The New York Giants (2-5) and New York Jets (3-3) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 8 matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Giants opened the week as 3-point home underdogs and that spread hasn’t changed as of this writing.
With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Jets Wire managing editor Billy Riccette.
Zach Wilson was thrust into a completely unexpected role this season. How has he fared in place of Aaron Rodgers?
Riccette: The maturity growth of Zach Wilson has been very evident this season. Having Aaron Rodgers around may have helped him and he also looks much more comfortable in the offense. It helps that the offense line is playing much better, though losing Alijah Vera-Tucker stings.
Dalvin Cook is obviously disgruntled. Should the Giants expect to see him receive any significant snaps on Sunday?
Robert Saleh said he believed the first few weeks for Dalvin Cook were like his preseason because he signed so late. But regardless, he hasn’t shown much explosiveness and the Jets should continue to feed Breece Hall, so I don’t expect much more work for Cook.
Analytically, Sauce Garner seems to have regressed this season. Is that an accurate assessment or do the analytics not match the actual play?
It was always going to be tough for Sauce Gardner to replicate his rookie season, which included leading the league with 20 passes defended. But there are still teams and quarterbacks that won’t always go after him (see the Cowboys in Week 2). Analytics may be down on him, but he still is playing as one of the top corners in the league.
What is one area you believe the Giants' offense will have the advantage over the Jets' defense?
The Jets have pretty much all their pieces back on defense, which is huge. But if the Giants can find their way into the red zone, the Jets have had issues on both sides of the ball in that area. They obviously will have a tough time getting there, but if they can, they can score some points.
Let's hear your prediction. How does this game play out, who wins and what's the final score?
The Giants feel so banged up, especially on the offensive line that the Jets may be able to stop the Giants’ offense just by getting to Tyrod Taylor. This may be the week Quinnen Williams gets his first full sack. Jets take this one, 24-13.
