow him time to find open receivers. Often, games come down to who wins the battle at the line of scrimmage, and whichever team wins this facet will more than likely win.
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What Will Cam Skattebo Do for Encore?
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Skattebo had the best game of his young career last week, rushing for 98 yards on 19 carries and scoring three rushing touchdowns while adding two receptions for 12 yards. With Malik Nabers sidelined, the rookie running back will be the focal point of the offense.
Denver's defense is one of the stingiest against the run, allowing just 89 yards a game, which is sixth-best in the league. The 23-year-old running back is slated to have another heavy workload on Sunday. The question is, will he find similar success against Denver as he had against Philadelphia?
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Is Giants' Run Defense Finally Fixed?
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Earlier in the season, Big Blue's run defense was a major issue, allowing an average of 153 yards per game over the first four weeks and giving up six rushing touchdowns. However, over the last two weeks, they've held the New Orleans Saints and Eagles to 161 yards on 50 attempts (3.22 yards per carry) and have given up just one rushing touchdown.
They'll be tested this week against the Broncos running back tandem of J.K. Dobbins and rookie R.J. Harvey. Denver has the seventh-best running game in the league, averaging 130 yards a game. With quarterback Bo Nix having an up-and-down season, you can expect them to try and pound the ball against New York's front seven.
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If the defense can perform the way they have recently, they'll be on their way to their second straight upset victory. If they resemble the play they showed in the first month of the season, they'll still be winless on the road.
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