The New York Giants are 3-1-1 heading into their Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, and they sit at the top of the NFC East.

But in spite of all of the optimism surrounding the Giants, they definitely have some areas that need to be improved.

New York's rushing attack has been subpar thus far, and its pass rush has been inconsistent. Yes, Brian Burns' absence obviously hurts, but the fact that the Giants have just eight sacks through five games — five of which came last week — is inexcusable.

With that said, here are two Giants players who must have breakthrough performances against the Saints on Sunday afternoon.

Cam Skattebo took the NFL by storm during the first half of last season, supplanting Tyrone Tracy as New York's starting running back and capturing the hearts of Giants fans everywhere with his aggressive playing style.

But through the first five weeks of 2026, Skattebo has not looked anything like the exciting bowling ball we saw a year ago.

Skattebo has rushed for 294 yards and a touchdown thus far, averaging a meager 3.6 yards per carry. What's worse, he's fumbled four times, and John Harbaugh has made it clear that changes will be coming if Skattebo doesn't turn things around.

New Orleans is allowing 148.8 rushing yards per game this season, so this matchup should represent the perfect opportunity for Skattebo to re-establish himself.

If he doesn't, Najee Harris and Tracy will both be waiting in the wings.

Remember back in 2023 when Kayvon Thibodeaux racked up 50 tackles and 11.5 sacks and appeared to be one of the top up-and-coming edge rushers in football?

How times have changed.

Thibodeaux accumulated a combined eight sacks in 22 games between 2024 and 2025, and he has just six tackles without a single sack — and just one quarterback hit — through the first five games of this year.

The 25-year-old has shown in the past that he absolutely has the talent to be a dynamic pass-rushing threat, so it's hard to identify what has happened to him.

But one thing is for sure: with Burns out for the season, Thibodeaux absolutely must step up for the Giants' front seven to have a chance.

Luckily for New York, the Saints' offensive line is not the team's strong suit, so maybe Thibodeaux can finally make a big impact here in Week 6.