*10 things to watch for the Giants take on the Bengasls on Monday Night Football: *
1. NO HELP ON SUNDAY: With the extra day, the Giants (5-3) didn't get any help on Sunday as all three of their NFC East rivals came out victorious. First-place Dallas (8-1) pulled out a 35-30 victory over Pittsburgh; Washington (5-3-1), the reigning division champion, defeated Minnesota, 26-20; and Philadelphia (5-4), which fell to the Giants last week, handed Atlanta a 24-15 loss. With a win on Monday night, the Giants will hold onto second place while the NFC East is back to being the only division in football with all four teams above .500.
"We don't look at things from a big picture standpoint as far as this is what we need to do to get here or be seeded here or there," coach Ben McAdoo said. "November is about jockeying for position one game at a time. You have to focus on your preparation and find a way to get better each and every week and get a win."
2. HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE: Monday night will be the ninth meeting between Big Blue and the Cincinnati Bengals (3-4-1), and each time the home team has won. The Giants' last victory was on Sept. 21, 2008, when John Carney kicked a 22-yard field goal in overtime for a 23-20 victory over Cincinnati. The Bengals defeated the Giants, 31-18, in their last time out. Meanwhile, the Giants are in the middle of a three-game homestand at MetLife Stadium. They defeated the Eagles, 28-23, in the first leg and finish with the Bears (2-7) before hitting the road again in Week 12.
Keep an eye on these five players as the Giants face the Bengals on Monday
CB JANORIS JENKINSThe veteran cornerback's next challenge is Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, who leads the NFL with 112 receiving yards per game. The competition between the two goes all the way back to their college days in the SEC when Jenkins played at Florida and Green at Georgia.
LB KEENAN ROBINSONSince signing with the Giants this offseason, Robinson has quietly become a force on the defense. He is third on the team in tackles (68) and has five passes defensed, the most among Giants linebackers.
SAFETY LANDON COLLINSCollins, who is the only player in the NFL currently leading his team in tackles (69), sacks (three) and interceptions (three), this week became the first safety to win player of the week awards in consecutive games since Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu in 2010.
RB PAUL PERKINSThe rookie running back saw his touches increase after the bye week, as he split carries evenly with veteran Rashad Jennings against the Eagles. The fifth-round draft choice from UCLA also had three receptions out of the backfield.
OL BRETT JONESAfter left guard Justin Pugh went down with a sprained knee last week, Jones came in and played 50 snaps, the most he's had since the 2014 Grey Cup when he played for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders. Now the Canadian will be going up against the likes of Cincinnati's perennial Pro Bowler Geno Atkins.
3. GIANTS INJURY REPORT: Out: LG Justin Pugh (knee)
Questionable: S Andrew Adams (shoulder), LB Jonathan Casillas (calf), WR Victor Cruz (ankle), DE Kerry Wynn (concussion)
4. BENGALS INJURY REPORT: Out: LB Rey Maualuga (fibula)
Questionable: DE Michael Johnson (calf), WR James Wright (hamstring)
5. GROWING CONTRIBUTIONS: Before the bye week, the coaching staff alluded to some personnel changes coming out of the break, and we saw that come to fruition in the first game back. On offense, carries were split evenly between rookie running back Paul Perkins and veteran Rashad Jennings. Larry Donnell, the previous starter at tight end, took zero offensive snaps, while Will Tye was targeted seven times. Rookie sixth-round pick Jerell Adams also had three receptions. Undrafted rookie wide receiver Roger Lewis, who has two touchdowns on three career catches, also saw more work, especially after Cruz injured his ankle.
On defense, undrafted rookie Andrew Adams solidified a role opposite Landon Collins with Darian Thompson now on injured reserve and Nat Berhe just returning from a concussion. Additionally, third-year linebacker Devon Kennard, who normally lines up on the strong side, got some work inside.
6. OBJ VS. AJ: ESPN's cameras will be glued to wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and A.J. Green on Monday night. Beckham, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, just became the sixth player in NFL history to record at least 30 touchdown catches in his first 35 career games. Meanwhile, Green, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of his five seasons, leads the NFL this year with 112 receiving yards per game. But the real matchup is cornerback Janoris Jenkins vs. the Bengals' star wide receiver. Jenkins has played as advertised since coming over as a big-ticket free agent this offseason and has gone up against the opponent's biggest threats throughout the year.
7. THE EIFERT EFFECT: As a former tight ends coach, McAdoo knows the matchup problems that Cincinnati's Tyler Eifert presents in Week 10. In his second game back from back and ankle injuries, Eifert had nine receptions for 102 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, in the 27-27 tie with the Redskins in London. The 2013 first-round draft choice out of Notre Dame missed the first six weeks of his follow-up to a Pro Bowl campaign that included 13 touchdowns in 13 games, the most by any tight end last season.
8. COLLINS COMING ON: Landon Collins became the first safety to win player of the week awards in consecutive games since Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu in 2010. The second-year pro is currently the only player in the NFL who leads his team in tackles (69), sacks (three) and interceptions (three). As a team, the Giants have six interceptions in the last two games after having just two in the first six weeks.
9. TALE OF THE TAPE: In their last time out, the Bengals played to a 27-27 draw with the Redskins in London. They are third in the AFC North with wins over the Jets, Dolphins and Browns. Their four losses were to teams with a combined record of 26-11: Patriots (7-2), Cowboys (8-1), Broncos (7-3) and Steelers (4-5). Offensively, Cincinnati is sixth in total yards per game (395.4), fourth in passing (275.1), seventh in rushing (120.3), and tied for 21st in scoring (20.9 points per game). Defensively, the Bengals are 25th in yards (378.5), 21st against the pass (262.4), 23rd against the run (116.1), and tied for 19th in points allowed (23.6).
10. LEGENDS WATCHING: Giants legends Tom Coughlin, Ernie Accorsi and Justin Tuck will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor during a ceremony at halftime. With their inclusion, 42 people have now received the franchise's highest honor. Accorsi will be the Ring of Honor's second general manager (George Young), Coughlin its fourth head coach (Steve Owen, Jim Lee Howell and Bill Parcells), and Tuck its fifth defensive end (Andy Robustelli, George Martin, Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora).
