Tag: Chargers vs. Giants preview

5 Chargers players to watch vs. Giants

Listing five Chargers players whose performances will be pivotal in the matchup against the Giants.

The Chargers are looking to build off of last week’s victory and take out the Giants to move closer to sitting atop the AFC West once more.

To do so, there will be certain players that need to be on their A-game to help guide the team to victory in Week 14.

WR Mike Williams

The other half of the Chargers’ wide receiver duo, Keenan Allen, is out Sunday after testing positive for COVID. So Williams will now have the responsibility of handling the No. 1 role. He is coming off his third 100-yard receiving game last week against the Bengals. With Williams looking to earn a contract beyond this season, this will be an excellent opportunity to show he’s worthy of being kept around without him being in the shadow of Allen.

WR Josh Palmer

Behind Williams, Palmer and Jalen Guyton will share the volume of snaps, according to Brandon Staley. Guyton is coming off a season-high performance, but fans are eager to see what the rookie can do in an expanded role. Palmer has shown glimpses in spurts, but now he has the opportunity to put together a complete performance. He has been targeted 21 times this season, catching 15 of those balls for 168 yards and a touchdown.

EDGE Uchenna Nwosu

The Chargers got to Joe Burrow 27 times, sacking him six of those last weekend, with Nwosu leading the pack after the loss of Joey Bosa early on. Nwosu stole the show with seven pressures, two sacks, two quarterback hits, and a strip-sack that he recovered. Auditioning for a contract extension with Los Angeles or a new one with another team, this will be a good time for him to capitalize off of his last performance, facing a struggling Giants offensive line.

EDGE Chris Rumph II

Rumph benefited from the absence of Bosa, finishing with 31 defensive snaps, the most this season. Now, he is in line for more since the Chargers will be without Kyler Fackrell, who recently had a knee procedure. Against Cincinnati, Rumph finished with three pressures and his first NFL sack. This will be a great time for him to get more reps and show he can win reps off of something rather than pure effort.

S Nasir Adderley

The Chargers could potentially be without Derwin James, who is questionable with a hamstring injury. If James can’t play, Adderley will likely be tasked with taking on his responsibilities as the chess piece of the defense. Adderley has come into his own this season, playing like the guy fans were anticipating when he was drafted back in 2019.

4 Giants who pose biggest threat to Chargers

Highlighting four of the Giants’ best players.

The Los Angeles Chargers take on the New York Giants this Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Here are a few Giants players who the Bolts must hone in on to increase their chances of coming out victorious.

OT Andrew Thomas

Last season, Thomas was already being labeled as a rookie bust. A year later, he has become the Giants’ most valuable player on the offense. Given the team’s lack of offensive production, it may not say much but he’s a problem for pass rushers – allowing just 11 pressures and a sack.

S Xavier McKinney

If the Chargers want to air it out like they did last Sunday against the Bengals, they will need to be mindful of McKinney, the rangy safety, who is making a massive impact on the defense. The ball-hawk safety has five interceptions, a Pick 6, nine passes defended, and 67 tackles.

DL Leonard Williams

The Giants gave a massive contract out to Williams this past offseason, and the decision to do so has paid. Getting after quarterbacks better than most interior defenders in this league, Williams has 40 pressures, 27 hurries, seven sacks, and six hits.

EDGE Azeez Ojulari

Staying along the defensive line, the Giants possess a pass rush threat on the edge. Ojulari, New York’s first-round pick of this year’s draft, is tied with Williams for the most sacks (7), second among the team in pressures (30), and has 21 hurries.

Others noteworthy

WR Kadarius Toney

WR Kenny Golladay

EDGE Quincy Roche

DT Austin Johnson

4 bold predictions for Chargers in Week 14 vs. Giants

Laying out four bold predictions as the Chargers look to avoid the trap game against the Giants.

The Chargers are facing the Giants on Sunday, Dec. 12.

There’s always bound to be some things that occur that most people would not have forecasted.

With that being said, here are four bold predictions for Week 14’s matchup:

Josh Palmer goes for 50+ yards & touchdown

Interesting to note, Austin Ekeler said, “Keenan’s [Allen] not playing” at his media availability on Wednesday. Allen is currently on the COVID-19 list, so it’s possible that his tests could be showing positive still or he’s showing symptoms, which means that he would be ruled out this weekend. If that’s the case, Palmer would be due for more of a prominent role, likely north of his 30% offensive snaps that he’s received in each of the last five games. On 21 targets, he has caught 15 of them for 168 yards and a touchdown. Given his ability to consistently get open and catch nearly everything, I can see this being the most productive day of the season for Palmer.

Austin Ekeler scores 3 touchdowns

Ekeler has been haunted by dropped passes and fumbles as of recent, but this has the makings of a breakthrough performance. Not only could his target share benefit from Allen being out, the Giants currently are allowing the eighth-most receiving yards (576) to running backs through 13 weeks. Furthermore, the team has allowed 72 receptions to backs. Look for Ekeler to exploit New York’s zone-heavy defense.

The defense has 25+ pressures and 5+ sacks

Last Sunday, the Chargers lived in the Bengals’ backfield, finishing with 27 pressures and six sacks. Now, they’re in a great position to do the same to a Giants offensive line that has struggled this season. New York recently allowed three sacks to the Dolphins, which marked the sixth time the team allowed multiple sacks in the last seven games. In addition, 16 quarterback pressures and eight quarterback hits were surrendered.

Chargers win by three touchdowns

With first place in the AFC West in sight, I expect the Bolts to come out firing on all cylinders following their big win over the Bengals. Justin Herbert, who has 300-plus yards and at least two touchdowns in three straight games, should have his way against the Giants’ defense, even with the possibility of not having Allen at his disposal. On the other side of the ball, New York’s offense has not been efficient at all this season, and they’re slated to start Jake Fromm, who has yet to make an NFL start. Trap game? Let’s hope not. But I’m predicting the Chargers to win big before taking on the Chiefs on Thursday night.

4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 14 opponent: Giants

Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of the Week 14 matchup.

The Chargers are set to take on the Giants on Dec. 12 at 1:05 pm PT in hopes of extending their season record to 8-5.

Here are four important things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the Week 14 bout.

Who’s under center?

After sustaining a neck injury, the Giants will be without starter Daniel Jones for the second-straight week. The team could also be without his backup, Mike Glennon, who is in concussion protocol following last Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins. Therefore, New York has begun preparing second-year Jake Fromm and Brian Lewerke to start. Neither Fromm nor Lewerke has taken a regular-season snap since entering the league.

Not the same back

Saquon Barkley took the league by storm upon entering the NFL in 2018. However, since an ACL tear early into the 2020 season, Barkley has not been the same player since then. He has 84 carries for 315 yards and a pair of touchdowns and 30 catches on 40 targets for 193 yards and a score through eight games. But, whether it be due to a mental funk that he can’t shake from the injury or incompetency along the offensive line, Barkley does not pose the same threat that he once did.

Offensive line incompetency

The Giants’ offensive struggles are due to a few factors, but one of them lies in the trenches. Most recently, New York allowed three sacks to the Dolphins, which marked the sixth time in the last seven games the team allowed multiple sacks. Furthermore, the Giants gave up 16 quarterback pressures and eight quarterback hits. Coming off a performance that consisted of 27 pressures and six sacks, the Chargers could have their way upfront.

Defensive dominance

While the Giants haven’t been able to produce offensively at an efficient rate, the defense has been able to keep them in games. They have surrendered 20 or fewer points in the last six contests in all but one game (Buccaneers). In addition, New York has been a ball magnet, with 19 takeaways, which is tied for seventh in the NFL. Joe Judge, who comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, enforces a lot of nickel and dime packages to hone in on opposing quarterbacks.

Point spread, over/under for Chargers vs. Giants in Week 14

The Los Angeles Chargers open as heavy favorites over the New York Giants in Week 14.

The Los Angeles Chargers (7-5) are currently 9.5-point favorites over the New York Giants (4-8) heading into Week 14.

The over/under is set at 43.5, per Tipico Sportsbook.

The Chargers most recently picked up a win on the road over the Bengals, 41-22.

After taking a 24-0 lead, Los Angeles surrendered a 22-0 run to make it a tight game. But the Bolts were able to close things out in the fourth quarter after dominating on defense and putting up 17 unanswered points.

On the other hand, the Giants fell to the Dolphins by the score of 20-9.

Without Daniel Jones, New York struggled to produce offensively. The defense did all it could through three quarters, but a Miami touchdown in the final quarter decided the fate of the Giants.

The Chargers most recently met New York back in 2017 and won, 27-22.

Sunday’s contest will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and be televised on CBS.