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Storylines to follow in Giants vs. Colts

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For the final time during the 2024 season, the Giants will take the field at MetLife Stadium Sunday as they face off against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts exploded for 38 points this past week, and despite a late comeback attempt by the Tennessee Titans, the Colts were able to hold on for a 38-30 victory. Meanwhile, the Giants traveled to Atlanta where they fell to the Falcons, 34-7, marking their 10th consecutive loss.

Indianapolis is currently hanging on to its playoff hopes as the Colts sit two games behind both the Chargers and Broncos for the final two AFC Wild Card spots with two games remaining.

The Giants will wrap up their season with a divisional matchup against the Eagles next week in Philadelphia.

Here are five storylines to follow in Week 17.

Lock 'should be ok'

Since coming out of the Week 11 bye, the Giants have not had much consistency at the quarterback position. Due to various injuries, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle have all taken snaps over the last five games, with Lock getting three starts and DeVito getting two. After missing the Week 15 game against the Baltimore Ravens due to heel and left elbow injuries, Lock returned to game action this past Sunday against the Falcons.

The veteran quarterback got an MRI on Monday due to a shoulder ailment suffered during the game, but coach Brian Daboll told the media Tuesday that Lock "should be ok" for this weekend's game against the Colts. Having the same quarterback under center for consecutive games was a factor in naming Lock the starter for Week 17.

"Try to get two weeks of the same cadence, same play caller in the huddle and we'll go with Drew (Lock)," Daboll told the media.

Lock completed 22 of 39 passes (56.4 percent) for 210 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in last week's loss to the Falcons. After running for over 55 yards in each of his previous two starts, the veteran signal-caller gained just one yard on the ground on one attempt. DeVito will serve as Lock's backup against the Colts, according to the head coach.

Phillips 'has a lot of upside'

A lot has been made about the Giants' 2024 rookie class. Malik Nabers finds himself nearing a spot in both the NFL and the Giants' all-time record books, while Tyrone Tracy Jr. is nearing 1,000 yards of total offense. But one rookie that has seemingly not gotten a ton of attention this season is cornerback Dru Phillips.

The rookie third-round pick has played 12 games with six starts this season, totaling 61 tackles (38 solo), one sack, seven tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and two forced fumbles. Heading into Week 17, Phillips finds himself among Pro Football Focus' top cornerbacks this season, due in part to his strong play in the run game. Phillips returned to the field this past Sunday after missing the previous two games and finished with six tackles, including one tackle for loss. The slot corner has made a strong impression on the coaching staff in his first NFL season.

"He's done a nice job for us," Daboll said. "He's a physical player, I think he's shown that. Where he plays in particular, he's part of a lot of run fits. He's an aggressive tackler and continues to improve. He's young player that definitely has a lot of upside and will continue to develop."

Daboll added, "He's a good football player. Again, I think a lot of those guys that we drafted this past year have really done a nice job of performing when they've had opportunities to. So, he'll be a good young player to continue to develop. Create turnovers, knock the ball out, intercept the pass, those are all things that you need to do to be an elite defensive back."

Trying to slow down Richardson, Taylor

It's been an up-and-down season for the Indianapolis Colts, as their 7-8 record leaves them two games out from a playoff spot with two games remaining. However, Shane Steichen's team is coming off perhaps its strongest offensive performance of the year in last week's 38-30 victory over the Titans, with the run game playing a significant role in the unit scoring its highest point total of 2024.

Running back Jonathan Taylor put together one of his best games of his NFL career last week. The veteran running back carried the ball 29 times for a whopping 218 yards, good for an average of 7.5 yards per carry, and found the end zone three times.

"He's an explosive player," Daboll said about Taylor. "He's big, he's strong, he's fast. They rushed for over 300 yards last game against Tennessee, but he had two of them that went for 140 (yards). He's a very good player. One of the better backs in the league and we've seen (Alvin) Kamara and (Derrick) Henry and Bijan (Robinson) last week. The hits keep coming."

Taylor wasn't the only Colt to enjoy success on the ground. Quarterback Anthony Richardson added 70 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries (7.8 avg.) while also throwing for 131 yards and an additional score (along with one interception). As the Titans saw last week, Richardson can hurt you both through the air and on the ground, something the Giants' defense will have to look out for on Sunday.

"I'd say he's an explosive player, explosive athlete," said Daboll. "He has a cannon for an arm, can throw it a far way. They're doing a nice job… Obviously, he runs the ball. But he's plenty talented enough to throw it where he needs to throw it. Anytime you have a young quarterback, you continue to develop him. It's not going to be perfect, for most of the quarterbacks that get drafted right out the gate. I think he's done a nice job. He's got all the skill set in the world. Again, he's a dual threat player and he can affect any part of the field. Whether it's with his legs or throwing it however far he needs to throw it."

Scouting the Colts defense

The Colts jumped out to a 38-7 lead in the second half of their Week 16 win, but a furious, late comeback by the Titans saw Tennessee score 23 unanswered points to make it a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter. Despite allowing the large lead to slip away last week, the Colts' defense has shown some flashes this season.

Led by defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, the Colts rank 23rd in points and 29th in yards allowed on the year. A lot of that production came in the run game, as they rank 28th in rushing yards allowed on the year. Despite allowing some big plays throughout the season, Bradley's unit has found a tendency to get after the football. The Colts' 24 defensive takeaways are tied with the Broncos for the sixth-most in the league, aided in large part by their 15 interceptions, which are tied for the fourth-most.

"Coach Bradley, he's done it for a long time," Daboll said about the opposing defensive coordinator. "Gus has been in this league for a long time. They got two really good interior players, and they have a good team defensive scheme. They play their certain style that they'd like to play with. Every team in the league is a good football team. They got a lot of good players. They got good coaches.

"They did a heck of a job, I know it ended up being 38-30 against Tennessee, but they really started out the game really strong. It was 38-7 with three minutes left in the third quarter going into the fourth. So, I think Shane (Steichen) has done a nice job. So has Gus."

The unit features talented players at all three levels. Defensive ends Kwity Paye (seven sacks) and rookie Laiatu Latu (four sacks) help get pressure off the edge, while interior defensive linemen DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart have combined for 10 sacks. Meanwhile, linebacker Zaire Franklin leads the NFL with 151 total tackles to go with his two interceptions, three forced fumbles, five passes defensed and 2.5 sacks. In the secondary, safety Nick Cross and slot cornerback Kenny Moore are tied for the team-lead with three interceptions apiece. Cornerback Jaylon Jones leads the unit with 12 passes defensed.

Injury & roster updates

With Christmas landing on a Wednesday, the Giants altered their practice schedule this week. The team took the practice field a day earlier than normal due to the holiday, which could have played a role in some players not participating in the first practice session of the week.

Daboll said the following players did not practice on Tuesday: inside linebacker Micah McFadden, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., wide receiver Malik Nabers, center John Michael Schmitz, cornerback Greg Stroman, safety Raheem Layne, defensive lineman Cory Durden, and cornerback Dru Phillips.

The head coach mentioned on Monday that both Tracy and Schmitz aggravated previous ankle injuries during Sunday's loss in Atlanta.

As for all of these players' statuses for Sunday, Daboll told the media we'll have to see how the week goes. "It's still early in the week," he said.

The Giants made some roster moves this week, as well, starting with the addition of offensive tackle Ricky Lee to the practice squad on Monday.

The following day, defensive lineman Armon Watts was designated for return from injured reserve and returned to practice. Watts was placed on injured reserve prior to the Thanksgiving matchup against the Cowboys due to a shoulder injury.

Additionally, inside linebacker Dyontae Johnson was activated from IR on Tuesday. Johnson has spent the entire season on injured reserve after hurting his ankle during the preseason opener. With Bobby Okereke now on IR and McFadden dealing with a neck injury himself, Johnson could see some action this Sunday against the Colts.

In a corresponding move, the Giants waived defensive lineman Casey Rogers.

View photos of the all-time series between the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts.

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