The New York Giants suffered a road loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart had a rough day and has no time to recover. The Giants take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a Thursday Night Football matchup that could define their season. How Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and the defensive line play against Saquon Barkley will play a major role.
Heading into the season, New York's defense was labeled as one of the best in the NFL. Lawrence is one of the best interior defensive lineman in the league and leads a formidable front line. Despite the talent on the roster, New York is 1-4 so far this year, looking for a divisional win to get back on track.
The Giants will have home field advantage on Thursday but need contributions throughout the roster to pull off the upset. The Eagles suffered a close loss to the Denver Broncos, ending their undefeated season. Barkley and Co. have extra motivation heading into their first game against the Giants as they try to reassert themselves as the best team in the league.
Barkley has played against the Giants just once since arriving in Philadelphia last season. According to StatMuse, the running back racked up 176 rushing yards and scored a touchdown in a 28-3 win at MetLife Stadium. If he has another great game against his former team, New York has little to no chance at walking away with its second win of the season.
Despite Barkley's dominance, this year's Giants team is tailor-made to slow him down. Philadelphia's offense has gone through cold stretches already this season, opening the dor for a team to come in and upset them. If New York is going to do it, its defensive line needs to wreak havoc.
The Giants' D-Line can put pressure on Jalen Hurts early and often
Burns is in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, even though his team only has one win. The star defensive end already has five sacks on the season, putting him right next to the NFL's elite pass rushers. That ability becomes even more important on Thursday night against Hurts. If Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux can live in the quarterback's lap, the Giants stand a chance.
Throughout Philadelphia's loss against Denver, the Broncos' pass rush got to Hurts and made him rush throws down the field. The Eagles quarterback finished the game 23-for-38, a subpar completion percentage for an NFL quarterback. He finished with 280 yards and two touchdowns, but the Eagles' offense struggled to move the ball down the field with any consistency.
For Lawrence and New York's defensive line, it all starts with getting to Hurts on passing downs. The Eagles' offense has become one-dimensional multiple times this season, much to the chagrin of AJ Brown. If the Giants can disrupt Philadelphia's passing game, it gives them a better chance at keeping pace on the scoreboard. However, Barkley looms large as the primary threat.
Dexter Lawrence will be instrumental on the line of scrimmage
When looking at the Giants' roster before Week 1, Lawrence was easily the team's best player. He is a force in the middle of the defensive line and can single-handedly wreck a game. When it comes to stopping the run, few players are better than him. Lawrence even has one of the season's more wild interceptions under his belt. Thursday could come down to him and Barkley.
Philadelphia prides itself on its running game. Hurts and Barkley are one of the league's best QB-RB duos on the ground. That combined with one of the NFL's top offensive lines gives the Eagles a massive advantage. Philadelphia has received a lot of backlash for the “Tush Push” this season, but that has not stopped Hurts from using it to score touchdowns and get first downs.
Lawrence will be front and center on Thursday night. The Giants' leader has already talked to the team's fans about supporting the team, but he will try to give them something to cheer about on Thursday night. If he can put a stop to Barkley's dominance in the running game, New York's pass rushers can tee off on obvious passing downs, setting the stage for success.
The Giants' defensive line is the strength of the team. If they have a great night, New York can pull off a massive upset over Philadelphia. If not, Barkley could run rampant and the game could get out of hand within the first quarter. Regardless of what happens, Lawrence and Co. will have a big say on who walks away with the win on Thursday night.
