Dissecting Most Crucial Matchups in New York Giants' Week 16 Contest with Rams

If the New York Giants want to extend their current winning streak to three games, they'll need to take down the St. Louis Rams away from home.

The Rams (6-8) are far from a powerhouse, holding a last-place position in the NFC West. Shaun Hill isn't the most intimidating quarterback, but St. Louis has a handful of standouts at other positions New York must worry about.

To win a third straight game, the Giants must first win these three individual matchups:

John Jerry vs. Aaron Donald

St. Louis' strength is its defense, and Aaron Donald is the most dangerous Rams defender. The defensive tackle already has 8.0 sacks in his rookie season and ranks fourth in the NFL with 16 tackles for a loss.

Donald usually lines up over the right guard. That position just happens to be New York's weakest along the offensive line, as it is manned by John Jerry, who has been dreadful in his first season as a Giant.

Take a look at what Donald (LDT, No. 99) did to the Cleveland Browns' poor Mitchell Schwartz (RG, No. 72) on this play:

Credit: NFL.com

Almost immediately, Donald compromises Schwartz's positioning, setting up a speed rush with a nimble move at the moment of the snap.

Credit: NFL.com

It takes less than a second for Donald to free his hands and completely turn Schwartz around. Now, the 285-pounder is in pursuit.

Credit: NFL.com

Donald displays exceptional closing speed, leaping on Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer's back. With his left hand, the former Pitt Panther targets the football. He swats it free, completing the strip-sack and stealing possession—a momentum-shifting play.

Jerry outweighs Donald by 50 pounds, so the Giants should rely on his power in the running game and send help his way in pass protection. If Donald is afforded a one-on-one opportunity to rush the passer against Jerry, he will dominate the matchup and make a handful of plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Janoris Jenkins

Odell Beckham Jr. is the Giants offense at the moment. Last week against the Washington Redskins, Beckham's 12 catches accounted for 52.2 percent of quarterback Eli Manning's 23 completions. Similarly, Beckham's 143 receiving yards accounted for 51.2 of New York's 287 total yards of offense.

Take OBJ out of the game, and the Giants' offensive production is halved—at least.

Week	Catches	Yards	Touchdowns
9	8	156	0
10	7	108	0
11	6	93	0
12	10	146	2
13	7	90	0
14	11	130	1
15	12	147	3

It'll be no easy task, but that's exactly what Janoris Jenkins will try to do. Jenkins is a risk-taking cornerback with a penchant for the big play, going back to his rookie season in 2012. In three pro seasons, Jenkins has picked off seven passes, five of which he returned for touchdowns.

Jenkins has also forced two fumbles this season, making him St. Louis' most lethal takeaway artist in the secondary.

The North Alabama product, however, is not a shutdown cornerback. Since Jenkins is known to read the quarterback's eyes and jump routes, the Giants should try to run some double moves on the outside. If Jenkins bites, it could result in a big gain or a game-breaking touchdown.

Although Beckham's exceptionally smooth routes may throw Jenkins for a loop, Manning had best be cautious when throwing Jenkins' way.

Devon Kennard vs. Tre Mason

This game will feature a couple of emerging rookies in New York's Devon Kennard and St. Louis' Tre Mason. There's a good chance we'll get to see these two clash on the field too.

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Kennard has really come along in recent weeks, making a name for himself as a punishing downhill linebacker who can knock the ball free with a jarring thud (two forced fumbles in the last two games). Already adept at rushing the passer with 4.5 sacks over the last three games, Kennard's real test against the Rams will be to stop the run.

St. Louis has featured Mason with limited success. The 21-year-old Auburn product had his finest game of the season recently, though, as he racked up 117 yards on 14 carries (long carry was an 89-yard touchdown). Mason also added three receptions in that game for 47 yards and another score.

For the season, Mason has just 661 rushing yards and a respectable average of 4.3 yards per carry. His professional success has only come in brief spurts, but Kennard and the Giants must work to limit those outbursts in Week 16.

Kennard, who's slowly becoming more of an every-down linebacker, holds a significant size advantage (Kennard is 6'3", 251 lbs; Mason is 5'8", 207 lbs), so the St. Louis running back is not going to run through the hard-hitting linebacker. We'll see if Kennard has the speed to stick with Mason in space, particularly in pass coverage.

*Statistics courtesy of NFL.com.

Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.