The New York Giants might have started the season 0-2 once again, but their situation isn’t as dire as their record suggests. Their Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys showed that they have the tools to, at the very least, get into a shootout with some teams.
Now, the Giants are heading into what is essentially a do-or-die game in Week 3. To make matters worse for them, they’re facing off against the former Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Going 0-3 to start the season is a death sentence for most teams, as it all but guarantees that you’ll miss the playoffs, or at least have a much tougher time getting there.
That being said, the Chiefs aren’t the same indestructible team that they once were during their heyday. They are 0-2 this season as well, and it’s not just due to fluke losses or unfortunate events. No, the Chiefs have clear weaknesses that the Giants can exploit, and they do have the personnel to do just that.
Biggest matchup Giants must exploit in Week 3: Chiefs’ offensive line
There are two areas of concern for the Chiefs this season. The first issue they have is that their blitz-heavy defense isn’t reaping the rewards it usually does in previous seasons. They have one of the lowest pressure rates in the league through two games, despite blitzing more than most teams in the NFL. That naturally leads to more opportunities for opposing offenses to attack the gaps left by the blitz.
However, the Giants are more likely to struggle against this blitz-heavy defense. Their offensive line has struggled through two games. New York’s offensive line allows pressure to come in 3.24 seconds, the third-worst mark in the league. That number will only get worse against a team that loves to send more than four people to rush the quarterback.
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That leaves the Chiefs’ offensive line as the only other pressure point that the Giants can attack. Kansas City made a concerted effort to improve its offensive line this offseason, but it has led to middling to no success this season. Their rushing attack is one of the worst in the league, thanks in large part to the line’s inability to produce holes for their running backs to attack.
In the passing game, the Chiefs’ offensive line has been much better. That being said, they’re still allowing a 17.7% quick pressure rate, which is 24th in the league. There’s also the fact that the Chiefs’ offensive line is one of the most penalized in the NFL this year, having been called for four false starts and four offensive holdings in just two games, according to NFLpenalties.com.
Center Creed Humphrey continues to be one of the best in the league. However, his guards and tackles have been hit-or-miss. RT Jawaan Taylor, in particular, has been under scrutiny this season. Taylor’s responsible for two false starts and three holding calls this season. That lines up well with one of the Giants’ best strengths this season: their edge rushers.
Pass rusher Brian Burns lines up primarily from the left edge, where he’ll go up against rookie Josh Simmons. Simmons has been one of the best pass protectors this season, but Burns was quietly one of the best pass rushers last season. His 23% pass rush win rate was the fourth-best in the league last year. This will be Simmons’ first true test as a pass blocker.
On the other side of the line, Taylor will line up against two young pass rushers in Kayvon Thibodeau and Abdul Carter. Thibodeau had a 17% win rate last season (16th in the NFL), while Carter has been excellent in his first two games, posting a 73.6 pass rush grade per PF
That’s not even talking about the big man in the middle, Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence’s presence on the line has opened up countless opportunities, as the star nose tackle attracts so much attention. When he inevitably draws double teams during the game, that opens up opportunities for the Giants’ edge rushers to dominate against the Chiefs’ tackles.
The Giants are the underdogs in this game, but they have a fighting chance of winning against the Chiefs. To do that, though, they have to win at the one position where they have a virtual advantage. Getting after Patrick Mahomes will be the key to their success in Week 3. If they do that… perhaps we can see the Chiefs start the season with three straight losses.
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