5 Bold Predictions for New York Giants' Week 13 Matchup

When two terrible teams get together, is any prediction truly bold?

The New York Giants, for example, find some way to surprise me every week. I can't imagine the Giants' Week 13 opponent, the 1-10 Jacksonville Jaguars, being much different.

And is a prediction truly bold, if no one's watching to see it come true?

Big Blue blew a big chance at redemption in front of a national television audience last weekend on Sunday Night Football, letting the Dallas Cowboys steal a win as they snuck out the back door at MetLife Stadium. This weekend, only New Yorkers and those in the sweeping Jaguars TV market will be subjected to this clash of combined 4-18 teams.

If you rise from your Thanksgiving coma in time for the Giants' 1 p.m. EST start on Sunday afternoon, you're going to want to remember the predictions made right here.

Click through the slideshow and share your own predictions in the comment section below.

Blake Bortles Will Be Sacked Fewer Times Than Eli Manning

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If the Giants are to get the pass rush on track, this would be the game to do it. No team has allowed more sacks than the Jaguars have, giving up 43 through 11 games in 2014. Battered rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has weathered 27 of those sacks.

However, I predict Eli Manning will take a bigger beating than Bortles this weekend.

The Giants' pass rush ranks 26th in the NFL with only 19.0 sacks so far this season. The unit has lacked a bite ever since Jason Pierre-Paul's back began bothering him halfway through the 2012 season. Opposite him, the aging Mathias Kiwanuka rarely makes a game-changing play.

Yet, these are the primary pass-rushers we're subjected to on Sundays.

Meanwhile, spryer defensive ends in Damontre Moore and Robert Ayers are only seeing spot snaps.

Jacksonville will offer a lesson in rushing the passer this weekend, as New York's feeble offensive line falls apart in front of Manning. The Jaguars have 33.0 sacks on the season, trailing only the Philadelphia Eagles (38.0) and Buffalo Bills (46.0).

Manning has already weathered 22 sacks this season; the pressure won'e slow down at all against the Jags.

Watch for the unheralded standouts among Jacksonville's pass-rush—such as Chris Clemons, Ryan Davis and Sen'Derrick Marks—to star against the Giants in Week 13.

Odell Beckham Jr. Will Somehow One-Up Last Week's Catch

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Some already consider Odell Beckham Jr.'s 43-yard, one-handed, three-finger catch (while fighting off pass interference) for a touchdown the greatest catch ever. How could the rookie ever top that in his career, let alone the following week?

Let's call it convenient timing.

Something has changed since the Indianapolis Colts loss in Week 9. Before that game, Beckham only flashed game-changing ability, moving the chains with an acrobatic catch here or getting open for a touchdown grab there. Can you remember, for example, his Week 6 outing against the Philadelphia Eagles?

Four targets. Two catches. 28 yards.

Everything has changed, however, since Beckham proved himself as a reliable, every-down target with his eight-catch, 156-yard performance against the Colts. Manning now chucks it up for him all the time, displaying a level of trust and a degree of chemistry not typically found in a first-year passing connection.

Since Beckham missed all summer with a hamstring injury, you could say those first four games (Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Colts) served as the rookie's very first NFL "preseason."

And, look at the secondaries New York faced since Beckham's "regular season" began.

First there was Seattle, the NFL's third-best unit against the pass, which Beckham scorched for over 100 yards receiving. A week later, San Francisco's second-ranked unit could only limit him to 93 yards. Then, against 19th-ranked Dallas, Beckham racked up over 100 yards before halftime, drawing the attention of at least two Cowboys for the remainder of the contest.

Now, tell me how OBJ matches up against Jacksonville's 27th-ranked pass defense.

Rashad Jennings Will Have More Receiving Yards Than Rushing Yards

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You may not have noticed, but this has already occurred twice this season (Week 1 and Week 12). It might become the trend, if the Giants lose any remaining faith in the running game moving forward.

I expect the Jaguars to sell out against the Giants' weak running game, forcing Manning to pass and banking on him to make a mistake. With little room to run on handoffs against a stacked box, New York must be a little creative to get their starting running back rolling.

Since I'm also predicting a ferocious pass rush out of Jacksonville, the reason to throw plenty of screen passes to Jennings is twofold; it will get him the ball in space and slow down the rush.

Last week, against the Cowboys, Jennings fully infiltrated New York's offensive game plan. Not only did he see the bulk of the carries, the now-healthy starter was also thrown at 10 times. Jennings managed to hang onto eight passes, turning them a total of 68 yards upfield.

Only Beckham had a better day for the Giants catching passes.

Jennings can hurt the Jaguars in two ways, but I predict he inflicts more pain as a receiver than as a runner this Sunday.

Bonus Prediction: Rashad Jennings will score his first receiving touchdown of the season against Jacksonville.

Johnathan Hankins Will Produce Points Somehow

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I don't know how it'll happen, but I'm telling you it will.

Johnathan Hankins toils too hard in the trenches to go unrecognized throughout this entire disastrous season. The leaping strides this 22-year-old tackle has taken since his rookie season have solidified him in New York's D-line rotation. Hankins has the potential to make future Pro Bowls.

But how does a good non-skill-position player on a bad team get noticed?

By making exceptional plays, not typically associated with his position—like a defensive tackle scoring.

Hankins has his best chance to put up points this weekend against the Jaguars' awful offense. The most likely scenario would be him stuffing a running back or sacking the quarterback in the end zone for a safety, two points. Then again, I suppose it's just as likely that a ball-carrier fumbles when hit, and Hankins falls on the ball for a touchdown—six points and three times the fun.

However, the scenario I'm really hoping for is a pick-six.

Imagine Blake Bortles tossing an ill-advised screen pass right into Hankins' big ol' gut, where it's swallowed by the mammoth defensive tackle. From there, Hankins blindly tramples a couple of unfortunate Jaguars in his path before rumbling the rest of the way for a touchdown.

Now, imagine all that in super-slow motion.

The Giants Will...Win!

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To those who say it's not bold to predict a win against Jacksonville, I ask: When was the last time you watched a Giants game?

New York has not won a game since Week 5. The Giants' record, once a healthy 3-2, now stands at 3-8 after a six-game losing streak. 

But the Giants are getting some much-needed relief this week—and beyond. After stumbling through a gauntlet from Week 6 to Week 12 (Eagles, Cowboys, Colts, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Cowboys again), New York has finally reached the soft spot of its schedule (Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams).

If the Giants can collect themselves and find their footing in Jacksonville, they could make a run and be playing for a level record against the Eagles in Week 17.

If that's not something to get amped about, then I don't know what is.

Final Score Prediction: Giants 38, Jaguars 13