LOCK RETURNS AS STARTING QB
The Giants endured some more turnover at the quarterback position this past Sunday. With Drew Lock limited to serving as the team's emergency third quarterback, Tommy DeVito got his second start of the season. However, DeVito suffered a concussion towards the end of the first half, which led to Tim Boyle making his Giants debut. Boyle completed 12 of 24 passes for 123 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Heading into Week 16, the Giants intend to turn back to Lock as the team's starting quarterback, head coach Brian Daboll announced to the media prior to Wednesday's practice. Lock missed last week's game due to heel and left elbow injuries, but Daboll believes the veteran quarterback "should be okay" for Sunday's game in Atlanta.
As for DeVito, the second-year signal-caller is currently in the concussion protocol. DeVito completed 10 of 13 passes for 68 yards prior to suffering the head injury, and if he is able to clear the protocol in time for this weekend's game, he will likely serve as Lock's backup.
"He's moving through the protocol," Daboll said about DeVito. "He'll do something today. I envision him being- I mean, who knows with concussions, but he'll have a chance. If he is, he'll be number two."
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Giants (2-12) visit the Atlanta Falcons (7-7) for their final contest against the NFC South on Sunday, Dec. 22 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
Sunday's game will be the 25th regular season meeting between the Giants and Falcons, with the Falcons holding a 14-11 series lead. The Giants have won three of the last five road games against the Falcons.
The Giants' most recent victory over the Falcons was on Oct. 16, 2014, when the Giants won, 30-20, at MetLife Stadium.
INJURY REPORT
Giants
Out: G Aaron Stinnie (Concussion), OLB Patrick Johnson (Knee), ILB Bobby Okereke (Back), CB Greg Stroman (Shoulder/Shin)
Questionable: CB Deonte Banks (Rib), OLB Brian Burns (Ankle/Neck), ILB Dyontae Johnson* (Ankle), C Austin Schlottmann* (Fibula), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Ankle)
*In 21-day practice window for return from Injured Reserve
Falcons
Out: WR Casey Washington (Concussion)
Questionable: OLB Lorenzo Carter (Groin), KhaDarel Hodge (Ribs)
NABERS CHASING HISTORY
Without a doubt, the performance of wide receiver Malik Nabers has been one of the bright spots of the Giants' 2024 campaign. The rookie wideout caught 10 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens last week, marking his third double-digit catch game of the season and his first since Week 4. With three games remaining on the schedule, Nabers finds himself tied with Raiders tight end Brock Bowers for the rookie lead in receptions with 90 (and in two fewer games), while his 901 receiving yards rank third among rookies.
Not only is Nabers among the top performing rookies this season, but the No. 6 overall pick is also chasing history in these final three games, in terms of both franchise and NFL history. His 90 receptions are the second-highest total by an NFL player in his first 12 career games, and is only one behind Odell Beckham Jr.'s record of 91 catches set in 2014. Nabers needs just two total receptions over the final three weeks to set a new franchise rookie record, which is currently held by Beckham and Saquon Barkley (2018).
Nabers also finds himself just 15 receptions behind Puka Nacua for the all-time NFL rookie record of 105 receptions, set last season. He could become the fourth rookie receiver in history with 100+ catches, joining Nacua, Jaylen Waddle (104 catches with Miami in 2021) and Anquan Boldin (101 with Arizona in 2003).
BURNS STEPPING UP
The Giants' defense has also been ravaged with injuries this season, especially up front. Dexter Lawrence was placed on injured reserve following the team's Week 13 matchup against the Cowboys, while Kayvon Thibodeaux had a stint on IR earlier in the year that forced him to miss five games. But one player that has been able to fight through various ailments to play every game this season has been Brian Burns.
The veteran linebacker has put together a strong campaign in his first season with the Giants. He has sacks in back-to-back games, along with five total pressures in each one. In fact, Burns ranks seventh among all defenders across the NFL in total pressures, according to Next Gen Stats. While his production has been strong, his leadership both on and off the field has left his defensive coordinator impressed.
"I wouldn't say he's our most vocal leader, by any means. But I think he's really good at kind of grabbing guys one-on-one and being in guys' ears one-on-one and addressing things that way," Shane Bowen said. "We're young. We're young. And any veteran presence you can have when you're a young defense is helpful. Whether it's outside linebacker to defensive back, outside linebacker to inside linebacker or outside linebacker to defensive line, I think it's helpful.
"The thing I'm going to say about him is he's been dealing with stuff throughout the year and he goes out there and plays. There's Wednesdays and Thursdays where we're not so sure and then he's out there Sunday flying around and putting everything on the table. That's what the NFL is. It's a 100 percent injury rate, 100 percent. Everybody's going to be banged up at some point. It's just being able to go out there and execute and play week in and week out and fight through some things that are kind of nagging throughout."
INJURIES ARE 'PART OF THE BUSINESS'
The Giants have been no strangers to injuries this season. Heading into Week 16, the Giants rank among the league leaders in players placed on injured reserve. In recent weeks, the offense has dealt with a bit of a carousel at the most important position of all. Three different players have played quarterback for the Giants over the last four games, including two different starters. The Giants have turned back to Drew Lock this week after heel and left elbow injuries forced him to miss last week's game, which in turn led to Tommy DeVito starting under center. Despite all of the injuries, assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka won't use it as an excuse for the team's offensive struggles.
"It's part of the business, it's part of football," Kafka said about all of the injuries the team has dealt with. "Really, it happens at every position, whether it's offensive line, whether it's receiver, those things happen. So, you've just got to be really prepared and making sure we're staying on top of not just the starters, but we're prepping the backups. We're prepping those guys that are kind of two, three, four down the line. It's part of our development program with getting young players that are maybe practice squad guys, getting those guys up to date and up to speed. So, that's really just part of being a coach, and it happens. It's unfortunate. You obviously don't want those type of things to happen, but when they do, you've got to work through it."
DeVito was forced out of last week's game due to a concussion, which opened the door for Tim Boyle to make his Giants debut. Boyle completed 12 of 24 passes for 123 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Ravens, with the score being the team's first touchdown pass since Week 9. With DeVito progressing through the concussion protocol, Boyle could serve as the Giants' No. 3 quarterback in Atlanta this weekend.
"Boyle did a nice job stepping in, minimal reps," Kafka told the media. "It's a tip of the cap to him for just being prepared, being ready. He was meticulous with his notes, with his studying and his prep, and I thought he did a nice job out there."
View photos of the Giants on the practice field at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
PENIX TO MAKE FIRST START
The Falcons made news Tuesday night when they announced that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was being benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta raised some eyebrows during the offseason when they selected the quarterback out of Washington with the eighth overall pick in the draft less than two months after signing Cousins to a large, multi-year contract. In 14 games this year, Cousins threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and a league-high 16 interceptions, which paved the way for head coach Raheem Morris to make the decision to turn to the rookie.
After beginning his college career at Indiana, Penix spent his final two years at Washington, where he put together his two best seasons. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound lefty threw for 4,641 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2022, before following that up with 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year. His passing yards in his final season led the nation and helped him earn a runner-up finish in the Heisman Trophy voting, along with the Maxwell Award, given annually to the nation's most outstanding player, and a selection as first-team All-American.
"He's a very productive player," Daboll said Monday about his thoughts on the young quarterback heading into this year's draft. "He could throw it in all three levels. Very accurate. Obviously, had a lot of good players around him. But I thought he really gave those guys chances down the field. Intermediate throws, threw the ball effortlessly. Was athletic. I wouldn't say they used him on a lot of runs, more of a drop-back, play-action guy. But fairly athletic enough to do a variety of things. Met with him, had a good meeting. Smart. Instinctive. I thought he had a pretty good pro day, I was at his pro day. So, I thought he was a good prospect."
While he isn't necessarily a big rushing threat, Penix is able to move around the pocket much better than the veteran quarterback at this point in his career. More importantly, the rookie excelled with throwing the deep ball at Washington. One of Penix's biggest attributes heading into the NFL Draft was his ability to accurately throw the ball down the field. With the defense struggling in this area throughout the season, the Giants will have to keep an eye out for these deep shots down the field on Sunday, especially when the Falcons use play action. While at Washington, Penix put up some of his strongest numbers when using play action, which the Falcons will likely look to replicate with the rookie quarterback.
"He can sling it," Bowen added. "I think you go back and watch the accuracy down the field, throwing the ball down the field. He puts it in places receivers can catch it. We're going to have to do a good job making sure we defend the deep part of the field because I think he's going to take his chances throwing it, launching it. But he's got a really strong arm, good accuracy and I would say, specifically, on the deep ball."
McFADDEN PLAYING AT HIGH LEVEL
With Bobby Okereke sidelined for the last two games, Micah McFadden has stepped up in a big way in the middle of the Giants' defense. One week after he racked up 11 total tackles, including a career-high five tackles for loss, the third-year linebacker finished yet again with 11 total tackles while adding his third sack of the season. McFadden played a big role in slowing down Alvin Kamara and the Saints' run game in Week 14, and while the Ravens had more success on the ground this past weekend, McFadden did help contain Derrick Henry to 67 total yards.
McFadden has gotten better each season he's been in the NFL. He recorded 101 total tackles (63 solo), 12 tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and one sack across 16 games last season. Through his first 13 games of the 2024 campaign (he missed the season opener), McFadden has already set a new career-best with 102 total tackles (57 solo) to go with eight tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and a career-high three sacks. He will have his hands full again this week with yet another elite running back on deck. Bijan Robinson had a season-high 125 yards on 22 carries in the Falcons' Monday night victory over the Raiders. Robinson has 1,102 yards on the ground through 14 games, already beating his rushing total from last year.
BELTON GETS EXTENDED LOOK
With Tyler Nubin placed on injured reserve, Dane Belton saw his second extended action of the season against the Ravens. Belton played 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps, which marked only the second time this year he's played every snap. Not only did he play a lot, but Belton was all over the field against Baltimore. The third-year safety registered a team-high 15 total tackles, nine more than he's had in any other game in his young NFL career. Belton added his first sack of the season along with a pass breakup to his final stats.
Belton will have a big opportunity to showcase what he can do over the final three games of the year. Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has not done a ton this season, but at 6-foot-6 and 246-pounds, he offers a physical mismatch against just about every safety across the NFL. Pitts caught four passes for 28 yards on Monday night, and has 40 receptions for 536 yards and three touchdowns on the season.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS DEFENSE
In two of their last three games since their Week 12 bye, the Falcons have held opponents to 17 points or less, including Monday night's game in which the Raiders scored just nine points. The strength of Atlanta's defense lies in its run defense, which ranks 13th in both yards and yards per attempt allowed. However, the unit has done a good job of keeping opposing running backs out of the end zone, as their seven rushing touchdowns allowed are tied for the second-fewest in the league.
Grady Jarrett leads the way up front, while edge rushers Matt Judon and Arnold Ebiketie have both played well. Atlanta has some talent in its secondary, as well. The Falcons have one of the top safety duos in the NFL with Jessie Bates III and Justin Simmons. Bates leads the team with his three interceptions and four forced fumbles, while Simmons isn't far behind with two interceptions.
"I think they do a really good job of getting the football out," Kafka said about Atlanta's defense. "Those safeties do a hell of a job punching at the football. I think they have multiplicity in their scheme, whether it's showing two high, getting a one high. They like to disguise up front. They've got a lot of really talented players and try to make it really difficult in the run game. So, we've got a bunch of challenges across the board that we're just going to have to really put together a good plan, and I think we have a really good plan, and we're going to go out there and practice it today."
View photos from the all-time series between the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons.
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