The New York Giants may be riding high after their 21–18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5, but that victory came at a heavy cost, and exposed cracks that the New Orleans Saints would be foolish not to target this weekend.
Malik Nabers Out for the Season... and others#
What looked like just another tough play ended up being devastating: the Giants lost their top receiving weapon for the year.
Malik Nabers was carted off in Week 4 with a knee injury, later confirmed as a torn ACL, per ESPN.
Before going down, Nabers was leading New York in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Without him, the Giants lose both a deep threat and a reliable safety net for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
For the Saints, this changes the feel of every down, opening the door to pressure Dart into mistakes and force their unproven receivers to carry the load.
With Nabers sidelined, New York will turn to Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton as their main options, though both have battled nagging injuries. Beaux Collins could see an expanded role, according to the Giants. New Orleans can challenge routes at the line and make Dart rely on tight throws.
While Dart showed spirit in his debut and helped New York edge the Chargers, he also took six sacks and showed his inexperience under pressure.
Without Nabers as a bailout, the Saints’ front seven can dictate tempo.
Expect New Orleans to send pressure from different looks and force the rookie into hurried decisions.
But it's not just Nabers out for New York.
According to the Giants' Injury Report, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. is sidelined with a shoulder injury, leaving the backfield thinner. On the line, center John Michael Schmitz is dealing with a neck issue and Andrew Thomas continues to battle a foot injury. Defensively, Chauncey Golston and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches are both banged up, weakening the Giants’ front. Even kicker Graham Gano is dealing with a groin injury.
The Saints should see these holes as opportunities.
Establishing the run with Alvin Kamara can wear down a shorthanded New York front, and exploiting mismatches against backup defenders could tilt drives in New Orleans’ favor.
Special teams might even swing the game if the Giants struggle in the kicking department.
Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.comThe Game Plan for New Orleans #
The formula here is simple:
- Run the ball early to set the tone.
- Mix coverages and blitz packages to rattle Dart.
- Force New York’s secondary weapons to win matchups they haven’t proven they can.
- Take advantage of any special-teams miscues.
The Giants are undermanned and scrambling for answers. That doesn’t guarantee a Saints victory.
But it does mean New Orleans can enter this matchup with a clear path to control the game if they execute accordingly.