After the way they performed in their Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants will hope to rebound in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.
With many expecting Arizona to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, the Giants will have to be careful not to look ahead to their short turnaround in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football.
Buy Giants TicketsHere are four reasons for optimism ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Cardinals.
An easier opponent in the trenches
Certainly, anyone who watched the Giants’ Week 1 performance should be concerned about New York’s offensive line moving forward.
The Giants also did not show much on the defensive line, either. At least not in terms of pass rush.
Additionally, injuries to Andrew Thomas and Azeez Ojulari should be a concern for both sides of the trenches moving forward.
However, the Cardinals simply do not stack up to the threat the Cowboys present on either side of the ball in the trenches. Ideally, this will be a ‘get right’ game for the Giants and the opportunity is there to win the battle of the trenches.
Lack of a rushing threat
Last year, the defense struggled mightily against the run. The Giants addressed that by adding depth on the defensive line.
The Cardinals rushed for just 96 yards in Week 1 and their rushing attack took a significant hit prior to the season with Kyler Murray sidelined until at least Week 5.
With Murray out and no big-name receiving threats on the Arizona offense, the Giants should be able to limit the Arizona rushing attack.
Isaiah Simmons
In Week 2, Isaiah Simmons’ role is expected to increase against his former team. His speed is something that can help the Giants this year and a big reason why they acquired him before the season.
With Simmons’ familiarity with the Cardinals system, he may be able to help Wink Martindale in Week 2. Additionally, it’s possible that Simmons has some extra motivation going against his former team.
Daniel Jones coming off of a loss
The Giants are hoping to turn Week 2 into a rebound game for themselves. Big Blue will be looking to avoid the dreaded 0-2 record with some hard games coming up on their schedule.
Luckily, Daniel Jones has been great coming off a loss in recent memory.
Jones is 7-1-1 in such games with a 9-0 pass touchdown to interception-rate.
Daniel Jones in last 9 games following a loss:
W-L: 7-1-1
Comp Pct: 69.8
Pass TD-INT: 9-0
Passer Rating: 100.5
Rush TD: 4— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) September 14, 2023
Between the rebound game being one of the strengths of Jones and the opponent the Giants are playing, there is an opportunity for a bounce-back game.
