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5 players to watch in Week 14 matchup vs. Packers

PLAYERS-TO-WATCH-WEEK-14

The Giants will look to extend their winning streak to three games when they take on the Packers Monday night at MetLife Stadium.

Fresh off a bye week, head coach Brian Daboll announced Tuesday that the team would be sticking with rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito for the Week 14 matchup. DeVito has helped lead the team to two consecutive victories over the Patriots and Commanders, with Monday being his fourth NFL start.

The Packers enter this matchup as one of the hottest teams in football having won three straight games, including last week's primetime win over the Chiefs and their Thanksgiving Day victory over the Lions. At 6-6, Green Bay currently holds the seventh and final spot in the NFC Playoffs and are two games ahead of the Giants.

Here are five players to watch in Monday's primetime matchup.

QB Tommy DeVito

In the back-to-back wins, DeVito completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 437 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished with a passer rating over 100 in both contests, including his performance against the Commanders that saw him earn a 137.7 passer rating. DeVito was named the Week 11 Rookie of the Week after throwing three touchdown passes.

The 25-year-old made history in those two wins. He became just the fifth undrafted rookie in the common draft era to win at least two of his first three starts. He also became the first undrafted rookie in the common draft era to record a passer rating of 100 or more in consecutive starts.

"Tommy's done a good job; he's improved in each of the games he's played," Daboll said. "I thought he played well the last two games, made good decisions, was accurate with the football and earned the right to play…

"He's played well. He's made good decisions, he's thrown the ball where he's supposed to throw the ball, he's been accurate with the ball. He had two good games, we won both games and he played well."

While their defense rests in the middle of the pack overall, Green Bay's pass defense is among the best in the league. The Packers rank 10th in passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns allowed on the season. The unit is coming off a game in which they limited Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to 21 of 33 passing (63.6 percent) for 210 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a passer rating of 79.1.

View photos of the Giants on the practice field ahead of the Week 14 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

RB Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley had just 13 total touches for 52 yards from scrimmage in the Week 12 win over the Patriots, both of which were his lowest totals of the season. Prior to that, Barkley had finished with over 110 total yards in four of his previous five games. Additionally, from Weeks 9 through 11, the talented running back averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in every game.

While Barkley caught just one pass for six yards against New England, he's actually been quite involved in the passing game this season. The 26-year-old has just two games out of nine in which he caught less than three passes. The week prior to the Patriots game, Barkley finished with four receptions for a season-high 57 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, of his five touchdowns on the season, four have come through the air.

While Green Bay's defense has excelled against the pass, the unit has struggled against the run. The Packers rank 30th in rushing yards allowed on the year, while their 4.5 yards per carry surrendered comes in at 26th. The Packers have allowed each of their last four opponents to rush for at least 140 yards while surrendering an average of 160.8 yards on the ground over that span.

WR Jalin Hyatt

The last time the Giants took the field, Jalin Hyatt put together the best performance of his young NFL career. The 22-year-old wide receiver was targeted six times against the Patriots, pulling in five of them for 109 yards, all of which represented new season-highs for the rookie. Hyatt had receptions of 22, 29 and 41 yards against the Patriots, the team's three longest plays of the day, as he became the first Giants receiver with at least three receptions of 20 or more yards since 2021. This led to him being named the Rookie of the Week.

The third-round pick entered the Week 12 matchup with 221 receiving yards on the season and increased that number by nearly 50 percent. His 330 yards ranks third on the team, while his seven receptions of 20 or more yards trails Darius Slayton by one. Meanwhile, Hyatt's three receptions of 40 or more yards is tied for the fifth-most in the NFL.

"He's quarterback friendly," quarterback Tommy DeVito said following the Week 12 win. "I mean anybody that's that fast and can make the plays that he makes is quarterback friendly, so it makes a lot easier to put those balls up for him, but he's just a special individual. Special player, route runner, whatever you want to call it and he's a confident dude. He tells me he's like 'I'm going to go get this ball for you' like if we call this, I'm going to make play. So, it takes a lot off my shoulders."

While the Packers have done a good job of limiting wide receivers this season, a couple of players have found success against them recently. Chiefs rookie wideout Rashee Rice caught eight passes for 64 yards last week, while Lions wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond combined for 14 receptions for 185 yards the week prior. However, the Packers have surrendered just eight touchdowns to wide receivers this season, which is tied for the fifth-fewest.

View photos of the MetLife Stadium field design for Week 7's Legacy Game - presented by Quest®

OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux

Kayvon Thibodeaux is in the midst of a breakout sophomore campaign. The second-year outside linebacker, who totaled four sacks in 14 games his rookie season, has amassed 11 sacks through the first 12 games, good for the ninth-most in the NFL. Thibodeaux picked up at least a half-sack in seven games this year, and has four outings with more than one sack.

Thibodeaux has recorded 33 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, which is the second-most on the team. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence leads the team with 53 total pressures, but after not participating in practice on Tuesday or Wednesday, his status for Monday night is unclear. Whether or not Lawrence is able to suit up, the Giants will need Thibodeaux to step up against the Packers. In four primetime games so far this season, Thibodeaux has registered three sacks.

The Packers have done a good job of protecting quarterback Jordan Love, as they have allowed just 24 sacks on the year, the seventh-fewest in the NFL. However, over their last six games, Green Bay has surrendered multiple sacks four times, including two games with four sacks allowed. Packers tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom have combined to give up just six sacks this year, according to PFF.

ILB Bobby Okereke

Bobby Okereke has been everything the Giants could have hoped for when they signed him back in March, and then some. The veteran linebacker picked up his second interception of the season in Week 12, returning it 55 yards to set up the Giants' touchdown. He finished the game with two passes defensed and eight total tackles (seven solo).

Okereke has done a little of everything this season. He ranks ninth in the NFL with 113 total tackles to go with his two interceptions, eight pass breakups, nine tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. Okereke's four forced fumbles are also tied for the third-most in the NFL, just one behind the league-lead. PFF has Okereke ranked as a top 10 linebacker overall this season, as well as a top 10 linebacker in coverage.

After some early season struggles in the run game, the Packers have rushed for over 100 yards in five consecutive games and seven out of their last eight. Starting running back Aaron Jones has missed the last two games due to a knee injury, but the veteran back participated in practice Thursday. Jones has just 245 yards on 66 carries (3.7 avg.) this season, while his backup, A.J. Dillon, has run the ball 149 times for 521 yards (3.5 avg.). Green Bay has also begun to give their young wide receivers a couple of carries each game, something that Okereke and the entire defense must keep an eye out for on Monday.

View rare photos of the history between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

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