The Giants finally got their first win on Sunday with new quarterback Jaxson Dart at the helm. They now have a chance to get to 2-3 as they face the winless New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy this weekend.
Here are the biggest stories to watch as the Giants look to keep the momentum going…
Is it premature to call this a potential trap game?
After such a frustrating start to the season, the Giants could potentially have a chance to get back to .500 and right back in postseason contention with a win next Thursday night.
However, that opportunity will be lost if they can’t overcome a beatable opponent on Sunday.
The Giants can’t afford to make the mistake of overlooking New Orleans, otherwise last week’s surprise win over the Chargers will go to waste.
Although the Saints have lost all four games, two were one-score games in the end and they were still in last weekend’s game against the Buffalo Bills deep into the fourth quarter.
Why have the sacks dried up for Dexter Lawrence?
Lawrence had a huge play against the Chargers with his interception and return to set up a score.
However, his statistical production over the course of the season so far has been uncharacteristically low.
With so many other pass rushers in the lineup, Lawrence may have been expecting to face fewer double-teams and to get more opportunities to produce. However, he has just nine tackles (one tackle for loss) and two quarterback hits through four games.
It's been almost a year since Lawrence last registered a sack, as he had nine sacks in the first seven games in 2024, but has now gone nine starts without one.
Perhaps the 27-year old is taking longer than expected to get back to his best following last year’s foot injury, but it would be a big boost for Lawrence to start ramping up his contributions over the next few weeks.
Who will step up with Malik Nabers out for the year?
Any hope and optimism generated by Dart’s successful first start has to be tempered by the loss of Nabers, whose absence creates a huge void in New York’s offensive plans.
Before last season, Darius Slayton had led the Giants in receiving in four of the past five years. He now has a chance to do so in 2025. He led New York in receiving on Sunday, while also drawing a key penalty.
After catching 93 passes last season, Wan’Dale Robinson should play a big role, too, but the Giants don’t have much proven depth beyond him and Slayton.
Look for Dart to also get TE Theo Johnson and RB Cam Skattebo involved in the passing game on Sunday.
Will New York’s offensive line continue to improve?
Andrew Thomas played every snap in the win over the Chargers, and it’s no coincidence that this was the best game for New York’s offensive line so far this year.
However, Thomas is setting his standards higher than this, as he said he was frustrated with the group’s performance and clearly felt there was room for improvement.
New York’s line committed three penalties, generated a low yards per carry output in the running game, and allowed six sacks on Sunday. Thomas himself specifically singled out the performance in the red zone and when trying to run out the clock as areas where the unit must do better.
Can Deonte Banks bounce back?
Last week, one of the stars of New York’s win was defensive back Dru Phillips, who had four pass breakups and set up a touchdown with an interception and a long return.
This came just seven days after his benching in the Chiefs game.
Could Banks be the next Giants defensive back to turn his fortunes around?
The much-maligned former first round pick got burned for a long touchdown on Sunday and many fans continue to call for him to be permanently replaced. However, it’s not all been bad from Banks, who broke up a pass and had an interception negated by a penalty flag.
New Orleans’ pass offense has been based mostly on the short passing game with Spencer Rattler at the helm, so look for Banks to be aggressive to try and make some plays near the line of scrimmage — this could suit his style of play.
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