Giants vs. Bengals: Preview, prediction, what to watch for
An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Seahawks NFL Week 6 matchup at MetLife Stadium:Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson vs.Giants LT Andrew ThomasIf you are not at your best against this pass rusher, he will wreck the game.
Hendrickson has three sacks this season and in 2023 was tied for second in the league with Josh Allen in sacks with 17.5, trailing just T.J.Watt (19 sacks).
Hendrickson has seasons on his résumé with 13.5 and 14 sacks, so he does not need a roadmap to find the quarterback.Thomas got off to a slower start than usual this season — he certainly struggled against Myles Garrett in Week 3 — and is ranked as the No.21 tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus.
He is definitely better than that, and he is on the scene and paid big bucks to take care of business in battles such as this.Joe Burrow is the most prolific quarterback the Giants have faced this season, and the Bengals are averaging a robust 28 points a game.Ja’Marr Chase can be a game-breaker.Daniel Jones has played four straight clean games, and he will need another one here.
He has to get the offense in the end zone, probably at least three times.It is a tall order against a now-or-never opponent.
Bengals 30, Giants 23Pressure point: Raise your hand if you expected the Giants through five games to be leading the NFL in sacks.They have 22 sacks — two more than the Vikings.
What is remarkable is that their highly touted edge rushers, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, have contributed just four of them.Dexter Lawrence as an interior rusher has a team-high six sacks, tied for second in the league.
With eight sacks vs.the Browns and seven sacks vs, the Seahawks, the Giants are the first team since the 2006 Eagles to get seven or more sacks in two of their first five games.
The Bengals have allowed just 11 sacks, tied for the 10th-fewest in the league.It gets tougher now, though, with Thibodeaux expected to be out at least a month following wrist surgery, opening the door for Azeez Ojul...