Paul’s Picks
One game does not a career make, but Daniel Jones was so impressive in his starting debut, he has everyone around him thinking big. Not having Saquon Barkley to hand the ball to takes away a difference-maker. Unless his defense caves in (again), Jones should find a way.
Giants 24, Redskins 17
Marquee Matchup
Redskins WR Terry McLaurin vs. Giants CB Janoris Jenkins
Normally, the Giants’ top cornerback, a proven veteran, should be in prime position to deal with a rookie target. These are not normal times for Jackrabbit. He is coming off a terrible performance, abused for 190 yards and three touchdowns by Mike Evans, and the 44-yard reception Jenkins gave up to Evans should have led to a game-winning field goal for the Buccaneers. McLaurin, a third-round pick from Ohio State, is one of the few bright spots for the Redskins. He had 16 receptions for 257 yards and is the first player in NFL history with five-plus receptions and one touchdown reception in each of the first three games of his career. He was slowed late in the week with a hamstring issue, though.
He’s the Gallman: No one replaces Saquon Barkley. The best the Giants can hope for is Wayne Gallman stays healthy and gets the yards the play is blocked to get. Anything else is a bonus. Gallman has a great football pedigree from Clemson.
“He’s always been in and out, we’ve had a lot of time with him and we’re pretty used to him and how he runs,’’ left guard Will Hernandez told The Post. “We’re not blinking.’’ Coach Pat Shurmur calls Gallman a “twitchy’’ runner. At 6-foot and 216 pounds, he is long and lean, built much differently than the tank-like Barkley.
“He’s fast to react, he hits holes quick, you think he’s going one way and boom, he’s going the other all of a sudden,’’ Hernandez said.Halfway Home: There are a great many bad things going on within the Giants’ defense, and most of them get exposed early and often, leading to massive deficits. How massive? Try 21-7, 21-7 and 28-10 at halftime thus far this season. Allowing 10 touchdowns in the first half in three games is, well, embarrassing. Why so inept at the start?
“If there was a magic pill for that answer, I would 100 percent already give it to you,’’ defensive coordinator James Bettcher said. “The truth to the matter is this, we have to call things better, we have to coach things better in the position meeting rooms and we have to execute better.’’
On the Case: If not for Case Keenum, Shurmur might not have been hired by the Giants to be their head coach. Shurmur was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota in 2017, when Keenum was forced to start 14 games in place of injured Sam Bradford. Keenum had a career year, leading the Vikings to a 13-3 record and a historic playoff victory over the Saints. The journeyman is now keeping the seat warm for rookie Dwayne Haskins and committed five turnovers in last week’s loss to the Bears.
“Case, our year we crossed paths in Minnesota, it was an outstanding year for both of us,’’ Shurmur said.
Circle the date: Landon Collins admitted months ago he had this game etched in his mind, as he returns to face the team that traded up for him in the second round of the 2015 draft. Collins was supposed to be a fixture — he was a great player in 2016 — but the new regime viewed him as a box safety, unwilling to pay him big money. The Redskins did not agree and made Collins the highest-paid safety in league history (six year, $84 million). Collins wanted to stay with the Giants and is determined to stick it to general manager Dave Gettleman.
“Any time you lose a player,’’ Redskins coach Jay Gruden said, “there is some animosity from time to time.’’