The New York Giants host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It's been a tumultuous week for the Giants with lots of chatter about the decision to bench (and subsequently release) Daniel Jones in favor of Tommy DeVito, not Drew Lock. The players aren't happy about how it was handled and the disconnect between Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen, and the locker room grows wider by the minute.
The Bucs are in a different kind of desperation mode, and that is to win games so they can make a postseason run. At 4-6, they sit second in the NFC South and, if they win, can still mathematically make the playoffs.
Both teams are coming off of a bye, but the Giants have a tough hurdle in front of them, and not just on the field. There are six keys to them getting a win over the Bucs in Week 12.
Ignore the chatter
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In the New York market, there's always chatter the players often have to tune it out. This week, though, there has been a lot of chatter. Direct jabs at Daniel Jones as if he's entirely to blame for the Giants' failed season. It's not easy to ignore all of that chatter, especially for guys who genuinely like Jones as a person. He is a human after all, and so are they. If they can't ignore the talk, then they've got to play with a chip on their shoulders this weekend and overcome that anger before it destroys them the rest of the way.
Make Baker Mayfield play
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Baker Mayfield has the potential to be an elite quarterback, but he needs the stronger skill players around him to get the job done. This season, Mayfield has taken 24 sacks, thrown nine interceptions, and fumbled the ball twice. Tight end Cade Otton is his top target (70) but that's mostly because Chris Godwin (62) is on injured reserve. Take that target away and force Mayfield to make uncomfortable decisions.
Let Tommy DeVito shine
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No one, not even Tommy DeVito, expected to see Daniel Jones benched in favor of a different quarterback this season. But here we are, and this is what we're doing, so let's do it right. The Bucs have the fourth-worst pass defense in the NFL. They allow 7.5 yards per catch and have given up 20 receiving touchdowns and allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.
The Giants really have nothing to lose at this point. Let DeVito loose, let him sling the ball, take risks, and see what happens.
Appropriate play calling
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Changing your quarterback doesn't make a lick of a difference if you keep trying the same things over and over. Brian Daboll has to change his play calling this week and call plays that use Tommy DeVito's strengths. He's not Daniel Jones, so the same plays and the same strategy aren't going to work. Daboll put himself in this boat, so he's got to own it one way or another. Winning games would be nice, so maybe try to call plays that work for DeVito and see what happens.
When all else fails, run the ball
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Tyrone Tracy Jr. has been a pleasant surprise for the Giants this season. He took the top spot from Devin Singletary and hasn't looked back since. This week, against a defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs, Tracy needs to be utilized early and often. Not only does this take some pressure off of DeVito, but it gives the Giants the best opportunity to get down the field.
Ball security
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The Giants are generally winning the time of possession battle, holding the ball almost three minutes longer than their opponents. But their turnover ratio is -6, and that is what costs them games. The Giants have to keep a hold of the ball on offense, and if they do turn it over, the defense has to come out strong and take it back or at least prevent the Bucs from scoring points. The Bucs' defense isn't necessarily known for being a strength, so don't make it easy for them.