The New York Giants host the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium in Week 17. Kickoff in East Rutherford is set for 1:00 p.m. ET, and the Giants are desperate for something good to happen. With just two games left in the season, they are sitting at the bottom of the NFL with a cloud hovering over the entire organization.
In contrast, the Colts are a seven-win team that still has hopes of making the postseason. Despite the tumultuous quarterback situation, Jonathan Taylor put the Colts on his back. He’s a force to be reckoned with this season and ranks eighth among all running backs with 1,129 yards and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Giants’ run defense is ranked 31st in the NFL.
There’s not a lot of hope surrounding the Giants right now, no matter what part of the organization we’re talking about. Facing the Colts this week is no different, but every team has the same opportunity to win every week.
This week, there are six keys to the Giants getting a victory and changing their mindset.
Ignore the outside noise
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It wouldn’t be a New York team if there wasn’t outside noise, but right now there is a lot more noise than even this team is used to. Talk of Brian Daboll being fired, which happens with any team that’s only won two games. Planes with banners flying over the stadium begging John Mara to fire everyone, among other sayings. Weather permitting, there seem to be several in the works this week. The team has to block this noise out and ignore the nonsense. Focus on the game at hand. The best way to counter this negativity is with a win, and no one is winning if they aren’t focused.
Win the turnover battle
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The Giants are -10 in turnover ratio and the Colts are -2. The difference is that the Colts are actually among the league leaders in takeaways and among the league-worst in giveaways. Winning the turnover battle isn’t just about not turning the ball over or getting a takeaway, although those are huge factors. The bigger impact is what happens with those takeaways, the Giants have to make use of the turnovers they create and put points on the board.
Stop Jonathan Taylor
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Jonathan Taylor is, by far, the Colts’ best offensive weapon. He ranks eighth among all running backs, he’s difficult to bring down, and he will make you pay for every missed tackle. The Giants interior has to be ready to stop him and limit what he can do. Forcing Anthony Richardson or Joe Flacco to beat them is the best way to halt the Colts’ offensive attack. If Richardson plays, the dynamic is different than if Flacco is out there, but if the Giants can stop Taylor, it won’t matter.
Grind the clock
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The time of possession battle is always a factor in games, but this week it’s even more important. The Colts are in the bottom five in the NFL against the run, but the Giants can’t score. The less time Indy’s offense is on the field the better, which means Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary need more touches than the receivers. This is how to limit the Colts’ offensive production and reduce Jonathan Taylor’s impact.
Faster ball release
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In six games this season, Drew Lock has been sacked 12 times, thrown four interceptions, and has completed less than 53 percent of his passes. It’s not just the offensive line that’s the problem here, it’s also that Lock holds the ball entirely too long. He’s not a run-first quarterback and his scrambling ability is mediocre at best, so he has to get rid of the ball faster. The Giants cannot afford for him to take sacks or turn the ball over.
Run, run, run
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The Colts run defense ranks near the bottom of the league. Lock holds the ball too long in the pocket. Kill two birds with one stone here and let Tracy and Singletary run the hell out of the ball. This also runs the clock and contributes to winning the time of possession battle. All of the things the Giants need to do on Sunday revolve around the ground game. That has to be a big focus for them this week.
