New York Giants vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Complete Week 13 Preview for New York
No team can be overlooked, not even the 1-10 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Still, after the devastating string of opponents the New York Giants (3-8) have played over the last six games, the Jags are a welcome combatant for Week 13.
These two teams have only met five times ever (only the Texans and Ravens have faced New York fewer times in the regular season). Believe it or not, the Giants have never won in Jacksonville. They've won all three matchups in the Meadowlands.
Can the Giants make history at EverBank Field this Sunday?
Read on to get the latest news, injury updates, matchups to watch and more.
Week 12 Recap
1 of 5
First Quarter
7:01—The Giants get off on the right foot, forcing the Dallas Cowboys to punt away their first possession of the night after just three plays. New York responds with a 13-play scoring drive that culminates with a three-yard strike from Eli Manning to Odell Beckham Jr.
2:45—The Cowboys bust New York's blitz with a 27-yard gain on 3rd-and-1, setting up a Dan Bailey field goal later in the drive.
Giants 7, Cowboys 3
Second Quarter
14:52—The second quarter kicks off with the most insane catch ever, as Beckham hauls in his now-infamous one-handed grab.
9:15—The Cowboys cut into New York's lead, putting together their most balanced drive of the game. DeMarco Murray was at the heart of the scoring drive, carrying the ball four consecutive times for 26 yards at one point.
3:18—New York turns in its second 80-yard, touchdown drive of the game. Andre Williams gets into the game when the Giants cross midfield, and he provides the six-point punch from just outside the goal line. Big Blue seizes a sizable lead just before halftime.
Giants 21, Cowboys 10 (Half)
Third Quarter
6:35—Dallas beats the blitz again. This time Jayron Hosley's one-on-one coverage is compromised by Cole Beasley, who escapes for a 45-yard score.
1:08—The Cowboys' halftime adjustments are working, as they're able to stifle New York's offense completely in the third quarter. Dallas adds the go-ahead score on a 31-yard pass to Dez Bryant from Tony Romo.
Cowboys 24, Giants 21
Fourth Quarter
3:00—The Giants show one last gasp of life, driving 93 yards to reclaim the lead. Great play-calling helped New York sneak into the end zone on a one-yard, play-action, rollout pass to third-string tight end Adrien Robinson on 3rd-and-goal.
1:01—All hopes of an upset are crushed when the Cowboys score on another Bryant touchdown, this one a 13-yarder. Romo, who had beaten the blitz all game, enjoyed ample time in the pocket on Dallas' final offensive drive of the game, as the Giants chose to drop the extra men into coverage.
Cowboys 31, Giants 28 (Final)
News and Notes
2 of 5
The Most Talked About Catch You'll Ever See
It's almost a week later, and new stories about Odell Beckham Jr.'s circus catch against the Cowboys are still popping up on all corners of the Internet. Every angle of analysis imaginable has been exhausted when it comes to breaking down this single play.
Here are some of my favorite stories written in the wake of Beckham's catch:
- "Hey, Odell Beckham Jr., could you have made that catch without the gloves?" by Tom Rock of Newsday
- "Odell Beckham becomes a meme after unbelievable football catch" by Alex La Ferla of The Daily Dot
- "Odell Beckham Jr.’s Circus Catch Made Tom Brady Laugh Out Loud" by Zach Cox of NESN
- "Beckham's "Catch" a moment Giants rookie, new friend will share forever" by Art Stapleton of The Record
- "How everyone thought I missed the photo of Odell Beckham Jr.'s amazing touchdown catch...but I didn't" by Andrew Mills of NJ Advance Media
Run a Goggle News search for "Beckham Catch," and you're bound to return enough information to keep you busy at least until Sunday's kickoff.
Tom Coughlin to Coach 300th Regular-Season Game
There's something poetic about Tom Coughlin reaching his 300th career game as an NFL head coach against the team he built from nothing. When talking about Coughlin's legacy, just about everyone jumps right to the Super Bowl championships in New York, skipping over eight years of team-building in Jacksonville.
When the NFL expanded by two teams in 1995, Coughlin was hired to coach the new Jaguars franchise (Dom Capers was hired as head coach of Jacksonville's NFC counterpart, the Carolina Panthers). It took one year for him to turn the Jags into a playoff team. In 1996, and again in 1999, Coughlin's Jaguars made it all the way to the conference championship.
Coughlin coached 128 games with the Jaguars. Now, he's back in Jacksonville for No. 300, looking for a win against the very team he once led.
Antrel Rolle Blames Blitzers, Not Perry Fewell
Last Sunday, New York couldn't get home on the blitz. Repeatedly, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo ripped the on-rushing Giants, finding favorable matchups downfield without much difficulty. Because of this, on Dallas' final drive, New York chose not to blitz, relying instead on the four-man pass rush and dropping as many as possible into coverage.
Well, that pass rush never came, and Romo had all the time he needed to pick apart New York's crowded secondary. Unbothered, he comfortably threw the game-winning strike with only 61 seconds to play.
If anyone thought defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was to blame for the conservative play-calling down the stretch, safety Antrel Rolle is nixing that idea. Instead of criticizing his coach on his weekly WFAN radio spot, Rolle called out the players who failed to reach Romo on the failed blitzes earlier in the game, via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Rolle is not the shy type when it comes to voicing his opinion, and usually he's right.
Quote of the Week
QB Eli Manning was asked how this current group compares to a championship-level squad, via Giants.com:
"I really don’t know how to answer that question. I think we are doing some good things offensively. At times we have been in some close games, especially these last two weeks. We felt we had opportunities to win these last two games and just fell short. I think guys have competed and played well enough, and put us in positions to win those games. I think you look back to our 2006 season. We went 8-8, we weren’t a very dominant team, next year without really much adjustment with players and personnel, we win a championship. I think that is kind of the way football goes. Being with the same crew for a year, two years, or three years, it is going to make you stronger and more comfortable. We had some new guys on this squad and hopefully we will be able to stick together for a few more years and make something special. I think it can start right now. It can start at this time. I think we have made some improvement, we are doing some better things, but it is not too late to get on a hot streak, and get things rolling right now.
"
Injury Report
3 of 5
Here's the Giants' Week 13 injury report, courtesy of NFL.com:
| Player | Injury | Practice | Game |
| DE Mathias Kiwanuka | Knee | Limited | Questionable |
| LB Jameel McClain | Knee | Limited | Probable |
| S Antrel Rolle | Non-Injury | Full | Probable |
| G Adam Snyder | Knee | DNP | OUT |
| WR Odell Beckham Jr. | Back | Full | Probable |
| CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | Back | Full | Probable |
| DT Cullen Jenkins | Calf | Limited | OUT |
| T Justin Pugh | Quad | Limited | OUT |
| G Geoff Schwartz | Toe | DNP | Probable |
| LB Jacquian Williams | Concussion | DNP | OUT |
The Giants' injury report ballooned a bit this week. Antrel Rolle's name was a scary one to see added to the injury report, but his absence from Wednesday's practice was due to a personal matter. He returned and practiced fully on Thursday, per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
The rest of the list, unfortunately, is actually hurting.
Odell Beckham Jr. is no stranger to the injury report after his lengthy hamstring issue earlier this season. He now joins Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as Giants who must monitor back pains moving forward.
The linebacker and offensive line units are in trouble. With Jameel McClain already in pain, New York won't be getting any relief from Jacquian Williams, who is still recovering from a concussion. Along the O-line, new addition Adam Snyder and Justin Pugh will both be missing. Weston Richburg will reclaim his starting left guard job this week.
Cullen Jenkins still can't fully overcome that calf injury, leaving the Giants' interior D-line without a dynamic pass-rusher.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Matchups to Watch and X-Factor
4 of 5
Zack Bowman vs. Allen Hurns
The Giants' No. 2 cornerback may be in the spotlight this weekend, as the Giants battle a Jacksonville receiving corps without a real star. Cecil Shorts III is the Jaguars' top receiver, but stricken with the flu this week (h/t Ryan O'Halloran, Florida Times-Union), he should be easily gobbled up by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
The more intriguing matchup is on the other side, where Zack Bowman will be up against new starter Allen Hurns. Allen Robinson only recently landed on injured reserve, which opened the door for Hurns to enter the starting lineup. Even as a reserve, however, Hurns has displayed explosive potential; twice this season he has blown up for at least 100 yards and two touchdowns (Week 1, Week 9).
Bowman has been solid on the outside, even though the Giants never expected him to start out there. The former Chicago Bear has two interceptions since taking over for Prince Amukamara opposite DRC in the starting lineup.
Giants Run Defense vs. Denard Robinson
Recent opponents have pinpointed New York's run defense has as a weakness, so the Jaguars have surely taken note. On Sunday, Jacksonville will try to exploit New York's 31st-ranked unit with Denard Robinson.
Robinson, a former college quarterback nicknamed Shoelace, has always been a dynamic offensive weapon. However, only recently has he developed into a legitimate NFL-caliber talent at running back. He is the Jaguars' leading rusher this season, and last week against the Colts, he was more involved as a pass-catcher than ever before (four catches, 47 yards).
New York's run defense will need to be fundamentally sound and consistent when facing a back as speedy and shifty as Robinson. The real concern is on the edges, where the Giants defensive ends have lacked discipline, allowing opposing backs to break contain often.
Will Beatty vs. Chris Clemons
The Giants offensive line is bad. Injuries and insufficient depth have crippled the unit, inhibiting New York's ground presence and putting quarterback Eli Manning in danger every time he drops back. In some ways, it's the same old story for Big Blue's front-five blockers.
With the exception of Will Beatty, of course. Last year, the left tackle was lambasted, easily spotted as the weakest member of New York's O-line. This year is different; he is holding his own on the blindside edge. The Giants (especially Eli) are lucky to have him this season, even if the value of his performance falls shy of his price tag.
This weekend, Beatty will be challenged by Chris Clemons, a journeyman of a pass-rusher who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last season. Clemons has quietly accumulated 65.0 career sacks, and he currently leads the Jaguars this season with seven to his name.
Giants X-Factor of the Week: Andre Williams
There's no room for the Giants to fool around on the goal line in this game. Touchdowns will be far more valuable than field goals against the struggling Jaguars, so New York may need power runner Andre Williams to put the team on his back when the offense nears the end zone.
Prediction
5 of 5
Click here to read my five bold predictions on the Giants-Jaguars matchup this Sunday.
This week, I'll forecast a bit further out than usual, predicting what will happen over the course of New York's final five games:
Week 13: The Giants will go down to Jacksonville and end their six-game losing streak against one of only a few NFL teams truly worse than Big Blue. New York's offense should find some semblance of a rhythm against the Jaguars' 30th-ranked defense. Giants 38, Jaguars 13.
Week 14: New York travels to Tennessee to take on another anemic adversary. The Titans have won just one game since their season opener, and it was a 16-14 nail-biter over...the Jaguars. Again, the Giants are just less bad. Giants 27, Titans 17.
Week 15: The Giants already blew out Washington earlier this season, so they'll get a chance to hand the Redskins a second loss in a couple of weeks. Considering the recent benching of their franchise quarterback, the 'Skins are a franchise in disarray. Giants 21, Redskins 7.
Week 16: A four-game winning streak? Get out. No, look at the schedule and it's possible. The St. Louis Rams will make the Giants work for it, but you like to think Eli Manning wins a quarterback duel with Austin Davis nine times out of 10. Giants 13, Rams 9.
Week 17: Then, in the final week of the season, it'll all come crashing down. Playing for a chance at a .500 record, the Giants will be slaughtered by the playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles. New York will finish 7-9, the same record it posted a year ago. Eagles 42, Giants 14.
Don't forget to include your own predictions in the comment section below!
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
