The Giants need to control the game and make life easier for Jameis Winston against the Titans. If they can run the ball, protect Winston and pressure the quarterback, they’ll give themselves a strong chance to move to 2-1.
The New York Giants are entering Week 3 in a much different position than they expected just a week ago. Jaxson Dart is out for the remainder of the regular season, which means the offense now belongs to Jameis Winston.
The Giants are 1-1 and return home to face an 0-2 Tennessee Titans team. This is not a game the Giants can afford to overlook, especially with the offense now adjusting to a new starting quarterback.
We know what Winston is capable of when things are going well. He can push the football down the field, make aggressive throws and give an offense some juice, but the Giants cannot put him in a position where he feels like he has to carry everything himself.
For the Giants, the formula Sunday should be pretty simple. Control the football, make life easier on Winston and finally get some production from a pass rush that has talked a lot more than it has produced through two weeks.
Here are my five keys to beating the Titans.
1. Run the Rock and Control the Game
This needs to start with the running game. The Giants cannot come into Sunday expecting Winston to throw the football 40 times and carry the offense.
Establish the run early, stay committed to it and make Tennessee deal with a physical offense for four quarters. It’s the same formula that helped the Giants control Dallas in their Week 1 victory. Running the football also accomplishes something just as important, it keeps Tennessee’s offense standing on the sideline.
Control the clock, put together sustained drives and shorten the game. There is no reason for the Giants to turn this into a shootout if they don’t have to.
Make Tennessee prove it can stop the run before abandoning it.
2. Get the Lead and Don’t Make Winston Play From Behind
This might be the most important point of the entire game. Get Winston a lead and allow him to operate within the offense instead of asking him to chase points.
We know Jameis can play quarterback in this league. We’ve seen the arm talent and we’ve seen him put up big numbers throughout his career, but we have also seen what happens when he gets into situations where he feels like he has to make something happen on every possession.
That is exactly what the Giants need to avoid. Against the Rams, Winston entered a game that was already getting away from the Giants, but now they get an entire week to build the offense around him instead of asking him to come off the bench and rescue a bad situation.
Score first and make Tennessee chase the Giants. If the Giants can give Winston a lead and maintain some balance offensively, I feel a lot better about the Jameis Winston experience.
3. Get Malik Nabers Involved Early
Enough waiting around. Get the football to Malik Nabers and let your best offensive weapon get into the flow of the game immediately.
That doesn’t mean every target needs to be 25 yards down the field. Give him something easy early, whether it’s a quick slant, screen or crossing route, and let him start feeling the game.
Winston also isn’t afraid to give his receivers opportunities downfield, and Nabers should benefit from that mentality. Your best offensive player cannot disappear from the game plan.
Get him involved immediately and make Tennessee adjust its defense to him.
4. The Pass Rush Has to Get Home
Enough talk about the Giants’ pass rush. It’s time to produce, because through the first two weeks we haven’t seen nearly enough from a group that was expected to be one of the strengths of this team.
We’ve spent months talking about what this group could be. Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux give the Giants plenty of talent up front, but at some point potential has to become production.
Getting after the quarterback was also one of my five keys against the Rams, and the Giants simply didn’t get enough of it. Pressure changes everything. It creates bad throws, turnovers and third-and-long situations, and the Giants cannot continue allowing opposing quarterbacks to stand comfortably in the pocket.
Go wreck a football game. Sunday would be a good time to start.
5. The Offensive Line Cannot Take a Step Back
The offensive line showed encouraging signs to start the season, and now it needs to continue moving forward. There cannot be a step backwards, especially with Winston making his first start of the season.
The assignment is straightforward, create running lanes and protect Jameis Winston. If this group can establish the running game and give Winston a clean pocket, the Giants should be able to move the football.
Tennessee defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons presents a legitimate problem inside, coming off a game in which he recorded a sack and seven quarterback pressures against Philadelphia.
If Winston is constantly dealing with pressure and New York becomes one-dimensional, you’re inviting exactly the type of game you don’t want. Protect him, control the line of scrimmage and keep the offense on schedule.
This unit has shown progress. Now it has to build on it.
The Bottom Line
This doesn’t need to be complicated. Run the football, get the lead, feed Malik Nabers, get after the quarterback and protect Jameis Winston.
The Giants are 1-1 and playing an 0-2 Tennessee team at home. After everything that happened in Los Angeles, this is an opportunity to steady the season and prove that losing Jaxson Dart doesn’t mean the entire year has to fall apart with him.
I believe Winston is good enough to keep this team afloat, but the Giants cannot put everything on his shoulders. Give him a running game, give him protection, get Nabers involved and let the defense create some pressure.
Do those five things, and the Giants give themselves a very good chance to get to 2-1.
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