The New York Giants host the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday afternoon in a meeting of two surprising 2-1 teams.
Here are some storylines we will be following during the Week 4 game.
Remnants of Ian
Hurricane Ian, which belted Florida and several other southern states this week, is still making its way north and could have an effect on the playing conditions this weekend.
The forecast is calling for a 65 percent chance of rain with 15-20 MPH winds. For two teams struggling to throw the football, these are less than ideal conditions.
Legacy week
Sunday will be the first of two ‘legacy’ games where the Giants will wear their classic blue uniforms from the ‘80s and ‘90s. The theme also “includes throwback MetLife Stadium branding and activations, a gameday collector’s series pennant giveaway, a retail collaboration with Starter, and much more.”
The classic uniform, which the team wore from 1980-99, starts at the top with the return of the navy helmet, providing a base for the white facemask, solid scarlet red stripe, classic numbers, side decals, and a raised wordmark – all reminiscent of the ‘80s and ‘90s style. Meanwhile, the red and blue trim on the jerseys and pants are all done in a color palette from that era.
The Giants also accented the inside of the collar with the timeless words of late owner Wellington Mara: “Once a Giant, Always a Giant.”
Stage is set for Legacy Game 👀 pic.twitter.com/w35MIWfPnx
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 30, 2022
Giants are down some key players again
The Giants can never field an entirely healthy roster and this season is no different. They have five players listed as out this week: defensive lineman Leonard Williams (knee), cornerbacks Cor’Dale Flott (calf) and Nick McCloud (hamstring), and wide receivers Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Wan’Dale Robinson (knee).
Linebacker Jihad Ward (knee) and cornerbacks Aaron Robinson (appendix) and Justin Layne (concussion) participated fully in practice and should all be cleared for Sunday.
Who will step up in the passing game?
The already thin wide receiver ranks got even thinner when Sterling Shepard blew out his knee last Monday night and will miss the remainder of the season. He was the Giants’ leader in targets the first three weeks.
Head coach Brian Daboll said the solutions would likely have to come from within. That means the group of Richie James, David Sills, Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton are going to have to step up their game this week and beyond.
Run and stop the run
The Giants have been running the football with success behind Saquon Barkley this season. They are fourth in the NFL in rushing with a 169.3 YPG average. They face the Bears’ 30th ranked run defense this week.
The Bears are actually running the ball better this year than the Giants are. They are second in the league with a 187.6 YPG average. They face the Giants’ 25th ranked run defense in this game.
Two key elements to keep in mind is the Giants will be playing without Leonard Williams again, while the Bears will be relying solely on Khalil Herbert this week as David Montgomery is out with knee and ankle issues.
