The long wait for regular-season New York Giants football is nearly over. Here are five storylines to watch for Sunday’s season-opening game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Will Malik Nabers play?
The release of Darius Slayton has to be a sign that the Giants believe Nabers, their most explosive offensive player, will be ready to take the field Sunday night.
That is not guaranteed, though, as Nabers works back from a torn ACL. If he plays, how much will he play? How well will he play? How will he react to getting hit for the
first time? Right now, these are all questions without answers.
How will the Giants replace Slayton?
After releasing Slayton on Monday, the Giants did not fill their open roster spot on Tuesday. Will they do so on Wednesday? Whenever they do it, who will get the 53rd roster spot?
The most obvious thing to do is replace a wide receiver with a wide receiver. That would likely mean adding either Braxton Berrios or Dalen Cambre to the 53-man roster.
If the Giants go that way, my guess would be Cambre. As a vested veteran, Berrios’ salary would be fully guaranteed for the season if he were to sign to the 53-man roster before Week 1. The Giants might want to have both on the gameday roster, and as a second-year player Cambre would cost less.
Linebacker Malik Harrison and edge defender Trace Ford could also be possibilities
Caleb Downs revenge game
Early in Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach, podcast host Mike Francesa asked him about Ohio State Caleb Downs. What Harbaugh said made just about everyone who follows the draft begin connecting Downs and the Giants.
“Big fan, big fan,” Harbaugh said of Downs. “We favor Hall of Fame safeties, so if we have a chance to draft a potential future Hall of Fame safety in Caleb Downs, that would be just fine with me.
“We’ll take the best player. You know, when you draft that high, you take the best player. It’s not a need pick. It’s the best player pick because you’re going for the guy that’s going to be that kind of a player. You’re talking about a guy that you would like to see someday wearing a gold jacket if possible. That’s what the goal is with that pick. …
That guy would be just fine with me. I’d take him in a second.”
Then, the Giants passed twice on chances to select Downs. They took linebacker Arvell Reese No. 5, and guard Sisi Mauigoa No. 10.
The Giants are quite happy with both players, with each having given indications they will live up to their draft positions.
Still, the Cowboys took Downs No. 11, meaning the Giants will have to see Downs twice a year for the foreseeable future. Will Downs make them play.
Will Tae Banks really start?
The Giants’ unofficial depth chart shows Banks as a starter instead of Paulson Adebo. Considering the way the pst two seasons went for Banks — poor play, poor tackling, poor attitude — and thew fact that Adebo is the highest-paid cornerback on the roster, Banks as a starter and Adebo as a bench player would be a stunning outcome.
That, though, appears to be what we will see on Sunday night.
Change in fortunes?
The Giants’ struggles at the beginnings of seasons have been well-documented. I wrote this a few days ago:
The Giants have begun seasons 0-2 or worse in 10 of the last 13 years.
It seems appropriate that the Giants will begin the John Harbaugh era in a nationally-televised game against the Cowboys.
The Giants and Cowboys have played seven times in season-opening games since 2012. The Giants are 1-6 in those games, with their only victory coming in 2016.
Primetime games at any time of the year have not been kind to the Giants, either.
Since 2014, the Giants are 11-36, a .234 winning percentage, in primetime.
Sunday, they get the trifecta. The Giants get the Cowboys in a primetime season-opening game.
Will things be any different this season?
