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The New York Giants are hoping to get back into the win column following a two-game skid as they get set to host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 of the 2019 NFL season.
Although the Giants have struggled in recent weeks, the Arizona Cardinals have found a way to string together consecutive wins. It is safe to say that their success has been thanks to the emergence of quarterback Kyler Murray.
The matchup between rookie quarterbacks will undoubtedly be one of the more intriguing storylines of the week. While New York is hoping to get quarterback Daniel Jones back on the right track, their primary focus will be doing what they can to secure a victory at home.
Fortunately, there are four good reasons to be optimistic about the Giants beating the Cardinals in Week 7.
1. Saquon Is Back
To no surprise, running back Saquon Barkley managed to torch the initial timetable for his high ankle sprain and is now cleared to make his return against the Cardinals. Although he is coming off an injury, he is still expected to take on an integral role in the offense.
There is no question that Barkley's absence has been heavily felt over the last three games given their utter lack of a rushing attack When healthy, he is arguably the best running back in the NFL and is looking to solidify that notion this week.
Fortunately, he has a favorable matchup against this Cardinals defense that is allowing the seventh-most rushing yards per game (132.8).
2. Level Of Competition
While their back-to-back losses were not pretty, New York had its work cut out to begin with taking on two playoff teams in the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots with a depleted roster. While the scoreboard certainly does not do them any favors, there were still plenty of positives to take away from them given the recent rash of injuries they had to deal with.
Meanwhile, Arizona secured their consecutive wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons, who currently have a combined record of 1-10 this season. It should also be noted that they only beat them by a combined margin of four points
The level of competition each team has faced in recent weeks could be a huge determining factor in who is able to get off to a better start, commit fewer turnovers/penalties, etc.
3. Improvement On Defense
There is no doubt that this game has all the makings of a shootout given the firepower on offense for both teams. The prospect of a high-scoring affair is supplemented by the fact that these are two of the more generous defenses in the league.
The Cardinals and Giants rank near the bottom of the NFL when it comes to total yards and points per game allowed this season. However, only the latter has actually managed to show some improvement as of late.
This was especially prevalent against the Patriots by forcing Brady to play one of the worst half's he has had all season. They managed to generate plenty of pressure on Brady that resulted in an interception and a sack fumble that was returned for a touchdown.
4. Offense Is Nearly Back To Full Power
Jones' lackluster performance in recent weeks has raised some concerns, however, his struggles could be attributed to the fact that he had no supporting cast around to help. fortunately, New York will be welcoming back some much-needed reinforcements versus Arizona.
Barkley's return should serve as a stabilizing factor for Jones in the offense. Aside from having their workhorse back, the Giants are also welcoming the return of tight end Evan Engram after he missed last week's game against the Patriots with a sprained MCL.
Although wide receiver Sterling Shepard has been ruled out with a concussion, this will be the first time that Jones has had Barkley, Engram, and wide receiver Golden Tate at his disposal this season.
