With each passing week, the games become more and more “must-win” for the Cincinnati Bengals. They travel to face a surprising Giants team, who, while only 2-3, are still ahead of many preseason prognostications.
They clash on primetime on Sunday night, with the visiting team hoping for a win to spark a streak. It won’t be overly easy, though, as the Giants are playing scrappy football right now.
We tapped the knowledge of Ed Valentine to give us the scoop on the Giants and what may be in store on Sunday night.
1.) AC: Broad question, but help me grasp this year’s Giants team. Most thought they’d be a dumpster fire going into this season, but they’ve shown some fight, getting respectable wins against the Browns and Seahawks, respectively. What’s going right? What’s going wrong? What’s the overall outlook for the rest of 2024?
EV: I think we will know more about the answer to the main part of this question after Sunday night. It is clear, at least to me, that they are not a dumpster fire. They are giving off 2022 vibes when they were a surprising 9-7-1 and won a playoff game — at least they did in defeating the Seahawks last week. They are playing efficiently on offense, and Daniel Jones looks comfortable. The offensive line has been much better. Defensively, they are creating pressure on the quarterback. What’s wrong right now is that Malik Nabers may miss a second straight game with a concussion, and the young secondary played well against Seattle, but it is still a question.
2.) AC: While the defensive line and edge defenders of the Giants are tremendous, it would appear that there are vulnerabilities in the secondary. Is that a fair assessment, or are they playing better than advertised?
EV: As I indicated above, it is a fair assessment. Though I think there is potential for the young secondary. Tae Banks, a 2023 first-round pick, is coming off what I think was the best game of his career against Seattle. Cor’Dale Flott has been pretty good. Rookie slot Dru Phillips is a good player. The safeties, Jason Pinnock and rookie second-round pick Tyler Nubin, have been solid. The Giants need some game-changing plays from that group.
3.) AC: A little more specifically to spin off of No. 1, tell me about what you’ve seen from Daniel Jones and the running back group. Devin Singletary was limited on Wednesday…
EV: Daniel Jones has played efficient, pretty decisive football after a terrible Week 1. It helps that he has had Malik Nabers, and that the offensive line looks like the best group the Giants have had in a long time. He’s been comfortable, and is playing with confidence.
The 2022 season was the best of his career, and I’d say that’s the version of Jones we have seen the last four weeks. He’s not going to put up Joe Burrow numbers, but he’s been making good decisions, not turning the ball over, and moving the offense down the field.
Singletary (groin) missed last week, and rookie fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy picked up the slack with an 18-carry, 129-yard day. My $.02 is that maybe sooner rather than later, Tracy is going to get the majority of the carries, even when Singletary is fully healthy.
4.) AC: Which Giants player has played better than expected this year and give me one who has seen an unexpected dip?
EV: It is hard to say ‘better than expected,’ but you would be hard-pressed to convince me that there are seven more dominant defensive front players in the NFL than Dexter Lawrence. He is 360 pounds of fury, and I don’t think there is a player in the league who can consistently block him 1-on-1. And Lawrence will tell you about it, too.
As for an unexpected dip, Giants fans are struggling to understand why 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt, a speedy wide receiver, has only three targets and no catches through five games. I keep trying to hammer home the message that it’s mostly because Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Darius Slayton are simply better players right now.
5.) AC: What is the Giants’ path to victory in this one, and how do you see it playing out?
EV: The path to victory? Take advantage of the Cincinnati defense. Be efficient in the red zone. Get a couple of turnovers from the Cincinnati offense. I’m picking the Giants to win, but my staff is split on that and I would say I recognize that there is a reason the Bengals are favored. The Giants have historically played poorly in prime time, and that might happen again. I just feel like the Giants might be in a spot to take a step forward here.