Giants: Who To Watch For In Week 2

Olivier Vernon

Vernon may not have picked up any sacks against the Cowboys, but he certainly showed how disruptive he can be off the edge especially against the run. The Saints offensive line is not quite as talented as the one in Dallas so look for Vernon to try and strike big on passing downs. 

Odell Beckham Jr

Last season Beckham had 3 TD's against in his hometown and would surely love nothing more than to repeat that performance. Though the Saints comers will probably pay much closer attention him in this game, the addition of a healthy Victor Cruz and into the mix could open things up for number 13. 

Rashad Jennings

In a turn of recent history, the Giants running game had a pretty substantial showing in week 1. Jennings was able to take advantage of open holes up the middle and gain big when the team needed it most. For this to be a sign that the ground game is poised to make a comeback, Jennings will need to continue running the ball with reverence against New Orleans.

Eli Apple

This is going to be the first big test for the rookie as he goes up against an elite quarterback in Drew Brees. The Saints offense loves to take its fair share of shots down the field, so Apple will need to be prepared to get targeted quite a few times. Though this is only his second game, many will be looking to see how the first around pick holds up.

Victor Cruz

It was a wonderful sight to see Cruz back on the field last Sunday, a moment that was two years in the making. His movements were crisp and decisive, proving to even the most skeptical fan that he's healthy and ready to go. His presence in the offense gives a big boost for Manning as he can now spread the ball around instead of focusing his efforts on one target. With that said, expect Cruz to see more action on the field in his first home game since returning.

New York Giants: 5 Keys to a Successful Season

                        

Eli's Continued Consistency

Over the past two seasons Manning has thrown 65 TD and posted two of the highest passer ratings of his career (92.1 and 93.6 respectively). More of that will certainly be needed if he wants to push the Giants back into the playoffs. With various playmakers on the offensive side, there is reason to believe that the numbers he's put up recently will only get better as long as there is a commitment to an excellence of execution

Improved Secondary Play

There is no denying how awful the secondary has been the past few years. In fact, some would call it the worst in the entire NFL. That should change this year now that the Giants have added pro bowl corner Janoris Jenkins and rookie Eli Apple to the mix. The extra help should do wonders in aiding a second level defense that surrendered the most passing yards in the league a year ago. 

Healthy Linebackers

This has been a far to problematic position for the Giants as they haven't found a linebacker capable of playing even half of the season. The constant carousel has made things especially rough for the team’s defensive coordinators whom often have had to create makeshift plans every week to compensate for the persistent injuries. If the team wants to truly see an improvement in this area the starting corps must be able to stay on the field.

A Dominant Pass Rush

For years the Giants were known for their incredible pass rush that could get to the QB at any given time. That has not been the case recently as the front four have had trouble making a dent in opposing O-lines. The organization went through a lot of trouble rebuilding the defense by spending big on two excellent linemen (Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon) to help reestablish that once vaunted rush. If all goes well, the sack numbers should improve tremendously giving the Giants the boost they need come out ahead of the pack in 2016.

McAdoo's Leadership

This will be the first season in 13 years that the Giants will not have Tom Coughlin at the helm. This places a lot of pressure for former offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, who is a head coach for the first time in his career. Though he does have a great relationship with many of the players, there will still be some grey areas that will need to be filled in as the season progresses. The most important being the establishment of a winning culture that has been missing since the last years of Coughlin's tenure. This may just be his first season, but with the high expectations many have for the team, McAdoo will need to show everyone what kind of coach he'll be for the foreseeable future.