Last week, we took your through the New York Giants’ Week’s 7-9 of the 2019 season, as they face off against the Arizona Cardinals (H), Detroit Lions (A) and Dallas Cowboys (H). Missed Part 3? Click here!
The Giants currently have 15/1 odds to win their division (NFC East) and 60/1 odds to win the NFC. Let’s see how these 3 games will affect their season.
WEEK 10: NEW YORK JETS (AWAY)
I mean, technically for all intents and purposes this is an ‘away’ game, even if it is in Met Life, but the ‘sibling rivalry’ game is always a feisty one as the AFC and NFC meet for bragging rights in the Big Apple. Despite enduring a five-game losing streak to the Giants between 1996 and 2015, three years ago in their last meeting, the Jets came back from 20-10 down at the half (which included a 72-yard touchdown from Eli Manning to Odell Beckham Jr.) to win it 23-20 in over-time thanks to a 31-yard Randy Bullock field goal.
Despite finishing with a worse record in 2018, many analysts believe that Gang Green are in a better position to succeed than the G-men this season. By far the most notable addition to their team was the signing of star running back Le’Veon Bell from the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, as well as beefing up their defense with Baltimore Ravens man-mountain C.J. Mosley. Throw in former Duke wide receiver Jamison Crowder, Raiders’ Kelechi Osemele, and kicker Chandler Catanzaro, and the Jets have filled a lot of gaps as they look to make more of an impact on the AFC East.
Their biggest blows came in the form of special teams losses and the ‘one that got away’ in Anthony Barr. Outside linebacker Barr is as strong as they come and was just a signature away from joining Adam Gase’s program, but his sudden cold feet about the whole situation saw him jump on a plane and commit himself back to Minnesota. Ouch. Also, the Jets lost two of their Pro Bowlers from last season, with elite level kicker Jason Myers signing a lucrative deal with the Seattle Seahawks, while kick returner Andre Roberts put pen to paper with divisional rivals the Buffalo Bills.
In terms of the NFL Draft 2019, the Jets managed to sign someone who many dubbed ‘the best player in the draft’, in the former of defensive line-man Quinnen Williams out of Alabama. Other notable additions included Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite, USC tackle Chuma Edoga and Rutgers cornerback Blessuan Austin.
WEEK 11: BYE WEEK
WEEK 12: CHICAGO BEARS (AWAY)
You might not believe it, but the New York Giants have actually won four of their last five games against the current NFC North champions, including last season when they held on to clinch a morale-boosting 30-27 win at Met Life. However, the last game at Soldier Field did end in defeat for Big Blue, as Bears QB Jay Cutler led his side to a 27-21 victory in the 2013 season, which at the time condemned the Giants to an 0-6 record on the year.
The Bears are undoubtedly in for a fight to retain their divisional crown, with Green Bay plugging some key gaps in the off-season, Minnesota always looking threatening these days, and even Detroit making some ambitious moves in free agency to ensure that they will at least be able to compete in the north.
In terms of roster moves in free agency for the Bears, their squad on the face of it looks relatively intact, with only one player, safety Adrian Amos, moving on to pastures new, however unfortunately for the fans it’s only a couple of hours up the road to Green Bay, Wisconsin. To replace him though is coincidentally a former Packer safety, Ha-ha Clinton-Dix, snubbed an extension at the Giants’ divisional rivals the Washington Redskins to move to the Windy City. Meanwhile, to replace wide receiver Kevin White, who left for a warmer climate down in Arizona (among a number of actual football reasons I’m sure) is Super Bowl 53 winner Cordarrelle Patterson who made the switch across from the current champs, the New England Patriots.
Looking at the NFL Draft 2019, the Bears didn’t have a single pick until the third round, with their first rounder going to the Raiders as part of the Khalil Mack deal. Notable pickups for them in the draft included Iowa State running back David Montgomery, George wide receiver Riley Ridley and Kansas State cornerback Duke Shelley.
WEEK 13: GREEN BAY PACKERS (HOME)
Back-to-back games against teams from the NFC North is never an easy task, and the rejuvenated Packers, led by first-time head coach Matt LaFleur, are looking to reclaim their stranglehold on the division, wrestling it back off neighboring state rivals the Chicago Bears. As for recent meetings between the Giants and Green Bay, the Packers have emerged victorious in both of their last two meetings at Lambeau Field, in 2016 & 2017, but in terms of the last game at Met Life, it was Big Blue who won out 27-13. The Giants led for the entire game, with Jason Pierre-Paul putting the finishing touches on the win with a 24-yard pick six of Scott Tolzien.
A season derailed by a supposed off-field rift between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy, LaFleur wasted little time on improving that woeful defense of Green Bay’s which was even put to the sword at home on a snowy day against the Arizona Cardinals, the worst team in football last year. In came line-backer duo Preston and Za’Darius Smith (no relation) from the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens respectively, as well as stealing talented safety Adrian Amos away from divisional rivals Chicago. Their only major losses to free agency were receiver Randall Cobb who joined the Dallas Cowboys, and ever-present outside linebacker Clay Matthews III, who swapped out the cold, fierce winters in Wisconsin for the California sun at the LA Rams.
As for the draft, the headline act of the new wave of Packers came in the form of hog mollie outside linebacker Rashan Gary from Michigan. Highly touted and expected to drastically improve the Packers defense, Green Bay also traded up back into the first round to get them.
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