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I can't wait for this season to be over.
When we thought the Giants couldn't reach further down the barrel, they reached deeper and found a secret compartment in last week's loss to Atlanta. After taking a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, they were held to zero points the rest of the game while the Falcons proceeded to put 31 on the board. The team looked lifeless and vacant of leadership on the field and it feels like the players have given up hope on the season and are looking to next year.
However, the 2024 season still has two games of football left. This week's opponent is the Indianapolis Colts that are coming off of a win against the Tennessee Titans and a vintage Jonathan Taylor performance where he proceeded to put up a franchise record 218 yards rushing along with three touchdowns.
Before we get into a few things to watch for in week 17 action I just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season filled with health, relaxation and family time. I appreciate every single person that takes the time to read these, it means the world to me and hopefully the Giants of 2025 can bring some added joy to our lives. It's the little things sometimes, ya know? Anyway, onto this week's game preview.
Let's talk run defense
I think this will be the focus of Sunday's game: how do the Giants show up and stop Jonathan Taylor? They allowed 127 yards on the ground to the Falcons last week and the Colts are coming off of 288 yards of rushing offense from Taylor and Anthony Richardson in week 16. With Richardson ruled out for today's game with an injury and Joe Flacco set to step in under center, the Giants have one less thing to worry about on the ground. Two of the Colts last three opponents in the Patriots and Titans are ranked 24th and 23rd, respectively, in rush yards allowed per game courtesy of Covers.com. The Giants on the other hand are allowing 142.6 rushing yards per game ranking second to last in the NFL. If the Colts are looking for a mismatch this week, they've got it against the Giants run defense.
There is no sugarcoating that the Giants have been decimated by injuries and are missing Dexter Lawrence, Bobby Okereke and Tyler Nubin who were arguably their best run stoppers/tacklers when on the field this year. The interior defensive line has looked like swiss cheese, and last week's game further signaled that the Giants need to draft or spend good money in the offseason to bring in some help for Lawrence. Per Big Blue View's PFF grade analysis from last week's game, four of the five worst graded players on the defense were interior defensive linemen. The fifth? Edge rusher Brian Burns who had one of his worst graded games and graded as below average in both run defense and pass rush.
This is nothing new as it is known that the Giants have problems up front, however, it is glaring to see such a poor showing from professionals who are expected to show up and play their hearts out each week regardless of their team's record. I'm not putting this all on the players, because a lot of this comes from the coaching staff not getting guys prepared for the week ahead. Discipline and culture are important factors for any winning team, and you don't see the best defenses in the league such as the Vikings or Eagles having problems from their defensive fronts regardless of who is lining up. There are so many deep rooted issues within the Giants organization that there needs to be an emphasis from whoever is in leadership roles next year to bring in individuals who have a winning mentality and can start rebuilding a defensive front comparable to those of the two Super Bowl winning teams from the last 20 years.
I digress back to the point here that the Colts have an opportunity to run all over the MetLife Stadium turf. There won't be much fight from a checked out team allowing 4.8 yards per rush. Once the Colts have the Giants safeties cheating up, they will unleash downfield for big gains where guys like Alec Pierce can flourish. I can see it all playing out in my head now.
Malik Nabers on the verge of history
First off, this guy is a warrior and has been playing through multiple injuries in a lost season. He popped up on the injury report this week with a toe injury outside of the other ailments that could have cost him more than those two games he missed with a concussion earlier in the season. Props to Nabers, he is a core piece of this team's future and has shown his leadership ability during a down season for the Giants through his play on the field and how he carries himself.
Aside from that, he has two games left to make history. He is trailing Puka Nacua's 105 reception rookie record by eight receptions. Nabers has 97 receptions on 154 targets even after missing those two games noted above. It would be really cool to see him pull off history just a year after Nacua set the all-time record. I really thought it would take more than one season for another rookie wide receiver to sniff Nacua's masterful 2023 season but here we are.
He is also 31 yards away from 1,000 receiving yards on the season and would be the first Giant to hit that mark since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018. Nabers has the potential to make franchise AND NFL history in his rookie season and it's going to be hard for him to stay out of the lineup knowing he has an opportunity to truly establish himself as one of the best up and coming rookies in the NFL.
There hasn't been much to be excited about this year aside from Nabers and his consistent strong play even through multiple quarterback changes. In a such a down season, his play has been a bright spot for fans and the organization and the expectation is for him to translate the production from this year into 2025 and beyond.
I'm excited to see what he can do against a Colts secondary that is ranked 17th in receptions allowed (174) and 16th in yards allowed (2,164) to opposing wide receivers, per Pro Football Reference. Although he can compete with the best defenses in the league, it'll help to know he is up against a middle of the pack secondary that will afford him opportunities to reach the milestones noted above.
In conclusion
This game will be another sight for sore Giant fan eyes. Unfortunately due the nasty weather that is expected to hit MetLife at game time, there will not be another plane flying high above the stadium pregame asking for John Mara to 'Fire Everyone'.
This team has nothing to play for but the number one pick in the 2025 NFL draft where they will be picking their quarterback of the future. Hopefully Malik Nabers can make some noise and history this week so there is something to cheer about. Other than that, it's a ride it out mentality until the season is over.
Let's see if the team can compete, especially with Anthony Richardson being ruled out. See you all at 1pm.
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