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FIVE KEYS TO BEATING TAMPA BAY: PRESS A ROOKIE QUARTERBACK, By
Aaron Klein The Giants must have plenty of games buried out in the backyard and losing to the Saints should be added to the pile. Tampa Bay is up next, this Sunday in usually sunny and warm west-central Florida, not too far from the Gulf Coast but miles from home; it will feel even further if they find another unexpected way to lose. The Buccaneers are 3-4 and are coming off an unexpected overtime victory over the suddenly ordinary Atlanta Falcons last week. The Bucs also field a rookie quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall draft choice Jameis Winston, while also struggling with their own weak pass defense. Winston gets a boost from running backs Doug Martin and Charles Sims. You remember Martin, right? He was the guy everyone thought the Giants would take in the first round of the 2012 draft, only to see the Bucs trade up and snag him away, leaving the Giants with David Wilson (the guy they said they'd targeted all along). Wilson's career-ending neck injury matters not here - the point is that it's hard to believe that the Giants didn't want Martin, badly. Tampa Bay yielded almost 500 yards of offense to Atlanta, but also came up with four turnovers, arguably the key to the game. Winston ran for a touchdown as well as throwing for one in the 23-20 win, and that could give the Giants an idea of how to take care of him. This may feel like a game the Giants should win - and, as we've said before, this is also a must win conference road game - but Tampa Bay is no pushover. To win, the Giants will have to have another over-the-top offensive performance while stepping it up on defense, just enough to gain an advantage. And, as luck would have it, one should expect Jason Pierre-Paul to make his season debut Sunday afternoon, despite the fact that the Giants had not made that official as of Thursday night. Sure, it's possible the Giants will hold him out, but the roster exemption ends next week, so why not give it a go? He's looked pretty darn good in practice -- a lot better than many expected - and most agree that he's basically ready, if only for a limited, situational role. Can they win? Yes. Will they? We shall see. Here are Five Keys to getting that victory and maintaining their slim, half-game lead in the NFC East. 1. Score often and don't turn the ball over: Sure, Tampa Bay found four turnovers going its way last week, but the Giants are plus-11 in turnovers and Eli Manning has only thrown four picks. Scoring doesn't seem to be a problem for the Giants' offense, and one great way the team can put pressure on the Tampa Bay offense without having the defense on the field is to get plenty of points on the board, taking advantage of any mistakes that comes their way. Last week, both the Giants' and Saints' defensive units felt extreme pressure because the opposing offenses were making it look easy to get into the end zone. Pressure leads to mistakes like broken coverages, missed assignments and awful coverage. If the Giants' defense can keep its head, the offense has a chance to get a commanding lead before the Bucs know what happened. 2. Don't give Winston the option to freelance: His fifth-lowest completion percentage of 58.6 is evidence that he relies on his backfield and his own legs to overcome trouble. If the Giants contain him, maybe don't even worry about the sacks but instead imposing pressure while limiting options, thus forcing his to remain in the pocket and make a play, they can take advantage of his inexperience (he is improving weekly, though) and maybe get a few more turnovers of their own. 3. Limit the Bucs' running game: Martin and Charles Sims make up a two-headed, prolific backfield that can take the pressure off Winston. Limiting their production will put more on Winston's shoulders and, if they can manage Key No.2, the Giants defense could find itself surprisingly disruptive. The duo has helped Tampa Bay move to fourth in the league in rushing, a factor the Giants must address with all hands on deck. Can Tampa Bay win with just a running game and a limited passing attack? Probably not, but the Giants can't allow Tampa Bay to find balance. Taking away even some of the running game should force Winston and the entire offense into limbo. 4. Get the ball moving quickly and, heck, run it a bit against a beat up defensive line: Manning threw for six touchdowns last Sunday in New Orleans without an interception. Many of his most successful drives were highlighted by a quick release with the occasional deep strike. The running game? Hardly worth noting anymore, but the Giants still run the ball regardless of any success or failure. Still, between Odell Beckham Jr., any available receiver (no, Victor Cruz isn't playing this week), Shane Vereen out of the backfield, Manning moving the offense at high speed, assuming his receivers can get open, the Giants can force Tampa Bay's struggling, injured defense to stay on the field beyond its comfort level. Note: The Giants' offensive line and stay-put blockers must keep an eye out for backup defensive end Howard Jones, a fast and explosive pass rusher who, while raw, could become a problem, especially if he comes from the right side of the O-line. Jones will likely get plenty of reps with starter Jacquies Smith hurting and likely out. 5. Flood the weak secondary with OBJ and anyone else who can run: Perhaps the worst segment of the Tampa Bay defense - ironically, it's the same one for the Giants - is the secondary. It might even be worse. Therefore, getting OBJ out there with any other legitimate targets should result in a big game for Beckham Jr. Rueben Randle is the next best option and while Dwayne Harris has excellent as a kick returner and mostly solid as a third receiver, he took a step back on regular offense last week when he dropped a simple third-down pass that could have helped secure the victory. While it's doubtful Manning has lost all trust in Harris, he hasn't oozed reliability, either. Could rookie Geremy Davis get a few targets? Rookie tight end Will Tye (talk about unreliable)? We'll see, but as long as Manning can connect with four or five receivers, OBJ should find open field. Questions?
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