Giants vs. Broncos Week 7 Preview and Prediction
Thursday night was probably the best night for Giants fans since maybe November 23rd, 2014, when Odell made the catch heard round the world against Dallas. Dominating the Eagles on prime time was almost an out-of-body experience. Putting aside Philadelphia’s issues, it was the offense against the Eagles' defense that stole the show.
What do they get as a reward? Oh, just the number one defense in terms of EPA per play, the Denver Broncos. Denver has the best pass rush in the league, led by Nik Bonnito. The group recorded nine sacks last week against the Jets and has 30 on the season. So what can the Giants do to combat that elite pressure creation and get another surprising win on Sunday afternoon in Denver?
Keys to the Game
1. Get After Bo Nix
Bonnito may lead the league in sacks, but Brian Burns is right behind him in third place with seven on the year. Abdul Carter has also looked great in the past few weeks, moving into the top 15 in total pressures despite only having one sack on the season. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Kayvon Thibodeaux has been playing the best football of his career.
Garrett Boles has been playing very well this year. If the Giants can get after Bo Nix and make him uncomfortable, maybe Bo “Pix” will make an appearance. As the Giants saw against the Saints, turnovers can completely turn the tide of any game.
2. Jaxson Dart’s Legs and Tight End Takeover
Jaxson Dart had another strong game running the ball on Thursday, including the opening touchdown and 58 yards overall. Against such an aggressive downhill team, the Giants may need to lean on him again to get some momentum in the run game.
The Broncos' main weakness on defense has been their linebackers. In their two losses, they’ve given up big receiving games to both tight ends and running backs, including 79 yards to Tyler Warren and a combined 106 yards between Oronde Gadsden and Omarion Hampton against the Chargers.
This week, it’ll be up to another young tight end and rookie running back duo to take advantage of the Broncos’ deficiencies at linebacker while they await Dre Greenlaw’s eventual return. If Dart can steal some gaps in the run game, and Daboll gets creative with the use of Theo Johnson and Cam Skattebo in the passing game, they can hopefully keep the offense on schedule.
Game Prediction
The Giants are riding high off a huge rivalry win against the Eagles, but I don’t think going to Denver to face that defense is a recipe for continued success. I do believe Dart and Skattebo make some splash plays, but ultimately, the lack of a true receiving threat without Malik Nabers actually bites the Giants this week. I hate to kill the vibe, but I picked against New York last week, too, and I’ll happily be wrong again.
Broncos 24, Giants 19