1. PRIMETIME IN MIAMI
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The Giants' last victory came over a month ago in the Sunshine State, and they will try to get back on the winning track there again. After defeating the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay in Week 9, the Giants (5-7) lost three-straight games and had their bye week in between. Tonight they will take on a 5-7 Dolphins team which they defeated in their last two meetings in 2007 and 2011. The Giants are 5-2 overall against the Dolphins.
"We will win as soon as we deserve to win," coach Tom Coughlin said. "And the deserving to win part of it, obviously it comes from being able to finish on a stronger basis than we have. And as you look around, you can find a million reasons why one play has cost us games, and if that's the case, then each one of us—coaches, players—examine your own conscience, come up with those things that are necessary for us to make improvement, and let's get it done now."
2. STAYING ALIVE IN THE NFC EAST
The Giants entered Week 14 in a three-way tie with the Redskins and Eagles atop the NFC East, but they didn't get any help on Sunday as they waited and prepared for their Monday night game. Washington defeated Chicago, 24-21, and Philadelphia held off Buffalo, 23-20. Both divisional rivals are now while Dallas fell to 4-9 after a 28-7 loss to Green Bay.
3. GIANTS INJURY REPORT
Out: LB Devon Kennard (hamstring/foot).
Questionable: DE Robert Ayers Jr. (neck), LT Ereck Flowers (ankle), S Brandon Meriweather (knee).
Probable: RT Marshall Newhouse (back).
4. DOLPHINS INJURY REPORT
Out: OT Ja'Wuan James (toe), WR Rishard Matthews (ribs), TE Brandon Williams (foot).
Questionable: DT Earl Mitchell (calf).
Probable: WR Jarvis Landry (knee), OT T Branden Albert (not injury related), LS John Denney (neck), LB Jelani Jenkins (ankle), DT Jordan Phillips (shoulder), C Mike Pouncey (foot), WR Kenny Stills (ankle).
5. THE ODELL AND JARVIS SHOW
Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is known for making one-handed catches look routine, and he has Jarvis Landry to thank. The former LSU teammates would practice them in their college days by throwing wild passes at each other, upping the ante each time to make the next catch more difficult than the one before. It paid off. Now the two sophomore standouts will live out their dream of playing against each other on a primetime stage.
"It's one of those games that I've had in my mind for a long time, playing against Jarvis and being able to do this," Beckham said. "So there's nothing extra that can really be added to it, we both understand the situation. We finally get to play against each other. I don't think it adds to any extra pressure, but being able to see that "Monday Night [Football]" commercial and a guy who, in my mind, is a very underrated receiver in this league. To be able to do the things that he does and just still stay under the radar, I don't know. But it's great to finally see his talents and his skills actually being praised."
6. EX-GIANT CAMPBELL GETS HEAD-COACHING EXPERIENCE
After the Dolphins relieved Joe Philbin of his duties, tight ends coach Can Campbell was named interim head coach on Oct. 5. Campbell played tight end in the NFL for 10 years, four of which he spent with the Giants from 1999-2002. He is 4-4 since taking over in Miami.
"Well obviously it's been an unbelievable journey," Campbell said. "A lot has taken place over the last eight weeks here, nine weeks. It's been good. I would say this, I always felt like the Giants were a special organization and I was fortunate to have started there; being drafted there. The Mara family, certainly is what the Giants, for me, are what I remember most about and just a rich, historic football family. You know, it's one of those special organizations."
7. TURNING UP THE PRESSURE
Keep an eye on these five players as the Giants face Miami this Monday Night
WR RUEBEN RANDLE After falling just short of 1,000 yards last season, Randle's numbers have decreased through three quarters of the season as the fourth-year pro has just three catches since the bye week. But Randle did his best work a year ago down the stretch, racking up 329 yards in the final four weeks. Coach Tom Coughlin was asked about Randle's opportunities this season. "Well, I mean I would take full advantage of the ones that I do have before I would talk about opportunities," Coughlin said. "From day one, there's been opportunities here for everybody to fit in and be a part of—and we do need to have better balance, there's no doubt about that. Hopefully we can accomplish that going forward."
DE ROBERT AYERS JR. The Giants have six sacks in the last two games after having just nine in the previous nine outings. Ayers had the third multi-sack performance of his career with two against the Jets last week, and he'll look to add to that total against Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has been sacked 34 times this season. "We've got to make plays when we need to make plays," Ayers said. "We've got to do what we need to do. Execute the play that's called. And you know, we've just got to do that. We take one game at a time. All that stuff that happened in the past, that's irrelevant. What we do today is all we care about and that's all we're going to care about until we get the opportunity to prepare for the next team."
WR ODELL BECKHAM JR. The 2014 NFL Draft Class will be remembered for its wide receivers, and that continues to be the case for them as sophomores. Two of the most notable ones, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, are longtime friends and former teammates at LSU. Now their teams will go head-to-head as the two playmakers look to put on a show in primetime. "It's one of those games that I've had in my mind for a long time, playing against Jarvis and being able to do this," Beckham said. "So there's nothing extra that can really be added to it, we both understand the situation. We finally get to play against each other. I don't think it adds to any extra pressure, but being able to see that Monday Night commercial and a guy who, in my mind, is a very underrated receiver in this league."
RB ORLEANS DARKWA Coughlin said the only way to fix the ground game is to keep working and working. The offense hopes it clicks on Monday night against the Dolphins, who are 30th in the NFL in allowing 134.8 rushing yards per game. But the Giants can't take anything for granted. They rank 29th with 88.1 yards per game on the ground. "We have four talented guys," Orleans Darkwa said of the running back committee. "Everybody deserves the ball, everybody deserves to go out there and show what they can do, if we go series-by-series and try to get it working as much as possible. It's just that one guy that we've got to make miss. Sometimes, we haven't been able to do that as a unit and we're trying to get better at that. We see it on film, we know what's out there, so it's on us to get it done."
LS DANNY AIKEN The special teams units have come up big for the Giants this season, and that's not exclusive to return specialist Dwayne Harris. Before missing the 48-yarder wide left last week in overtime, Josh Brown set a franchise record with 29 consecutive field goals made, which was also the NFL's longest active streak. Meanwhile, Brad Wing is tied for third in the league with 26 punts inside the 20-yard line. But the operation was tweaked this week when long snapper and special teams captain Zak DeOssie, who has played 149 consecutive games since his arrival in 2007, was placed on injured reserve with a wrist injury. To fill his role, the Giants signed Danny Aiken, who played from 2011-2014 in New England. "It was great," Aiken said of his first week of practice. "Great teammates. It's great to be in here and working with such a great team and organization. I just come in each and every day and try and get better."
After having just nine sacks in the first nine outings, the Giants notched six in their last three games, including three each against the Jets and Patriots. They will look to turn up the pressure again on Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has been sacked 34 times this season, eighth-most in the NFL.
"It's all about pressure to me," cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said. "If you don't affect the quarterback, he can make every throw that all the greats can make. He definitely can do that. He's switching in and out of coordinators, so you kind of don't know what kind of game plan you're going to get. But he definitely can, if you don't disrupt him, make the throws that he needs."
8. KEEPING ELI UPRIGHT
Conversely, the Dolphins have 25 sacks in the last eight games after having just one in the first four. The leader of the front is four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who has four sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 13 tackles for loss in his first season with Miami. The Giants saw him last year in a season-opening loss to Detroit, his former team.
"I think he is kind of a technician," said center Weston Richburg, who was a rookie playing guard at the time. "He's been in long enough to know what we're trying to do to him. He's kind of able to try to put the offensive lineman in a difficult situation to try and benefit himself. So not only is he strong and fast and athletic, but I think he's a technician as well."
9. NEW SPECIAL TEAMS OPERATIONS
The field goal and punt operations were tweaked this week when long snapper and special teams captain Zak DeOssie, who has played 149 consecutive games since his arrival in 2007, was placed on injured reserve with a wrist injury. To fill his role, the Giants signed Danny Aiken, who played from 2011-2014 in New England. The special teams units have come up big for the Giants all season long. Before missing the 48-yarder wide left last week in overtime, Josh Brown set a franchise record with 29 consecutive field goals made, which was also the NFL's longest active streak. Meanwhile, Brad Wing is tied for third in the league with 26 punts inside the 20-yard line.
10. MOORE WAIVED; MAPONGA IN
On Friday, the Giants released defensive end Damontre Moore, the team's third-round draft choice in 2013. To fill the opening on the roster, they signed defensive end Stansly Maponga off the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad before traveling to Miami. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound TCU product was originally a fifth-round draft pick (153rd overall) by Atlanta in 2013. Maponga played in 24 career games with the Falcons -- 12 each in 2013 and 2014 -- before being waived by the Falcons prior to the start of the 2015 season. In his career, Maponga has recorded eight tackles and a sack, which was a for an 11-yard loss against Tampa Bay in Week 3 of last season. He also recovered two fumbles in 2014.
