The New York Giants will host the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night in Week 6, looking to carry some of the momentum generated in an upset of the Seattle Seahawks a week ago.
Despite the Giants being home under the bright lights against a 1-4 Bengals team, New York opened as 3.5-point home underdogs ahead of Sunday Night Football.
With the Giants hoping to get back to .500 in Week 6, here are four causes for concern.
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Bengals’ passing game
The Bengals have two premier talents at the wide receiver position in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and a heck of a quarterback in Joe Burrow throwing their way.
After an impressive rookie year, Deonte Banks has had a rough start to his sophomore campaign. He did, however, have a great game last week.
Banks has already had to deal with Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and DK Metcalf. The road does not get any easier with Chase on the horizon.
Shane Bowen’s defense will have to figure out ways to throw off the Bengals’ passing game. It may have to come to the Giants pass rush, which leads the league in sacks.
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Giants’ pass rush short-handed
The Giants pass rush took a hit on Wednesday when news broke that edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux would be week-to-week following wrist surgery.
Although Thibodeaux isn’t the most important piece on the defensive line, his presence has certainly been felt this season. He may not show up on the stat sheet as much as he or the fans would like. However, he has been making big plays occasionally and drawing penalties as well.
Without Thibodeaux, the Giants’ strength on the defense certainly took a hit and they will have to find a way to continue getting pressure on the quarterback.
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Bengals desperate for a win
Cincinnati is a team that came into the season with much higher expectations than the Giants. Quite simply, the Bengals’ backs are against the wall. They need a win in the worst way with the division and their season slipping away one game at a time. If they have any chance at turning the season around, they will have to win Sunday and avoid dropping to 1-5.
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Giants in primetime
We all know how bad Daniel Jones and the Giants have been in primetime. They will have to prove their doubters wrong and put an end to the ugly streak. A statement win against a Joe Burrow-led Bengals team could go a long way in quieting the talks about the Giants’ lack of success in primetime games.
